Comedian Ricky Gervais Invests in Eco-Friendly Vodka Company
Comedian Ricky Gervais has become a co-owner and investor in Ellers Farm Distillery, the producer of Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka, the companies announced on Tuesday.
Gervais, known for creating the hit comedy series “The Office,” said he was drawn to the distillery because of its commitment to sustainability.
“I’d been looking to invest in eco-friendly businesses for a while and as soon as I found Dutch Barn – I wanted in!” Gervais said in a statement. “I love the planet and I love a drink so it was the perfect combination.”
Ellers Farm, founded last year in this small village in the English countryside, has been carbon neutral since its inception. In September, it became a Certified B Corporation, a designation that requires meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance.
The distillery says it shares 20 percent of profits with employees and maintains fair pay ratios across the company.
Chris Fraser, founder and chairman of Ellers Farm, said the company was “thrilled” to bring Gervais into the business.
“With so many hollow celebrity cash-for-face brand endorsement deals out there, we are really pleased to have forged an authentic partnership with Ricky involving both investment and creative leadership,” Fraser said.
Gervais will help market Dutch Barn Vodka globally, something Fraser said the company had been hoping to do.
“The exciting part for me is that I’ve been promised that I can try to make it a global brand in my own way. Something I can’t help but think they will regret,” Gervais joked.
The deal was advised and financed in part by AIG Holdings, a brand incubator that invests in consumer products.
