Yello Interviews: Raymond Thompson, Creator of ‘Katspraddle Vodka’
by Karen Rollins Jun 6, 2022
It is stated that “necessity is the mother of invention” and in Raymond Thompson’s case that has certainly proven to be true.
After his plans to study aircraft engineering in the UK were crushed, and he lost a lot of money, Raymond returned to Barbados with little to show for his time abroad and was forced to take a major risk.
The risk he took was to transform the homemade gasoline he had been making into alcohol, and from that unlikely start his sweet potato-based product, ‘Katspraddle Vodka’, was formed.
Katspraddle Vodka has since won an international taste award and can be found in bars and restaurants all over the island. It will also be available overseas soon.
Raymond chatted with Yello about the development of his small business and his hopes to expand the Katspraddle brand.
Describe yourself using three words.
Funny, smart, and smart!
Please tell us a bit about your childhood.
I went to Erdiston Primary School on Government Hill. Then I went to the Louis Lynch Secondary School in Bridgetown. All the schools I went to in Barbados have since shutdown.
At school, I was interested in metalwork and the technical subjects like science. I came out of secondary school with six CSEs and then went to the Polytechnic (The Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology) to do an associate degree in auto mechanics.
I worked as a car mechanic for about 10 years before I ended up at Barbados Light and Power (BL&P) where I became a Plant Attendant. So basically, I worked in the electricity generation section of BL&P. I was there for 10 years, but I started to feel it physically, especially in my back.
I applied for a job at Tesla, but I didn’t get that because they said I did not have enough knowledge of modern vehicles. So, to get that knowledge, I decided to study aircraft engineering in Bristol in the UK. Within a year of starting my studies in England, my college was downgraded by OFSTED and rated as ‘inadequate’, which meant they couldn’t have international students anymore, so I had to come back to Barbados.
What is the origin story for ‘Katspraddle Vodka’?
When I got back to Barbados, I was broke, and depressed. I had lost $60,000 (BBD).
I was making gasoline to put in my car because the price was so high and that was one of my biggest expenses. The gasoline was made from molasses and yeast and then I would let it ferment which made ethanol.
One day a friend who has a farm said to me that Barbados had rum and maybe I could make something else to rival it. So, it was kind of a bet. I said to him that I was going to make vodka using his sweet potatoes. I went to his farm in St Philip and bought 50lbs.
I began researching it and decided to use my last $600 to buy a still. I fermented the molasses, distilled it, and it tasted like Wray Nephew Overproof Rum from Jamaica, so that’s when I thought that I was onto something.
By Boxing Day 2018, I had something clear in a bottle, with no label, and that became Katspraddle. In January 2019, I got a label and registered the business but that was a bit of a hurdle as well because I am not an accountant, so a friend of mine helped me with that aspect. He assisted me financially and helped to make the product viable and valuable.
Tell us more about the first batch of Katspraddle Vodka.
The first batch was a little bit of a waste because I was now learning to make the product. In fact, I had about 10 batches that were a waste.
I also tried two different sweet potatoes. I used the orange one, which is what a lot of sweet potato vodka around the world is made from, but in my experience the Bajan sweet potato had the better taste, smell and smoothness. From there I just kept improving the recipe.
Anyone who bought the vodka from me with my old label on it, I humbly respect them, because they bought liquor that was made in a big rice pot that tasted only a little bit good.
Since then, I have continued to improve the recipe and the process, and I am always trying to tweak my product to make it a cleaner and better alcohol.
What is the reasoning behind the name ‘Katspraddle’?
Cognac is from Cognac, France. Prosecco is from Prosecco, Italy. Bourbon is from Bourbon, Tennessee.
I had to name my liquor something that was associated with Barbados, but I couldn’t call it ‘Barbados’ or ‘Bridgetown Vodka’ or after St Philip where the sweet potatoes come from.
So, when I was looking for the name, I went on a website with Bajan words and when I saw Catspraddle (which means ‘to fall hard’) I thought straight away that, that was it! But then I decided to change the C to a K because it’s a bit more flamboyant.
What was your biggest challenge when you first set-up the business?
The first big challenge was finding someone to write a business plan for me. A lot of people who have an idea for a product cannot handle business management. Most of the time the real inventors know very little about running a business and that’s where my business partner, Chris Maloney, came in and what he brought to the table. He helped guide me and was like a mentor.
What makes Katspraddle different to other vodkas?
Katspraddle is made from sweet potatoes which are gluten-free and a superfood. I picked sweet potatoes because we grow a large amount here and luckily my vodka came out well with a nice smell and taste.
Our vodka is also sugar free. A lot of vodkas add sugar or glycerine to soften the taste of the drink as it goes down your throat, but I don’t have to do that to mine.
Where can we find Katspraddle Vodka on island and overseas?
The vodka can be found at Cost-U-Less supermarket, all iMart stores, and Clifton Market.
A few bars and restaurants also have it including Animal Flower Cave, Roundhouse Restaurant, Surfer’s Café, Carib Beach Bar, Cocktail Kitchen and on the west coast it’s everywhere from La Cabane to Pier One Restaurant in Port St Charles.
It’s also sold in the Refinery Limited store in the duty-free section of the Grantley Adams International Airport.
Overseas I am currently in talks with distributors in Trinidad, England and Canada. I have a lot of people who want to take the liquor but because I recently got my new equipment, I am in the process of building stock before I start exporting.
How do you plan to grow the business over the next 12-18 months?
The next 12-18 months I’ll focus on stock building, so I’ll keep my orders to a minimum. Supplying Barbados is my number one priority, but within the next 12 months I will be exporting.
I am also looking at making a Katspraddle gin using mangoes so that will be a seasonal product. I want to reach every pensioner in Barbados with a mango tree so they can get a little bit of money and the mangoes won’t waste. My team will also keep the tree trimmed for them.
What has been your proudest achievement so far?
I would say everything from making the vodka to getting it right. Every time I make an improvement, either buying a piece of equipment or through an idea, that is an achievement. Every day I have this business is an achievement.
When I was still cooking in the rice pot, I decided to enter the vodka into the International Wine and Spirits Competition in the UK. It was a whole set of money to enter but I decided to do it. Then one day I got an email which said we had won a silver award.
I was in a paint store, and I remember that I just broke down crying, because we got 89 points out of a 100 and it felt like all my hard work had paid off. It was emotional but it gave me the incentive to keep going and from there I pushed on.
What advice would you give other small business owners?
- Never let colour, race, or creed stop you from being successful in life.
- You cannot do everything yourself.
- If you have an idea, the first thing you should do is protect your idea and yourself.
What do you love the most about Barbados?
Barbados is one place where you can come and enjoy your surroundings. We haven’t got any waterfalls, rivers, or mountains but we have beautiful beaches and springs, and the people are special.
Bajans love you no matter who you are. They talk to you when they don’t even know you.
What do you do, or where do you go, to unwind on a day off?
I smoke meat and relax on the beach. I might take a little walk with the dog. At least once a week I also like to end up in a bar and see how Bajans are reacting.
What is your philosophy / approach in life?
Always do your best and you can’t please everybody.
If you could offer some advice to your younger self, what would you say?
Start making liquor at 21 years old Raymond! If I knew then, what I know now, me and everyone around me would be much better off.
But at 21, I was drinking and partying every day and then going to work, although really all of that brought me to know what a good spirit is and how you should feel on a good spirit, so it kind of initiated the whole plan.
And at 21, I probably couldn’t have managed this business. But at the 40 years I am now, the grace of God is guiding me in the right direction to do it.
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Find out more about Katspraddle Vodka on the official website – https://katspraddle.com and on Instagram and Facebook.