Just the tonic – Tim Warrillow, Co-founder and CEO, Fever-Tree

When Tim Warrillow and Charles Rolls started Fever-Tree in 2005, the market for mixers was dominated by a single incumbent. They injected innovation into a stagnant industry, creating tonics that were bursting with intense, natural flavours.

By 2013, the brand had a turnover of £16m and the pair secured private equity investment from LDC to supercharge growth overseas. “Private equity was really helpful in establishing good governance. LDC helped us get the right back office infrastructure and processes in place, while letting us focus
on the front end. It still felt like our business,” explains Tim.

Over the next 18 months, Fever-Tree’s valuation doubled and the business launched on AIM at the end of 2014. “Listing Fever-Tree raised the status and stature of the business, and increased public awareness, which has been great for the brand,” says Tim. Six years on and growth shows no signs of slowing. The company is now making a wide range of mixers, and is at the heart of a global trend for premium cocktails both at home and in bars.

“We are still ambitious as a listed company, perhaps more so than we have ever been.”