Name: Joe Wilson
Job title: Co-founder
Company: Stonewall Spirits
What was your first job? I worked on a mobile fruit van when I was 14 and used to stand on the back of a freezing old fruit van for 10 hours helping old women pack their shopping and take their shopping bags into the house for them.
What’s been your worst job interview? Honestly I have never had one! I only had two ‘adult’ jobs before Stonewall Spirits and both I got the job and stayed at them both for years. I am very loyal!
What was the first music single you bought? I want to say Geri Halliwell – I remember dancing around my living room to the CD quite a lot so I am going to say that.
How do you describe your job to your friends? I speak all day to people about our amazing LGBTQ+ spirit brand to absolutely anyone who will listen to me and walk around with a bag full of gin and rum.
“For every bottle sold we donate £1 charity and we have so far raised over £10,500”
What is the most rewarding part of your job? Sending over the donations to the LGBTQ+ charities we support through our brand. For every bottle sold we donate £1 charity and we have so far raised over £10,500. I absolutely love supporting them and giving back to my community and seeing how our donations are helping continue their amazing work.
What is the least rewarding part? My worst month is June (Pride Month) because it is endless requests from big companies asking for constant free stock for their pride events as they ‘want to support’ – these are businesses who don’t stock the brand and don’t want to stock after Pride Month has ended.
We work so hard to get conversations going with businesses and stock the brand into them so for them to say they just want free stock from a small business and not stock after is actually a bit heartbreaking.
What is your motto in life? It’s cheesy, but “failure only happens if you quit, until then it is simply an experience”.
Honestly I think I heard it on Desperate Housewives or something once and it just stuck with me!
If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? Travel all over with the brand, ‘just need to nip over to America next week’. One day maybe…
Do you have any phobias? Heights – never really been good with them.
If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be? I’d give smaller brands, especially in the on-trade, a better chance of meeting and speaking to buyers and so they stand more of a chance of introducing the brand into on-trade. A lot of it just comes down to RETROS/marketing fees/price and us smaller brands just get absolutely wiped out sometimes by the bigger brands as we can’t compete. It’s really crap as there are some amazing small craft distillers out there creating amazing brands and products.
What luxury would you have on a desert island? A bottle of Stonewall Gin, of course. Raspberry – currently my favourite.
What animal most reflects your personality? A dog, I am such a people pleaser.
Read more:
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How fmcg is celebrating Pride Month 2024
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My food & drink job: Tyler Lee, ProUd network co-chair, Unilever
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Does the fmcg sector walk the walk on LGBTQ+ issues?
What’s your favourite film and why? Hocus Pocus (the first one) – I am a 1990s gay boy, three witches in Salem, come on!
What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? Honestly, I have too many. A lot of them include me being very drunk and what I am told has happened rather than me actually remembering them… but probably best not spilling that!
Which celebrity would you most like to work with and why? Britney Spears – and I don’t as much want to work with her as I do want to recreate the Stronger music video together.
What would your death row meal be? A Chinese takeaway. Salt & pepper chips, rice, curry sauce – you know the rest!
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