Balans’ Bloody Mary Under The Microscope: Interview with Doghouse Distillery’s Founder, Braden Saunders

The other week I met with Braden Saunders of Doghouse Distillery, London’s only grain to bottle distillery, to discuss his origin story, sustainable wind farms, supporting local farmers and chatting about all the things that make Balans so special. Over a couple of delicious Bloody Marys made with his signature (and world-first!) Chilli Bacon Vodka, of course. As became clear over the course of our conversation, to Braden, Balans isn’t just a fantastic spot to eat in Soho, it represents far more than that. It’s an experience that always feels personal, a home away from home. This is why it’s no surprise that Balans resonates so deeply with the Doghouse ethos of authenticity and good times…

Tell us a little bit about your background and how you founded Doghouse Distillery. 

I moved here in 2003 and my first job was as a Bartender just around the corner from Balans, in Soho. It was called 1 Warwick, just off Warwick Street. My brother said if you put on some blue jeans and a black top and just speak, you’ll get hired. And I did. That’s what it was like back in those days, if you had an Australian accent in London, you’d get a job because people knew you were hard workers.  

That was the start of my hospitality experience. Then I worked in finance, which I did for several years before having an epiphany that it wasn’t for me. I went back to Australia and got into the chemical business with my father before making the stupid decision to buy a pub. The worst pub on the best street in Brisbane. And I turned it around, I was the only guy to sell craft beer back then and it was a complete fluke how lucky we were. By then I’d learned that London was the billboard of the alcohol industry, so I moved back and set up Doghouse. 

What is the story behind you being the only grain-to-bottle distillery in London?

To be honest, I was disappointed by what else was out there in the drinks category. Back when I ran the pub in Brisbane, I was the only person selling craft beer, and the same goes for when I came back to the UK, when I met a lot of people claiming to make their own ‘London Gin’ or ‘London-Brewed Vodka’ when they’re all liars. None of them actually made their own spirits and I didn’t like that.

When I go home and offer my mum a vodka, I want to be able to say to her “I made this” and I know exactly where it came from and what’s in it. Knowing the ins and outs of my product is incredibly important to me. I work with a wheat farmer in Norfolk at Doghouse, for example, who’s been keeping his business in the family for 15 generations, making a killing. I’ve been and met the farmers, supporting them. Not many can say that. And I’m proud of that.

All of your spirit bottles have artist-led work on them. What led you to working with artists and where do you want to take this initiative?

We say we’re inspired by music but actually, we’re inspired by good times, music and alcohol are synonymous. We work with under-represented artists because at Doghouse we’re all about grassroots. Why would you support a mainstream artist like the Foo-Fighters when you could support an unknown talented geezer in South London who’s five minutes away from becoming Muse? That’s what we’re all about. Giving these guys a chance. 

Sustainability is clearly at the core of your distilling practices and you’ve been brilliant at reducing waste. How far can you take this and what are your plans for 2025? 

Sustainability means you can continue doing what you’re doing without any impact on the environment. We’re not there yet and we can’t be until we buy a wind farm to offset our energy which is our plan in the next five to 10 years. The whole point of creating a product as a manufacturer is taking something, burning energy and getting something out of it. So what we’ve done is looked at how well we do that. Looking at how much water we’re using, how much energy we’re expending, and how much waste we produce. And then we reduce. 

We’re working on ways to work more efficiently, we’ve started re-using the water from our distillation, taking 200 litres and putting it into the next brew and before you know it, you’ve saved 10% of your water in a year. The minute we start disposing of something we’re thinking of ways we can repurpose it. 

How did you come across Balans? Were you a customer first?

I had a Swedish girlfriend when I first came to London as a bartender, she was a manager of a bar in Covent Garden and we had a couple of drinks on our first date when she took me to Balans. She said “You’ve got to try this place, it’s open 24 hours” and we got there at four in the morning and it was heaving. And that was it for me, I’d come here two, three times a week at three, four in the morning to finish the night and chill out before I went home. You know when you leave a club and you don’t want the night to end, you’d come to Balans for a couple of drinks and then you’d go home and be fine with it. And then I started coming here after work when I was just around the corner. The staff are amazing and their service is next level. So then you start coming back because you miss the vibe. The drinks are amazing, the food is great and the service is 11/10. We’ve worked together for a couple of years and it feels like a great partnership because I have an emotional connection to this place. 

Authentic, Rebellious, Fun and Passionate are some of the words used to describe the Doghouse brand. How would you sum up Balans in a few words?

Balans isn’t just a venue for me. It’s like a home away from home. The staff are so friendly and seamless here. If I go to another venue, it’s a little bit of work to know what I’m ordering off a menu. But when I come to Balans, you look at the menu and within three seconds I’m sold. You know it’s always going to be good. It’s everything all in one, it’s like you’re in someone’s living room, or your best mate’s house and then at a bar at the same time. I feel very relaxed here.

Words by Claudine Collins (Claudinecollins@hotmail.co.uk)