Our Story
AMANDA THOMSON
FOUNDER OF THOMSON & SCOTT
Amanda Thomson is the CEO and Founder of Thomson & Scott and creator of an entirely new sector in the wine industry – sparkling wine that cuts unnecessary sugar, is organic and vegan certified and above all is transparent about what’s in the bottle – an idea the wine industry is only just beginning to wake up to.
Having been brought up on a vegetarian, no sugar diet by her health conscious single mother, she has always had a keen interest in healthy living. After a successful career as an Arts Broadcaster at the BBC, she moved to Paris and studied for her Diploma in Wine at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu School.
She created Skinny Champagne – a world first – and then launched another – Skinny Prosecco – that has become a by-word in the media for drinking better. Noughty is the first organic, vegan alcohol-free sparkling wine to drastically cut unnecessary sugar from the production process.
CAN CHAMPAGNE AND PROSECCO BE LOW CALORIE OR LOW SUGAR?
We’re all obsessed with what we’re eating and want to be fit and healthy, but many of us still love a drink from time to time. In the search for the perfect blend of healthy hedonism, I wanted to find a way of enjoying great-tasting sparkling wine that’s as pure as possible.
It’s easy to be side-tracked and focus on calories. If you want to cut calories dramatically, you need to cut down on alcohol because it’s loaded with them.
For me, sugar is the devil. I was surprised to find out that, while I was enjoying my chilled bubbles, I was also unknowingly ingesting high levels of sugar, pesticides, and animal by-products not listed on the label. Raised on a vegetarian, no sugar diet by a health-conscious mother, this was a shock to me.
I set up Thomson & Scott to enjoy delicious Champagne, Prosecco and sparkling wine that avoids adding unnecessary sugar to the production process. This portfolio is the result – delicious alcoholic Prosecco and alcohol-free sparkling Chardonnay that are both organic, vegan and transparent about their sugar content, which in both cases comes in at almost half that of traditional bottles in the same categories.
It’s easy to be side-tracked and focus on calories. If you want to cut calories dramatically, you need to cut down on alcohol because it’s loaded with them.
For me, sugar is the devil. I was surprised to find out that, while I was enjoying my chilled bubbles, I was also unknowingly ingesting high levels of sugar, pesticides, and animal by-products not listed on the label. Raised on a vegetarian, no sugar diet by a health-conscious mother, this was a shock to me.
I set up Thomson & Scott to enjoy delicious Champagne, Prosecco and sparkling wine that avoids adding unnecessary sugar to the production process. This portfolio is the result – delicious alcoholic Prosecco and alcohol-free sparkling Chardonnay that are both organic, vegan and transparent about their sugar content, which in both cases comes in at almost half that of traditional bottles in the same categories.
WHY AREN’T WE CALLED SKINNY IN THE UK ANYMORE?
I originally created Skinny Champagne and Skinny Prosecco because I love drinking delicious sparkling wine but I wanted to know exactly what was in my bottle.
However, outmoded EU Directives and a Trading Standards complaint meant that we had to remove all mentions of ‘Skinny’ from our labels and marketing in the UK.
Originally, I thought, “If I can create my own portfolio that is made as purely as possible, either organically or using a vegan method of production, without the addition of unnecessary sugar, then it’s basically a ‘skinny’ version, avoiding the inclusion of all the nasties I didn’t need!”
So I left my career as a BBC broadcast journalist and took my young family on an adventure to live in Paris where I studied for my Diploma in Wine at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu School.
It was there that I found the perfect Champagne that was made without any added sugar – traditionally known in the industry as ‘zero dosage.’ Soon after that I also discovered a top quality Prosecco that we could produce with 7g of sugar per litre instead of the traditional 12/15g.
We launched in the UK and began enlightening consumers about the hidden aspects of wine making and got them asking about what was in their own bottle.
We’re now spreading the word internationally in new markets across the globe including the U.S., New Zealand, South Africa and Latin America where we are allowed to be called Skinny!
However, outmoded EU Directives and a Trading Standards complaint meant that we had to remove all mentions of ‘Skinny’ from our labels and marketing in the UK.
Originally, I thought, “If I can create my own portfolio that is made as purely as possible, either organically or using a vegan method of production, without the addition of unnecessary sugar, then it’s basically a ‘skinny’ version, avoiding the inclusion of all the nasties I didn’t need!”
So I left my career as a BBC broadcast journalist and took my young family on an adventure to live in Paris where I studied for my Diploma in Wine at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu School.
It was there that I found the perfect Champagne that was made without any added sugar – traditionally known in the industry as ‘zero dosage.’ Soon after that I also discovered a top quality Prosecco that we could produce with 7g of sugar per litre instead of the traditional 12/15g.
We launched in the UK and began enlightening consumers about the hidden aspects of wine making and got them asking about what was in their own bottle.
We’re now spreading the word internationally in new markets across the globe including the U.S., New Zealand, South Africa and Latin America where we are allowed to be called Skinny!
TRUTH, TRANSPARENCY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
We’ve created a movement – a new category in the market – truthful, wine labelling.
There are now a number of other sparkling wines that have followed our lead, but there’s still much more to be done.
The industry needs to be more transparent. Wine labelling is currently sparse in its detail and misleading in its description. The wine industry doesn’t have to say on the label exactly what goes into making the products we drink, which I think is crazy!
And in an effort to be one of the first wine companies to also put a real focus on our environmental impact, all our own deliveries are made with packaging that is 100% recyclable.
Click HERE to find out more about each of our bottles and EMAIL us if you have any questions or comments – we’re always keen to hear from you!
There are now a number of other sparkling wines that have followed our lead, but there’s still much more to be done.
The industry needs to be more transparent. Wine labelling is currently sparse in its detail and misleading in its description. The wine industry doesn’t have to say on the label exactly what goes into making the products we drink, which I think is crazy!
And in an effort to be one of the first wine companies to also put a real focus on our environmental impact, all our own deliveries are made with packaging that is 100% recyclable.
Click HERE to find out more about each of our bottles and EMAIL us if you have any questions or comments – we’re always keen to hear from you!
THOMSON & SCOTT STOCKISTS
If you’re interested in becoming a partner please contact hello@thomsonandscott.com
Our base is in London but our partnerships spread across the globe from the U.S. to New Zealand, South Africa to Latin America…
UK RETAIL:
Amazon, Fenwick, Harvey Nichols, Holland & Barrett, Ocado, Planet Organic, Selfridges
LONDON BARS AND RESTAURANTS: AOK Kitchen, Aubaine, Barworks, Brewdog, Dalloway Terrace, The Dover Street Arts Club, Ethos, Mare Street Market, Tell Your Friends
WORLDWIDE HOTELS/SPAS: The Bloomsbury Hotel, The Grove, Locanda al colle, Six Senses, Yotel
PARTNERS: 1Rebel, Anthropologie, Bella Freud, Deloitte, Donna Ida, Eat by CHLOE, EY, Jigsaw, Joe Wicks, LoveFit, Psycle, PWC, Smith & Sinclair, Vegan Nights, Vestiaire Collective, White Company We are the official drinks partner for HUB DOT, the international organisation that bridges the gaps in society and business by replacing labels with coloured Dots that reflect an individual’s mindset. These Dots help level the playing field and have given over 20,000 people in 22 cities the freedom to start conversations by asking ‘What is your story?’ instead of ‘What do you do?’ We are also the charity partner for THE ASPINALL FOUNDATION, donating £1 per bottle of Prosecco sold on this site to help support the foundation’s mission to halt the extinction of rare and endangered species and return them to the wild where possible.
LONDON BARS AND RESTAURANTS: AOK Kitchen, Aubaine, Barworks, Brewdog, Dalloway Terrace, The Dover Street Arts Club, Ethos, Mare Street Market, Tell Your Friends
WORLDWIDE HOTELS/SPAS: The Bloomsbury Hotel, The Grove, Locanda al colle, Six Senses, Yotel
PARTNERS: 1Rebel, Anthropologie, Bella Freud, Deloitte, Donna Ida, Eat by CHLOE, EY, Jigsaw, Joe Wicks, LoveFit, Psycle, PWC, Smith & Sinclair, Vegan Nights, Vestiaire Collective, White Company We are the official drinks partner for HUB DOT, the international organisation that bridges the gaps in society and business by replacing labels with coloured Dots that reflect an individual’s mindset. These Dots help level the playing field and have given over 20,000 people in 22 cities the freedom to start conversations by asking ‘What is your story?’ instead of ‘What do you do?’ We are also the charity partner for THE ASPINALL FOUNDATION, donating £1 per bottle of Prosecco sold on this site to help support the foundation’s mission to halt the extinction of rare and endangered species and return them to the wild where possible.
