Bars boycott Equiano Rum as Ian Burrell departs
Global rum ambassador Ian Burrell has severed ties with Equiano Rum, the brand he co-founded in 2019, over a trademark dispute.
In a post published on social media on 2 September, Burrell addressed his “friends, supporters, and the wider drinks community” to share “something important”.
He wrote: “Many of you know me not as only a global rum ambassador, but as a co-founder of Equiano Rum, a project I have poured my heart into from the very beginning. Unfortunately, I must let you know that I am no longer involved with the Equiano Rum brand.
“While I am a founder and shareholder of Equiano Limited, it has come to light that the corresponding trademark was never registered in the company’s name but was purportedly registered by a company controlled by another of our founding directors and shareholders.
“Therefore, I can no longer continue to represent the Equiano Rum brand and I have retained counsel in the matter.”
According to Companies House, the trademark for Equiano was registered on 11 September 2019 by Crave Communications Limited, owned by Burrell’s co-founder, Aaisha Dadral.
Burrell’s post continued: “This has been an incredibly difficult and disappointing situation, but I refuse to let it define me or my passion for rum. Rum has always been more than just a spirit for me – it is history, culture, community, and a way of life. That is where my focus will remain.
“I am deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me on this particular journey so far – from fellow rum lovers, bartenders, and industry peers, to those who simply shared a glass, and the amazing story of an African entrepreneur, abolitionist and author who bought his freedom by selling rum. Your encouragement means the world to me.
“While this Equiano Rum chapter has closed, there are very exciting new opportunities and projects ahead. I look forward to continuing to celebrate rum’s rich heritage and sharing that journey with you.”
He concluded the post using the hashtags #Stolen and #NoLongerBlackOwned.
The Spirits Business reached out to Burrell, who elaborated: “Back in September 2024, while Equiano Rum was struggling to stay afloat and actively seeking investment, I was informed by one of the remaining directors, Amanda Kakembo, that the company did not, in fact, own its own trademark. This revelation came as a shock and a serious concern to me.
“I immediately attempted to contact the director [Dadral] who held ownership of the trademark, but she had been on a leave of absence for several weeks. Once we finally managed to reach her, she admitted that she personally owned the trademark but was reluctant to transfer it back to the company without demanding a payment.
“To this day, we have never been given a clear or satisfactory explanation as to why the trademark was not originally registered under Equiano Rum Co Ltd in 2019, nor why subsequent registrations in other countries were also made outside of the company’s name.”
Burrell claimed the implications of this include a loss of control for the company, as it cannot fully control how the brand name, logo, or identity is used, and the trademark owner could restrict, license, or even withdraw permission for its use at any time. Furthermore, without ownership, the brand may face added costs, such as licensing fees or royalties, and investors, distributors and partners may see it as unstable or high-risk, he claimed.
Burrell also claimed it makes the company “legally vulnerable”, as the trademark owner could prevent expansion into new markets or product categories. The brand could even lose the right to use its own name if disputes arise.
He explained that it also creates strategic limitations for the company, as any sale, merger, or investment becomes complicated if the brand doesn’t own its own IP (intellectual property), subsequently weakening its valuation, as IP is a major asset in brand worth.
Finally, it impacts the company’s reputation. “A brand built on cultural, historical, or ethical values – like Equiano – risks credibility if the ownership of its identity sits outside of the company or community it represents,” he said.
Burrell alleged that to his knowledge, no-one at the company, other than Dadral, was aware of the trademark ownership until September last year. “It was [her] responsibility, as a director, to ensure that the relevant trademarks were registered globally under Equiano Rum Co Ltd. Instead, they were registered under her own company’s name. Had the other directors been aware of this, they would have expected her to invoice Equiano Rum Co Ltd through her company, Crave Communications, for the costs of registration, as was the case with all other works carried out by her company, and for trademarks to be transferred accordingly. The fact that this did not occur is a matter of serious concern.”
He added the reason he included the hashtag #NoLongerBlackOwned was “to highlight the fact that the Equiano brand, which was led by people of African and Caribbean heritage, is now fully owned and controlled by others. Given rum’s history, built on the labour and suffering of enslaved Africans, I believe it’s important to be transparent about representation and ownership in this industry. The hashtag was not used lightly — it was meant to underline the cultural and historical significance of the shift in ownership.”
Equiano Global responds
However, a spokesperson for Equiano Global has told a different story.
In a statement released on 3 September, the spokesperson explained that in May this year, the directors of Equiano Ltd –Burrell, Dadral and Kakembo – initiated an administration process due to a significant funding gap.
Companies House confirmed that Tom Parish, Terri Mulgrew and Andrew Andronikou were appointed as joint administrators on 13 May.
The spokesperson explained that it was during this process that it became apparent the company did not own all the intellectual property and trademark rights. “The IP had in fact been secured by the company’s design agency, something that all directors, including Ian, were aware of well before administration,” the statement read.
“Following this, Ian assembled a syndicate of new investors that sought to negotiate and secure the business and assets of Equiano Limited whilst also attempting to purchase the IP and take full control of the brand. The administrators, acting independently and in the best interests of creditors, ultimately rejected their proposal to purchase the assets of Equiano Limited and instead accepted an offer from Equiano Global Limited, a company backed by existing shareholders.
“While we thank Ian for his past contributions, it is important to be clear: he was a director throughout, he knew the ownership position of the IP, he attempted to take control of the business through the administration process he initiated, with a new set of investors, and that attempt was unsuccessful.
“It is regrettable to see efforts to reframe the narrative after the fact, particularly when such actions risk undermining those who have worked tirelessly to build this business. Protecting one’s own interests is understandable; doing so at the expense of colleagues, shareholders, investors and staff is not.”
The statement concluded: “Equiano has always been a collective endeavour, built by hundreds of people who have invested time, talent, passion and, in many cases, their personal savings. For this reason, the newly formed Equiano Global Ltd will honour all existing shareholders with ownership in the new company, a fair outcome that the competing bid would not have delivered.
“Our door remains open to Ian, and prior to his statement we were in discussion about his involvement in the new entity. However, we respect that he appears to have chosen a different course, and we wish him well.”
Burrel refutes the claims
Burrell told The Spirits Business that this story is not accurate, explaining he chose to step away from an association with Equiano Rum because a new company, Equiano Global Ltd, had taken control of the Equiano assets through administration.
“Equiano had been expecting funds from our lead investor, who unfortunately was no longer able to provide them. This left us with a significant gap in our finances and the urgent need for new investment, which did not materialise,” he said. “To protect the business while seeking fresh investment, all three directors agreed to placed the company into administration. It was during this process that potential new investors raised that Equiano did not own its name or trademark, and that would be problematic – these were held instead by a separate company, Crave Communications. Our administrators apparently tried to negotiate for recovery of the trademark, but were unsuccessful.”
He added: “The new company has also reached an agreement with the co-founder/director and owner of the Equiano trademark to transfer the IP to this new entity in exchange for either shares and/or remunerations. As I am not part of Equiano Global Ltd, I am therefore no longer involved with the brand. While they have invited me to work for them, I cannot in good conscience work for the same people who benefitted from actions that undermined my hard work and original vision.
“My only connection to Equiano Rum today is the value that I have previously brought through the global network of industry family that believed in the brand, the story and myself.”
On-trade support
Since the revelation, Notting Hill bar Trailer Happiness has taken to social media in support of Burrell.
The Trailer Happiness post read: “Enough is enough. We live in a world that is increasingly driven by greed and individuals who prioritise personal enrichment over the well-being of everyone else. The idea that someone could push Ian Burrell out of a company he helped build from scratch and has poured his heart into, dedicating his time and money to help grow the brand, is truly shocking. Equiano is a great rum thanks to Ian, but good liquid alone is not enough to keep a rum on our shelves.
“Rum is not just profit, it is community, family, heritage and legacy. I sincerely hope this can be resolved amicably but until this happens we will no longer be stocking or supporting this rum, and we advise anyone who respects brand integrity to do the same.”
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