Daniel Thurston is the founder of Sunfire Spirits, a family run distillery based in Mid-Norfolk which recently won a Great Taste 3-star award for its Sloe Gin. Here, the former Golf Pro explains how he and his wife have a special little helper
Who are you and what do you do?
We are Sunfire Spirits, a family of three, we produce and distil premium products using only natural fruits and honey that have been handpicked or organically sourced as locally as possible.
When did you set up Sunfire Spirits and what were you doing before?
We established the company in Spring 2019, I, was working as a Golf Pro at the time and my wife was working as an Interior Design Sales Consultant.
What’s the thinking behind the name?
We wanted to create a name to remember, something that slipped off the tongue, the origin of the name Sunfire is derived from a type of Morph of the Reticulated Python, of which we own a few, so it gave the company a personal meaning for us too.
How have you managed to navigate your way through the pandemic?
It was a struggle as it was for everyone, we were not able to attend events or shows as before. We took the opportunity to develop our company and the product range we offered.
How important is it to you to be a Norfolk-based, family business? Who is involved?
Our roots have remained in Norfolk and the beautiful countryside, this allows us to handpick many of our fruits including the sloes, elderflower and rhubarb. We would not be able to do this if we were somewhere more built up and would not have had the same results. Nature has many resources with Norfolk having a lot of untouched land. It is only me, my wife Suzanne and our two-year-old Jay, although he tries to help as much as he can.
What sets you apart from the others? Describe your range and products?
We pride ourselves on using natural products and ingredients in all our products, we do not skimp on the amount of fruit or honey used in our products whilst also supporting local growers/farmers and beekeepers. We hold a wide array of stock with gin, rum, vodka and liqueurs – giving people a large choice of options. We also offer a Mix & Match Gift Box so people can choose from any product and spirit to give their preferences a try.
What does it mean to get the Great Taste 3 stars?
We are immensely proud that the judges for this year’s Great Taste were able to taste the love and precision that we put into our products. It makes all the effort seem worthy along with our past, current and future customers who have supported us to get to this point.
Any plans that you can share?
We have a lot more ideas in our head, too many to work with sometimes! We would like to build our own distillery next with the possibility of offering a local shop with other local producers, tasting sessions and possibly our own mini events partnering with other small business across Norfolk or Suffolk.
Visit Sunfire Spirits.
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