IN this week’s SME Focus a veteran of the London advertising industry explains why he decided to move into brewing in the Borders in spite of the challenges firms face in an area he feels should get greater recognition.

Name:

John Henderson.

Age:

42.

What is your business called?

Born in the Borders.

Where is it based?

We have several sites in the Scottish Borders – our main site is near Jedburgh.

What does it produce, what services does it offer?

Born in the Borders started life as an on-farm microbrewery, using barley from my family’s farm to create real ale. The brewery’s plough-to-pint ethos gave it a strong provenance story, and we took that provenance story and expanded it to create a visitor centre, gift shop, food shop and restaurant showcasing the very best of Borders produce. We have since opened a second site linked to the Borders Railway in the Galashiels Transport Interchange, and also own a pub in the local village of Ancrum.

Whom does it sell to?

The brewery itself sells across Scotland and the North of England to both independent and tied public houses, but the Born in the Borders brand appeals to both locals and tourists alike.

What is its turnover?

Around £750,000.

How many employees?

20 plus.

When was it formed?

May 2011.

Why did you take the plunge?

I knew that at some point I would have to return to the Borders to take over the family farm, but I had no interest in practical farming. The farm needed an additional revenue stream, and I needed something to do that would be complimentary to the farming business, but not disruptive. We had many crazy schemes and ideas, but at the end of the day, my background in marketing led us to the idea of a brewery. It was a decision based on the fact that we already grew barley, and brewing would allow us to add value to our core product.

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

Working as a creative director at London advertising agency JWT. I was 35, and suddenly realised that I was the second oldest person in an office of 200. My junior designers were starting to call me Dad, and it was time to leave!

How did you raise the start-up funding?

With difficulty! Trying to build a brewery in a rural environment comes with a huge number of obstacles you wouldn’t come across if you were building in a nice, straightforward industrial estate. From sewage to flooding, nothing was straightforward, and it proved to be expensive. On paper, there was no way such a business could financially exist, and it was only through raising 40 per cent of the money through the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) in 2011 that we were able to proceed.

What was your biggest break?

Winning a second round of SRDP funding in 2014 and launching our visitor centre and the whole Born in the Borders Brand. The brewery was originally called the Scottish Borders Brewery, but this second stage of the project allowed us to roll everything into a much more flexible and transportable over-arching brand. Often, people view grants as free money, but they most definitely aren’t. They usually come with a lot of restrictions, but they do, at least in the case of SRDP, allow for something to be created that otherwise wouldn’t exist. The fact that we have delivered over 20 jobs in the first five years of our operation is testament to the fact they are useful economic tools.

What was your worst moment?

About a month ago, watching flood water creep across the site during Storm Desmond, and leaving the buildings on the Saturday night with no idea as to what I’d come back to. They did flood, and it prevented us from trading for a few days, but it was perhaps not quite as bad as it could have been had the flood defences actually been broken. But there was a moment when I genuinely thought that five years of hard work was about to be washed away.

What do you most enjoy about running the business?

The passion of our makers, be they the chefs, the brewers, or our local suppliers. Passion is the key to everything we do, and without it, we would not exist. It’s also the thing that inspires consumers, and they are very quick to smell a rat if it’s not genuine. True passion can give them an experience they won’t find elsewhere, and it has to run through the very veins of the company.

What do you least enjoy?

Unpleasant surprises, which as anyone who runs a small business knows happen on an almost daily basis. It could be anything from an extraction fan packing in, to a critical member of staff falling ill.

What is your biggest bugbear?

The fact the planning process is rapidly becoming prohibitively expensive for anyone without deep pockets. It is utterly unfair, and it means a lot of great ideas, particularly in a rural environment, never see the light of day.

What are your ambitions for the firm?

To create a respected regional brand and to help to promote the South of Scotland as a great place to live and work, with some of the most extraordinary produce in the country.

What are your top priorities?

To expand; to be financially stable; to express our passion clearly; to help new producers and to change Scotland’s view of its Southern reaches.

What single thing would most help?

For the Central Belt to look to the South a little more often, rather than to the North as it traditionally always has. The Borders Railway will make a huge difference in this respect.

What could the Westminster and/or Scottish governments do that would help?

Appreciate the fact that small companies are the life-blood of the economy, and not to strangle them with one-size fits all regulation. The increased minimum wage, for example, is going to have a massive impact on the small company hospitality sector.

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?

That there is nothing that can’t be changed or improved. Nothing is ever perfect, and there is always something that can be better.

How do you relax?

I sleep!