Burnt Faith And Black Cactus On Making Brandy, And BBQ, Cool Again

Forbes

3 days ago

Black Cactus BBQ served at Burnt Faith brandy house in Walthamstow, London
Brandy isn't having a moment in the UK—not yet. But if it's ever going to, it'll be because of a business like Burnt Faith.
Tucked behind industrial estates in Walthamstow, this striking London distillery doesn't feel like a traditional home for brandy. There's a DJ in the courtyard. There are Negroni-style cocktails on the menu. There's even smoked short rib pastrami spilling out of a croissant. It's the kind of brandy house that makes you want to love brandy, and that's exactly the point.
'Brandy is undervalued,' says founder Simon Wright. 'It's sweet, fruity, accessible—but people just don't think about it. That's where we come in.'
Brandy is the third largest spirits category globally. In the UK, it's mostly overlooked; riddled with Cognac's old-world cachet, or left gathering dust on backbars. But Wright, who previously launched Hawkes Cider (sold to BrewDog), sees a bigger picture. One where the fundamentals of Cognac—double distillation, long ageing, fruit-driven complexity—can be unshackled from French regulation and reinvented for a modern audience.
'I didn't want to build another safe brand,' he tells me. 'I wanted to take another leap of faith.'
That leap is literal. Burnt Faith, named for the transformation inherent in both distillation and belief, is a brand that torches tradition with purpose. 'Together, it's about taking risks, torching tradition, and believing in something better,' says Wright. The name also nods to place: 'The word 'brandy' comes from the Dutch translation of 'burnt wine'. And the building used to be a Pentecostal Church before we moved in.'
But Burnt Faith isn't just trying to make brandy cool again. It's trying to make it relevant — not just for sipping neat, but for mixing, reimagining, and, as I found out, pairing shockingly well with barbecue.
Burnt Faith Brandy House in Walthamstow, London
As an American—and a self-confessed snob when it comes to smoked meat—I didn't expect to find the best brisket I've had in London in such an environment, but I did. And it wasn't a pop-up gimmick. It was Black Cactus BBQ, the full-time food partner inside Burnt Faith, and undoubtedly one of the most exciting live-fire operations in the UK.
'Sometimes things work which perhaps shouldn't, on paper,' says Wright. 'But both brandy and barbecue are about fire, time, and transformation. There's something human about them. We wanted to tap into that—a bit raw, a bit ritualistic, and totally memorable.'
Black Cactus began far from London, and even further from fine dining. Matt Kears and Josh Alcock, its founders, were both working construction jobs when they started experimenting with brisket. 'I was just in search of creating something unique,' says Kears. 'There was nothing like it in our hometown. Developing the product, then hearing the feedback—that was enough to keep me smoking.'
At first, they sold meat vacuum-packed to a WhatsApp group of Hemel Hempstead locals. 'Seven days a week for three years,' Kears says. 'We were hitting early markets in London, bombing back to jump on building sites, then heading to Mum's bungalow to start prep for the weekend services.'
Black Cactus' founders, Matt Kears and Josh Alcock
Eventually, they bought a truck and committed full-time—a decision made not out of luxury, but necessity. 'Trying to sell a craft product to the wrong demographic... you will fail,' says Kears. 'If the customer won't pay, you will. With zero sales.'
That grit, and the quality behind it, is what caught Wright's attention. Burnt Faith was looking for a food partner who could match its ethos. 'They live and breathe barbecue, just like we live and breathe brandy,' he says. 'It wasn't just about food, it was Josh and Matt as people. We knew we had something.'
The duo's previously-mentioned, fan-favorite smoked short rib pastrami croissant—indulgent, ridiculous, perfect—was a natural fit. 'It's surprising, aesthetically pleasing, elegant, and most importantly, luscious,' says Kears. 'It pairs perfectly with the Burnt Faith cocktails and the space.'
They're not a one-dish wonder, either. The Burnt Faith menu reads like a love letter to the premiumisation of BBQ: 14-hour smoked Miguel Vergara brisket, Berkshire pork belly burnt ends, and spice-loaded hot links served straight from the pit. Everything, exceptionally, pushed to its most flavorful limit.
Black Cactus' BBQ croissant
It's the kind of high-low magic that both teams excel at: building something serious, but never self-serious. And both teams are building with intention.
To date, Burnt Faith has raised over £2 million [$2.7 million] in investment, designed its own stills, and launched three knockout brandys, one triple sec, and two liqueurs—coffee and elderflower, respectively. 'I want Burnt Faith to be global,' says Wright. 'And the effort this takes is monumental.'
For Black Cactus, building a business has required a lot of personal risk. 'We've gambled mortgage money on services, taken out loans, shuffled money between credit cards, and pushed every penny into the dream,' says Kears. 'All while people closest to you are telling you to stop. You've got to want it—more than anything.'
Even a year into going full-time, they're learning on the fly. 'Going from construction to running a food business is a huge jump,' Kears admits. 'We didn't originally understand the true cost of things—labor, VAT, staff costs. That nearly sank us.'
But what they've built now is working commercially, creatively, and collaboratively. 'Simon understands that what we do is a labor of love,' says Kears. 'He lets us call the shots and gives us full creative freedom. It's rare to find someone who believes in what we do as much as we do.'
Wright feels the same. 'We're helping create a full sensory experience together,' he says. 'We push each other, and that makes the collaboration better.'
A bottle of Burnt Faith brandy
What's next? For Burnt Faith, more liquids, more reach, and more cultural relevance. 'It's about scaling without losing our soul,' says Wright. 'We'd love to work with the Black Cactus team on more sites, too. Watch this space.'
For Black Cactus? 'All of the above,' says Kears. 'We're always chasing that insane first bite. We're aiming high. Always chasing that first UK BBQ Michelin star, which would mean bricks and mortar.'
Until then, the mission remains simple: to show people what they've been missing—in barbecue, in brandy, and the faith that builds brilliant business.