Introducing our latest member, Fielden

Fielden is a whisky distillery that's championing regenerative farming, determined to bring England’s fields back to life with heritage grains, grown with a lot of care. For Fielden, that means no agrichemicals — no herbicides, no pesticides, no fungicides — and working with farmers who want to be kind to the land. The result is wild and glorious fields, as well as a whisky that's full of flavour.

Learn a little more about our latest addition to the Walpole membership in our interview with Fielden's Marketing Director, Hannah Groom...

Walpole: Tell us about the history of your brand…

Hannah Groom: Formerly known as The Oxford Artisan Distillery, We’re championing regenerative farming and we’re determined to bring England’s fields back to life: with heritage grains, grown with a lot of care. For us, that means no agrichemicals; no herbicides, no pesticides, no fungicides. There’s no need for chemicals because nature’s already doing the work. Fielden (an Old English word meaning ‘of the field’) launched just over a year ago on 22nd May 2024. We have had a brilliant first year working with Berry Bros. & Rudd in the UK, listing the whisky in over 150 bars and restaurants and over 70 independent shops. Internationally the response has been exciting too with the brand launched in Australia, Taiwan, Germany, Norway, Italy and France. We are excited about what’s to come in year two.

What is your brand best known for?

Fielden is the English whisky that’s transforming farming, field by field, harvest by harvest. What’s whisky got to do with farming you might ask? Everything. Whisky is an agricultural product, but most grain in England is grown industrially, with chemicals. Not on Fielden’s farms. Fielden is bringing England’s fields back to life by planting heritage grains that grew here centuries ago. Fielden’s farmers work with nature and never use chemicals. Instead, the grain grows in clover, a natural fertiliser. It means the soil is healthy. The grain grows tall and strong in wild and glorious fields. 

What has been a significant achievement in your company’s timeline?

The momentum in year one has surpassed even our expectations. Beyond the success in trade, our mission to scale regenerative farming has caught the imagination of the national press too with high profile coverage throughout the year. Recently a visit by His Majesty The King to our stand at the Chelsea Flower Show generated some great coverage in The Times and a flurry of enquiries about our mission and people keen to learn and support more.

Why do you love the brand?

I love the sense of purpose and mission that drives this brand. From first contact with our ‘fields full of life’ and ‘whisky full of flavour’, people are eager to learn more and support this mission. There is an infectious energy to the conversations we have day-to-day. 

Why does your brand represent the very best in British luxury?

Like all the best brands in British luxury, there is a unique story of provenance and craftsmanship here at Fielden. Equally, there's a high attention to detail in the presentation of the bottle and brand. We are proud of not only how clearly the mission is conveyed, but also how well received the brand is across a huge range of luxury environments. 

What attracted you to becoming a Walpole member?

Walpole does a brilliant job at supporting both the established as well as the emerging players in the sector. At Fielden we benefited hugely last year from participating in the Brands Of Tomorrow programme and as expected our growth continues to be well supported as members this year. 

If you could collaborate with another Walpole member, which one would you choose?

We collaborate very closely with Berry Bros. & Rudd as our brilliant sales partner here in the UK. Beyond that there are many members we’d love to collaborate with, one example being Richard Brendon - we are huge fans of their glassware and I am sure there is something we might do in the future!

Tell us about an exciting development or new launch for your brand in the coming months?

We have the next edition of our Field Notes series being released in the coming months. After the response to the first - Hedgerow won a gold medal at the prestigious San Francisco awards - we are excited for the reaction to the next one!