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Cygnet Distillery moves to Hensol Castle
Welsh spirits maker Cygnet Distillery has moved its production to Hensol Castle Distillery.
Located in South Wales, Hensol Castle Distillery will now produce Cygnet Dry, Cygnet Pink and Cherry Drop gin, as well as Cygnet Distillery’s custom-branded spirits, such as British celebrity chef Marco Pierre White’s Mr White’s Gin.
Dai Wakely, Cygnet Distillery master distiller, said: “I’ve been watching what’s happening at Hensol Castle Distillery for some time, so to be asked to become the facility’s master distiller is a really exciting opportunity for me and my team.
“Hensol Castle Distillery boasts a huge distillation, bottling and labelling facility. As well as producing Hensol Castle Distillery’s current product line and the Cygnet range, we’re also looking to develop a new portfolio of flavoured gins and other spirits under a new brand.”
Hensol Castle is 400 years old and spans more than 650 acres of parkland. It is part of the four-star Vale Resort.
Cygnet Distillery and Hensol Castle Distillery will continue to operate independently. With Wakely and his team moving to the bigger Hensol Castle Distillery, both companies will be able to increase production volumes according to consumer demand.
The relocation will also enable Hensol Castle Distillery to seek additional volume from existing and new customers within the UK and European white label and contract bottling markets, as a bigger team of distillers means the distillery can be run on a multiple-shift basis.
Chris Leeke, managing director of Hensol Castle Distillery, added: “We are excited to welcome Dai Wakely and his team to Hensol Castle Distillery and to start producing the portfolio of Cygnet gins, which will remain under the Cygnet brand. We have a shared ambition of not only creating award-winning spirits that we can be proud of, but also bringing a taste of Wales to the rest of the UK.”
Cygnet Distillery was established in 2018, while Hensol Castle Distillery started producing spirits in spring 2019.
Hensol Castle Distillery produces Benjamin Hall gin and vodka, and Crawshay gins. It also released Trulo last year, a lower-calorie range of liqueurs. The distillery is planning to open its visitor experience and gin school to the public in September, with an aim to attract up to 40,000 visitors each year.