A posh gin business run by Harry Potter actress Emma Watson and her brother Alex has gained financial backing from several big hitters of the food and drinks sector.
Renais, which crafts gin in Dorset using recycled grape skins from the Watson family’s vineyards in France, raised the funds ahead of a planned expansion in the US.
The business now counts among its shareholders former Diageo Europe boss Andrew Morgan; Jimmy Weir, the group chief financial officer of Laithwaites owner Direct Wines; Alexander Staartjes, a former marketing boss at Pernod Ricard; Jesse Estes of Tequila Ocho; Pete Higgins, a co-founder of Charles Tyrwhitt Shirts; and Ryan Kohn, a co-founder of Propercorn snacks.
Alex Watson, a former Diageo marketing manager who serves as chief executive
