Meet your makers

MASTER DISTILLER

Peter Warren

Peter’s relationship with gin began at a relatively early age. No, not your typical youthful bombard-your-liver-and-seek-oblivion kind of relationship, but a more discerning, quality-appraising approach. At least that’s what he claims.

That early flirtation morphed into fine appreciation. Overseas trips turned into outstanding-local-gin-sampling-and-purchasing missions (the top shelf of the Warren drinks trolley is mightily impressive). And pretty soon, fine appreciation turned into a desire to craft.

After much trial and error, Peter developed his own neutral spirit and has relished the opportunity to explore a range of flavour profiles using different botanicals and distilling techniques. The outstanding customers of the Greytown Distilling Company thank you for it, Peter.

DISTILLERY MANAGER

John Goss

John’s GDC experience began with a love for premium spirits.

After many years involved in the motorcycle industry, from wholesale distribution to business ownership, John travelled extensively and managed to wrap his tastebuds around many of the world’s foods, wines and premium spirits. And this of course sparked an interest in wishing to learn the art of distilling.

Moving to the beautiful South Wairarapa in 2020, John tripped over the steps of the Greytown Distilling Company.

“I have been extremely fortunate to rub shoulders with an artist like Peter Warren, our Master Distiller, and to be given the opportunity to learn with great interest the magic of distilling premium award-winning spirits,” says John. “We have a great team here at GDC, with a wealth of innovation and talent. I love being part of it!”

John’s overall niceness helps balance out the style of other team members, like those in the marketing department.

ASSISTANT DISTILLER

Angela Ternent-James

By day, Angela is an assistant distiller, carefully coaxing flavour and character out of stills with the precision of a scientist and the heart of an artist. By night, she’s a Gin collector with a nose for nuance and a growing library of botanicals from all over the world. 

With a deep passion for the science of distillation, Angela doesn’t just follow recipes—she experiments, questions, and learns. She's fascinated by the molecular magic that transforms humble grains and botanicals into liquid alchemy. Whether it's adjusting fermentation times, dialling in temperatures, or studying ester formation, Angela is all about understanding the why behind the wow. 

Her shelves at home are lined with bottles, not for show, but for study—each one a lesson in terroir, technique, and tradition. She can tell you the subtle difference between a London Dry and a New Western style with the same enthusiasm most people reserve for describing a favourite movie.

But Angela’s journey is just heating up. Her sights are set on becoming a Master Distiller, blending her love for flavour, science, and storytelling into spirits that leave a lasting impression.

Until then, she’s soaking up every drop of knowledge, one distillation at a time.

Gavin Hodder

Gavin is hewn from fine Wairarapa farming stock, but rather than fattening lambs and invigorating crops, he discovered a deep visceral preference for doing the same to businesses. So he studied accountancy (look, someone has to) and embarked on a stellar career in financial and business management.

Gavin quickly rose through the ranks to the heady heights of directorship, working for accountancy firms and a range of local and multinational enterprises mainly in the tech sector. He gets results and shareholders love him to bits. They send him gifts at Christmas (which he returns in the interests of transparency). Some even leave him stuff in their wills (no pets please).

Adam Blackwell

Marketer, retailer, entrepreneur, exhibitionist and self-appointed Greytown ambassador, Adam has dedicated the remainder of his days to promoting the interests of the charming little town he calls home (alongside promoting the interests of his charming wife, who has yet to fully realise she could do better).

That means events, promotions and celebrations all designed to draw in the crowds and create Main Street prosperity.

So why gin? Martinis (2 parts gin, 1 part vermouth with a twist of lemon) have become a Blackwell pre-dinner staple. Adam’s no Tom Cruise, but he can shake up a cocktail and deliver it like a pro.