Sense And Sensimilia?

The Home Counties Herald

A Different Sort of Village Green

10.09.2017

Rufus Oaten-Cotter seems an unlikely revolutionary. As he settles back in a leather armchair, sunlight streaming through the windows of his rural Berkshire home, he could almost pass for a thirty-something investment banker.

However, the game is soon given away by the sickly sweet aroma in the air, the profusion of vintage reggae records strewn across the heavy oak desk and the large bong in the shape of HMS Victory, which dominates the mantelpiece.

Just five short years ago, Oaten-Cotter could, as he puts it, ‘no more have done what I do now than I could have stabled my horses on the first floor of Harrods.’ He is now Middle England’s first weed baron.

 In the two and a half years since marijuana was legalised in the UK, production has become a thriving enterprise. Until a year ago however, it was controlled mainly by liberal bohemian types, paunchy wide boys and immigrants. None of these were capable of effectively marketing marijuana to, say, the readership of this newspaper.

What would Mr and Mrs Respectability of Middleton, Hampshire, want with such product lines as “Rockstar Reefers”, “Lenin’s Leng” and, worst of all “Mogadishu Mong”

Lenin: Unpopular in the Cotswolds

“Nothing whatsoever and good day sir” was the standard response. All this changed with Oaten-Cotter and his company, Sense and Sensimilia. The following is the first part of the transcript from the Home Counties Herald’s world exclusive interview with the man himself:

Home Counties Herald (HCH): Good afternoon Rufus, you’re looking very well. Can you tell us a bit about what you’ve been up to today?

Rufus Oaten-Cotter (ROC): Well, I’ve had a very interesting day so far. Basically, we’ve been testing reactions amongst focus groups to new strains of product that we’re going to be introducing this autumn.

HCH: And what does that involve?

ROC: Well, we’ve been mainly testing out brand names at this stage (Lights joint) But obviously (Offers the reporting team a drag and is politely rebuffed) there is an opportunity to sample the products at the end. It’s either that, or they can be paid a cash sum for their time.

An out-of-focus focus group, or as I like to call it "The Sidesplitter"

HCH: And how many focus groupers choose to be paid in marijuana?

ROC: Surprisingly few of them: perhaps ten, fifteen per cent. Of course, when I started out last spring, most of the focus group were choosing to be paid in weed, and that says something about why it took a while to get this company off the ground.

HCH: How do you mean?

ROC: Well, we weren’t being selective with our test users (Digs out an ashtray from beneath a pile of empty Tyrells’ packets) And selectivity is at the heart of this whole operation (Coughs hard) What I’m trying to do with Sense and Sensimilia is to sell weed to what I like to call “respectable types”, Middle Englanders. You know: vicars, Women’s Institute members, old buffers in country pubs. It’s about getting the message out that marijuana is for everyone, not just the bongoloids down the rec.

Down the rec

 

HCH: Bongoloids? 

ROC: It’s a new term that I like to think I’ve coined for the stereotypical weed user. You know the people I mean: pasty teenagers with dirty hair and facial piercings.

HCH: Quite. So, how exactly have you managed to achieve such success in selling your products to Middle England?

ROC: In a single word: branding. Brand identity is everything, and it extends from the clothes I wear to the names of the individual marijuana strains.

HCH: And, could you give us examples of some of these strain names?

ROC: With pleasure. We currently offer around 30 different strains, of which some of my personal favourites are: White Spliffs of Dover, Ganj of Hope and Glory and our bestseller, GladStoned – that’s a political one.

HCH: I notice there’s a somewhat patriotic aspect to those names. Was there a conscious decision to go for brand names that reflected Britishness?

ROC: Oh absolutely (Extinguishes joint)

"God save the Green" indeed: the company logo

 In part 2 of this world exclusive interview, we delve deeper into Rufus' world of weed, exploring his new "Seeds of the British Empire" range and his plans for a limited edition commemorative bong and grinder set to keep the Olympic spirit alive. Don't you dare miss it!