🛒 The Check-Out: Henry Connell, The Uncommon

+ 5 CPG x Climate events in June + what's in our basket - Vinted, Goodr and more...

Jun 06, 2024

Happy Thursday! Welcome to The Check-Out - your weekly dose of brand x sustainability inspiration, and your discovery box of what the team is loving this week. It’s great to have you here.

Ever had a product so pretty, it just sits on your shelf? Like an ode to the graphics gods, it’s almost too gorgeous to actually consume. We first came across canned wine company The Uncommon a couple of years ago at a pop up for climate-conscious brands we covered. In the years since they’ve been busy with Bison (yes, you read that correctly) and more….so this week’s Check-Out is more of a Check-Back-In with the brand that gives your home decor a run for it’s money.

After we chat to Henry and hear his three wishes for the drinks industry, we’ll share 5 CPG x Climate events you shouldn’t miss this month, AND what the Following the Footprints team has loved and consumed this week. It’s a corker, but without the cork. I’ll stop. Let’s start…

> Brand Spotlight

🎙️ Behind the Brand: Henry Connell, Co-Founder at The Uncommon

👉 Hello! We’d love the non-LinkedIn lowdown on who you are, what is The Uncommon focused on, and what you were doing before you were making the planet cooler (both meanings intended)?

Truth is, I spent my 20s doing a pretty boring and ‘uncool’ office job in NYC (okay, NYC itself was actually pretty cool). Whilst in the US, I saw first-hand the success of canned wine. At the same time, I saw English sparkling wine beat Champagne in some of the world’s most prestigious competitions.

I thought, “Why not make a high-quality local wine in this new sustainable format?” It had never been done in the UK, but I knew we had the same open-minded consumers.

The English wine industry is very traditional, and we thought there was room for some innovation. So, together with my best friend Alex (a graphic designer by trade), we took the leap – quit our jobs, retrained in cool climate grape growing, and gave it a go.

When you take tradition out of the equation, cans make a whole lot of Uncommon sense. They keep our style of wine fresher for longer, they’re endlessly recyclable, light to transport, have a carbon footprint 86% lower than glass, and keep out air and light (the biggest killers of wine). We were able to take a fresh look at the industry and design a wine to fit our evolving on-the-go lifestyles.

👉 How does The Uncommon think about sustainability? Any impact-related milestones or achievements you’re particularly proud of?

Sustainability is cultivated at our core. We believe making things in a responsible way that isn’t going to contribute to the degradation of our planet should be a given.

When we looked at the industry a few things didn't quite make sense to us. Why are we transporting millions of litres of wine across the world when we grow amazing grapes on our doorstep? The UK is one of the largest consumers of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in the world and yet Bacchus, which grows very well on the South East band of chalky soil, is similar. We want to champion local produce.

Glass is also relatively unsustainable - it’s heavy to transport, expensive to recycle, and requires a lot of protective packaging.

In 2021, we became the first UK winemaker to become B Corp certified. Our score of 107.5 put us in the top percentile of businesses using business as a force for good.

We also recently measured our climate footprint with Carbon Cloud - which was a super interesting process. The result showed our climate footprint is over 50% lower than the nearest canned wine and 86% lower than that of bottled wine.

This is largely due to our local growing, carbon positive canning and the can itself. We’re proud to have this benchmark and are now able to make a plan towards Net Zero.

👉 When we first featured you in November 2022, you were working with Kent Wildlife Trust to reintroduce bison for the first time in the UK! How did that go, and any cool partnerships since?

It’s been a (re)wild couple of years! Since 3 mega footed herbivores left their first hoof prints on Kent soil, they’ve been joined by a unique assembly of grazers - a bull, Exmoor ponies, iron-age pigs, and longhorn cattle - who all collectively sculpt the habitat around them by rummaging around, eating, and knocking things over. They’ve already brought light to the woodland floor, boosting biodiversity.

This year, Kent Wildlife Trust will be adding bison bridges. These crossings will ensure the herd's access to the entire 200-hectare area, fostering a more connected, dynamic ecosystem.

Read more about The Uncommon’s work with Kent Wildlife Trust here and here.

👉 Ok, magic wand time; if we could grant you three wishes for the drinks industry, what would they be?

I would wish for a climate footprint count on all food & drink products. Similar to calories, I’d love to see a standardised climate impact score on all packaging. We should give people all the facts and let them make an informed choice on their purchases.
I would wish for tax relief on local products. The UK alcohol duty hikes are unworkable with prices going through the roof. There is little to no support from the government for produce that is grown or made locally. By reducing taxes or offering relief, we can make local more affordable and reduce the carbon footprint associated with transporting goods from afar. Surely a win win.
Lastly, I’d wish to reduce supermarket power - and see more independent retailers. Supermarkets have significant influence over the market and our livelihoods. It’s no longer a question of quality but rather price and availability of goods. If we’re going to have a truly sustainable supply chain, it doesn’t make sense for a supermarket to squeeze the local and small producers trying to make positive contributions. I would love to see more respect for people doing good things.

👉 Finally - what other consumer brand do you think is killing it?

Riverford - a great example of a true commitment to local, organic farming. As a brand, they don’t discount to ensure their workers and farmers are all paid fairly. And they do a great job in educating people about seasonality and sustainable practices.

A huge thanks to Henry, Florence and The Uncommon team!

Check Out The Uncommon

> Monthly Events Roundup!

📆 5 CPG x Climate Events in June:

Upcycled Food Month, London Climate Week, and the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere will be some of the highlights of June. Let’s take a look…

6th June - A Spotlight on the Circular Economy

Why? You’ll learn from three businesses who’ve put in place closed-loop or circular economy systems
Organisers: NatWest, Green Economy
Location: Manchester, UK

24th June - Upcycling Food Waste: What does the future hold?

Why? It’s Upcycled Food Month, and we should all learn how to incorporate more side-streams into our daily life.
Organisers: ReFED, Upcycled Food Association, Where Food Comes From, Inc.
Location: Virtual

26th June - What’s Next for Scope 3?

Why? Experts are gathering to discuss how to overcome the most common barriers that businesses face when trying to track their full set of emissions.
Organisers: World Business Council for Sustainable Development, The Carbon Trust
Location: London, UK

27th June - How to Become a Regenerative Business

Why? The C Collective will introduce regenerative frameworks, host hands-on activities, and offer refreshments and networking!
Organiser: The C Collective
Location: London, UK

27th June - Implementing CSDDD: Legal Tools for Sustainable Supply Chains

Why? Because despite the new CSDDD directive only currently creating regulations for large companies, its impacts will trickle down to business partners and regulations in the EU tend to have a ripple effect across the sustainability world.
Organiser: Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers (GAIL)
Location: Virtual.

Share June's Roundup

> In Our Basket

🔎 What we loved and consumed this week:

From Laura in Manchester: Currently loving North Star Coffee, a family-owned business based in the North West. They’re a B Corp and prioritise shade-grown coffee, which is friendlier to our natural environment. The coffee tastes amazing, which may boil down to them utilizing the lower-impact Loring roaster machine!
From Indira in Glasgow: I recently went camping at the Blair Atholl Castle Grounds to support my friend, Tahima, in her 31 km trail race up a munro! While I may have not had the stamina to join, my own victory was finding the trendy and colourful running glasses brand Goodr Sunglasses. They’re very lightweight, premium quality but affordable, and 100% carbon neutral!
From Katherine in London: My colleague recently reminded me of the wonders of Vinted and I’ve admittedly become a bit obsessed. While I still love scouring charity shops for new pieces to add to my wardrobe, Vinted feels like the solution for securing specific wardrobe items I know I need. With the sheer number of items on the app, I always find what I’m looking for!

That’s it for today!

Know a brand we should spotlight next? Let Leone know!
Have links that can make the team learn or laugh? Share them with us, we might just share them in The Check-Out next week.
Hungry for more? You’ll see us on Monday! That’s when we suit up and get serious, digging into a topic that is guaranteed to make you look smart at standup.

Much love,

Team FTF