I think if I stood still long enough, I’d rust. It’s one of those things, the Beauty and the Beast of the island that comes together,” she says. “For a small business to survive 10 years, and it hasn’t been smooth sailing, not by a long shot, but it’s pretty amazing. “We are amazingly isolated, so that means you have to plan, you have to be prepared and planning ahead is critical. I had to jump through a lot of loopholes because the industry was still quite young, and getting through the red tape, especially at a local level, they had not dealt with anything like this before. “I had to dot all the I’s, cross all the T’s, answer all their questions, because they had nothing really to go on before. In many ways it was extra challenging because of the education process that we had to give people. And being on a shoestring budget back then, I really had to think outside the square how I could make it work, because the costs of going through all the red tape and setting up and all of that stuff is huge, really huge. “Freight, I don’t know if you know much about freight on King Island, but Bass Strait is the most expensive water to freight across in the world I believe. It’s rough and it’s expensive.”
From the outset, Weitjens’ approach was grounded in sustainability and a deep respect for local resources. King Island, with its pristine waters, untainted air, and rich botanicals, provided the perfect backdrop for the venture and the initial lineup included the small-batch gin and vodka, with each drop capturing the island’s unique terroir.
10 Tasmanian Hospitality Review Oct/Nov Edition
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