Reefton Distilling Co. boss receives national recognition

Reefton Distilling Co. is celebrating its Co. Founder and Chief Executive Patsy Bass being named on the list of the top 50 Women in Food and Drink Aotearoa.

Bass says she was thrilled and surprised to be included.

“I know that the global spirits industry is traditionally considered to be male dominated, but there are a great number of women out there doing exceptional things both in Aotearoa and around the world, and it is wonderful to be recognised as one of them,” she adds.

Network, educate and support

Founded by Kelli Brett, Editor of Cuisine Magazine in 2022, the list is a national incentive to connect women across the food and drink sector, designed to help network, educate and support each other.

The judges and those making the nominations, were asked to consider two main things: “How, where and what does each person influence?”, and “How are they contributing to a conversation about our food and drink story of which we can all be proud?”

A tireless ambassador

As well as running one of the country’s largest independent distilleries and a founding member of Distilled Spirits Aotearoa, Bass is also a tireless ambassador for the West Coast region and all it has to offer.

She shares the stories that help drive knowledge of innovation, sustainability and local New Zealand ingredients, with both consumers and businesses in the F & B sector. 

Great vision for the industry

In 2023, she negotiated a deal that saw Reefton Distilling Co. become the first New Zealand Distillery to sell bulk whisky to the Scots. 

In 2024 she made the headlines again with Reefton Distilling Co. becoming the first New Zealand Whisky Distillery, and the first West Coast business, to achieve the international B Corp certification. 

Awarded for positive governance, financial, environmental and social impact, Bass hopes that this is a path other businesses in the industry, and the West Coast region, will adopt. 

2024 saw another first, when Ngāti Waewae gifted precious pounamu to the distillery to enable all water, used in the production of their Little Biddy and Moonlight Creek products, to be filtered over Pounamu taking the very spirit of the West Coast to the world.

Bass believes that smart business looks at a holistic view combining purpose with profit. A core part of Reefton Distilling Co.’s business ethos is working with youth from the local high school and preparing them for the world of work. Their first student has now progressed from labelling their products after school, to becoming a distiller and was recently (in 2024) the youngest person in the world ever, to sit the international Institute of Brewing and Distilling Certificate, something Bass says she is extremely proud of.

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