Vapoura, the super-premium English rum distilled, matured and bottled entirely in England, has been awarded B Corp certification with a score of 91. The certification makes Vapoura one of just 68 B Corp-certified alcohol brands headquartered in the UK.
B Corp certification is awarded by the non-profit B Lab and measures a company’s performance across five areas: governance, workers, community, environment and customers.
The global median score for all businesses assessed by B Lab is 50.9, with 80 the minimum threshold required for certification. Vapoura’s score of 91 places it well above both benchmarks.
Since launching in 2024, the brand has embedded sustainability into its operations. Production processes are designed to minimize water and energy waste, and the company partners with local farms to repurpose spent grain and raw materials as compost and cattle feed.
Vapoura also uses glass made predominantly from recycled bottles and is progressing plans to install wind turbines with the potential to power the majority of its production through renewable energy.
Co-founder Olly Barkley said: “We’ve always believed that being a genuine craft brand means more than what goes into the bottle. If you’re going to care about how something is made you have to care about the impact of making it.”
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“That’s not separate to the craft, it’s part of it,” Barkley added. “B Corp holds us to account on that and we’re proud the score reflects how we’ve chosen to build this business from day one.”
Barkley, a former professional athlete turned entrepreneur, founded Vapoura alongside Ed Jackson, a Sunday Times bestselling author, adventurer and broadcaster who rebuilt his life after a catastrophic spinal injury in 2017. The pair co-founded the Millimetres 2 Mountains Foundation together in 2017 before launching the rum brand in 2024.
The brand produces its rum entirely in England, carefully selecting its molasses blend and yeast strain prior to fermentation, distillation and cask maturation. It does not import bulk spirit or blend rums from other countries.
Vapoura’s portfolio comprises two expressions: Chapter One (Spiced, 38% ABV, £45) and Chapter Two (Gold, 42% ABV, £50).
The B Corp movement has gained increasing traction in the spirits industry in recent years, with consumers and trade buyers placing greater emphasis on verifiable environmental and social credentials. Brands across the sector have sought the certification as a way to formalize and communicate their sustainability commitments.
