Here's my second podcast - my guest this episode is Matthew Russell – a successful businessman and distillery owner based in Kent – his latest project has been the creation of the Copper Rivet Distillery in Chatham, https://www.copperrivetdistillery.com from scratch, in a former dockyard building, the amazing Pumphouse Number Five – and extraordinary bit of Victorian architecture sat right next to the River Medway – where they make gin, whisky and vodka using all locally sourced ingredients.
But he has a really interesting backstory – academically awful at school, he couldn’t read when he was 11, and failed his English GCSE four times – before being eventually diagnosed with dyslexia aged 18 – after a spell sheep wrangling in Australia and then with the police – he started working alongside his dad Bob Russell in building up Beams International – a firm that make all sorts of bespoke packaging, mainly for food and drinks manufacturers – from Heinz to Guinness to Lanson and Glenfiddich https://www.beamsinternational.com
He’s a really engaging and entertaining chap – who is living proof that there is no one right way of building a successful career or business.
One very little warning – this is a grown up conversation, and there is a moment where the f-bomb is dropped – but it is in the context of an amusing story about an Australian sheep farmer – so, you know.
We recorded the conversation in early December 2020, before the tier 4 regulations were brought in, and the usual social distancing protocols were followed – if you hear the odd noise in the background, that’s because we recorded at the distillery, and there are people busily packaging and getting ready for the Christmas rush – but I don’t think it’s enough to spoil your enjoyment. I plunged straight in and asked Matthew about how they’ve been coping with the weirdness of 2020…