From a Tiny Copper Still to Twelve Gold Medals — The Heartwarming Story of Three Wrens and Our Beautiful Collaboration
There are some stories you stumble into by accident — the kind that make you smile, make you pause, and make you think, Yes. This is exactly the kind of partner we want to work with. Our story with Three Wrens Distillery is one of those.
Just a few miles from the venues we cater at, tucked into the quiet Cheshire countryside, sits a distillery that began not with corporate plans or investor pitches… but with curiosity, courage, and a Philosophy graduate named Nick who couldn’t stop asking “What if?”
And truly, thank goodness he didn’t.
A Life That Started in Philosophy… and Found Its Way Into Flavour
Nick’s journey into distilling is the kind of story where everything seems to fall into place — the timing, the talent, the quiet courage — until creativity blooms into something extraordinary.
After graduating with a degree in Philosophy, he didn’t leap into academia or law. Instead, he wandered into Manchester’s early cocktail scene, back when the city’s first cocktail bars were just beginning to sparkle. He became a bartender, then a head bartender, and eventually the bar manager of a venue that went on to rank No. 2 in the World’s Best Bar List.
Behind the bar — in the muddles, the aromas, the quiet alchemy of flavours — something clicked. He realised he wasn’t just mixing drinks. He was learning to paint with taste.
That curiosity soon led him into the drinks industry, then into distilling, where on his very first day he felt something that changed everything:
“I was hooked.”
A Wedding, A Move, and One Remarkably Brave Decision
Nick and his wife were married not far from where Three Wrens now stands. During the back-and-forth of wedding planning and countryside drives, they fell in love with the area — the trees, the pace, the feeling of home.
So they moved. And then, with the kind of leap-before-you-look courage only creative people truly understand, Nick quit his job.
He bought a tiny 50-litre copper still — lovingly named Valerie, after his mum — rented a small space, and began experimenting.
His brother, with his architectural eye created the branding. His sister handled the PR. His wife stepped naturally into the role of Chief Taster, working beside him in the creative heart of the distillery — tasting, sampling, and helping perfect the botanical blends that define their gins. And Rocky — their labradoodle — accidentally inspired the name.
Walking together one afternoon, settling into life in Cheshire, his wife smiled at the three of them and said:
“Look at us — we’re like three wrens.”
A family of three. A dream beginning. And a brand was born.
Since then, their family has grown — and while Rocky was the original “third wren,” their little boy has happily inherited the honour too. The name stays, though; it’s woven into their story, their heart, and now, beautifully, into ours.
A Creative Partnership with Two Palates
A beautiful layer of the Three Wrens story is the way flavours come to life. Nick does not create alone.
His wife plays an important role as Chief Taster, helping finalise each recipe to appeal to a wide, balanced audience.
They taste differently. They interpret flavours differently. They respond to botanicals in their own unique ways.
This contrast is part of the magic — two palates, two perspectives, one shared vision. It’s a creative partnership built on instinct, trust and a deep love of flavour.
The Awards Begin to Arrive… And Keep Arriving
Three Wrens didn’t stay quiet for long. Their creativity began shaping the gin world in subtle but brilliant ways.
Here is a snapshot of their accolades:
Apple Crumble Gin
Gold – World Gin Awards
Gold – Global Gin Masters
3-star Great Taste Award
Golden Fork winner (rated the world’s top flavoured gin)
Bison Grass Gin
Gold – World Gin Awards
Gold – Global Gin Masters
UK’s Best Flavoured Gin – Great British Food Awards
2-star Great Taste Award
Citrus Gin
Gold – Global Gin Masters
Gold – World Gin Awards
England’s Best Gin – World Gin Awards
Raspberry Gin
Gold – Global Gin Masters
Bloody Apricot Gin
Gold – Global Gin Masters
Pepper Street Gin
Gold – Global Gin Masters
Spiced Golden Rum
Gold – Global Gin Masters
Spiced London Dry Gin
Gold – Global Gin Masters
Bringing the Story to Your Wedding Day
With Three Wrens Distillery, the story doesn’t stop at the bottle — it becomes part of your wedding.
From beautifully styled gin tables to personalised gin wedding favours, there are lots of ways to add a memorable gin moment to your day. And if you book one of our Wedding Drinks Packages, you can access the Three Wrens Gin Making Experience at a subsidised rate, ideally before the wedding — a brilliant way to create your own gin and take inspiration for bespoke favours or signature serves.
Ask us about gin tables, favours & the Three Wrens gin experience
