Vodka pledges fifth of profits to charity

A military veteran turned entrepreneur has launched a drinks brand and pledged to donate 20% of all profits to military charities.

Heroes Vodka will donate 20% of all sales profits to military charities

Chris Gillan, 34, is set to launch his first product, Heroes Vodka, which will be available to purchase at several events running throughout the course of 2014, including the Waddington International Air Show, The Colchester Tournament, the summer fair at Sandhurst and the Wellington Horse Trials.

Gillan – who was in the RAF for nine years and has served in Iraq and Afghanistan and helped train members of the Afghan police before the second amendment to the SAS but was forced into retirement due to injury – also plans to employ ex-servicemen and women where possible.

The Army Benevolent Fund, the Royal Navy & Royal Marine Charity and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund are all currently backing the project.

“The business idea was far from my original plans when leaving the military but when an injury from service forced me to rethink my career path, becoming self-employed became the obvious answer,” commented Gillan. “This is a business that allows me to retain a link with the armed forces, which I love, while doing something positive.

“It’s proving to be enormously popular and I have had CVs flooding into my office from ex-service personnel keen to work with Heroes Drinks Company.”

Distilled in the midlands, Heroes Vodka is bottled in the northeast of England and distributed from the company’s headquarters in Edinburgh and bonded warehouse in Manchester.

Following the launch of Heroes Vodka, it is hoped further spirits will also be produced, with plans for Heroes Gin and Heroes Whisky in the future.

“Being a Scot it’s important for me to be able to produce a whisky, but I am conscious that we have to produce quality products and so getting it right is important,” added Gillan.

Gillan has embarked on a crowdfunding campaign to raise the £100,000 needed to develop his business and is using Glasgow-based platform Squareknot to allow ex-servicemen to invest up to £30,000 in the project.

He is also looking to raise up to £70,000 from self-certified investors in exchange for an equity stake in the business.

For more information or to invest in Heroes Vodka, visit www.squareknot.co.uk.