Luke McFayden
(co-founder)
Luke has had a deep passion for nature and the outdoors from early age, stemming from hist time spent in Cornwall as a child. From being battered by the wind and spray on long wintry coastal walks along the Lizard hoping for glimpses of seals, searching for wild garlic, sloes and rosehips from the inland woodlands and hedgerows or scouring the rock pools at Crantock for crustaceans, the natural bounty of the southwesterly tip of Britain always inspired wonderment.
Its rugged and beautiful coastal landscapes have continued to enthral and he regularly visits family there as well as escaping to the wilderness whenever possible with a particular love for Scotland and the highlands.
Luke’s love of the wild was reinforced by a number of books he ready as a boy including My Family and Other Animals and Swallows and Amazons. As he grew up the human interference in nature became more apparent and awareness of concepts like climate change grew and he realised that humans’ relationship with nature needed to change.
Luke started his career working in bars to make up for his irresponsible spending habits at Leeds University studying the History and Philosophy of Science. Whilst glass collecting in jazz club The Wardrobe he became fascinated by the art of cocktail bartending and quickly learnt the ropes.
He then worked at a number of cocktail bars in his hometown where he furthered his knowledge of spirits and cocktails. This led Luke to find work at Pernod Ricard where he spent the best part of a decade in a variety of roles across commercial and marketing specialising mainly on the luxury portfolio. Working on and launching products from brands such as Absolut, Jameson, Havana Club, Monkey 47, Perrier-Jouet and The Glenlivet has shaped a desire to create drinks of the highest quality whilst being rooted in respect for nature and its preservation.
In 2019 Luke proposed ‘Project Amphora’ to the New Ventures division of Pernod Ricard, a concept designed to transport Pernod Ricard’s spirit portfolio around the global with minimised packaging and carbon footprint. The project was one of two out of 20 proposals chosen to be progressed and funded by the business.
Working with the UK’s best bars and bartenders is where he and Marcis first crossed paths. With a mutual respect for nature and high quality beverages the concept of Idyll was born.