Steve Tapril, Managing Director at Tappers

An overview of yourself and your current role.

I’m the Founder and Managing Director at Tappers, with responsibility for leading a small team at our family-run distillery, producing craft spirits with unique stories inspired by the natural world around us. I look after the product lifecycle from NPD to implementation and the use of our beautiful 500L Holstein Still (along with all the associated regulatory and legal compliance that goes with that!).

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Meeting people who we have managed to touch in some way with what we do – whether that’s a special occasion celebrated with us at the Distillery Gallery Bar, or hearing stories from people about their first experience enjoying Tappers and where that was/who it was with. The personal connection is what makes it all worthwhile.

Was a role like this always what you aspired to?

The truth is I fell into it! I used to be an avid gin drinker and gin festival goer but when I discovered back in 2014 that the majority of spirits on the market were manufactured by third-party distilleries and simply branded with hyper-local marketing and stories, I became disillusioned with it all. My friends insisted that I either stopped ranting or did something about it – so I decided to set up my own gin company and it spiralled out of control from there!

Tell us about your previous roles/business journey.

I worked primarily in managerial roles within Higher Education settings, from academic libraries through to IT services and student administration. A world away from spirits production but the skills I obtained from my previous career have come in very handy –from strategy and planning through to project management and of course working with all sorts of different people.

Tell us a bit about what you do outside of work to relax.

I really enjoy long walks – it’s the perfect way to empty my mind and find some calm away from the hectic workday. I treated myself to a treadmill to keep up with exercising over the winter months and have enjoyed taking part in virtual hikes, from walks in Snowdonia to treks across Namibia – all from the comfort of my own home.

In an ideal world, what else would you like to be?

The natural path after completing my PhD was to step into academia and continue my research. While I think about how different (and probably a lot more sedate!) life would have been, I also know I’d have craved the handson aspects that my current role offers so I prefer to think that I am where I am meant to be.

What advice would you give to anyone else in business?

Be prepared for the fact it can be a bit of a rollercoaster, and that you’ll need to wear many different hats every day. It may sound a cliché but your passion is what will carry you through: always remember why you started off. You’ll meet some amazing people along the way, and you’ll need a thick skin to shrug off the naysayers! Stay focused and stay determined!