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Third-party spirits producers ‘key’ to brand growth
A UK-based company has stressed the importance of third-party spirits producers, describing them as ‘key’ to the industry’s overall success.
Natalie Wallis Langley is the group commercial manager of Alcohols Limited (Ltd), part of the family-owned Palmer Group.
Alcohols Ltd is a global contract distilling business that services between 500-600 international brands and produces approximately 150-180 million bottles of gin a year.
“Why does the industry need contract distillers is a really interesting question, because there’s a lot of debate in and around whether we are good or bad,” she said.
“I think we provide an opening to an awful lot of companies that perhaps wouldn’t have the ability or the funds to be able to get into brand production.”
Alochols Ltd works with clients that require between 25 litres to 25,000 litres of alcohol on a weekly basis, explained Wallis Langley.
“So I like to think that although we’re working with big brands, like Martin Miller’s, which is on the global platform as a producer, they started in a place that was very small, very craft, very niche,” she continued.
Alcohols Ltd has seen Martin Miller’s gin increase its “reliability, size of production and capacity” in a way that may not have been achieved had it not been under a third-party producer.
“A lot of people don’t have the funds to be able to go and buy gin stills, or they don’t have the resources in handling flammable liquids on site,” she said.
In 2020, The Spirits Business explored the demand for increased transparency among third-party spirits producers.
“For anyone questioning whether a third-party distiller is the best route to go, I think there’s an awful lot of benefits and support, whether that’s through fiscal support and not having [the skills],” Wallis Langley added.
“Hopefully transparency from brand owners and industry colleagues [demonstrate that] we all have a part to play with in the industry. We’re all key to the success and growth of the industry.”
In November 2021, Palmer Group announced it was moving the majority of Alcohol Ltd’s operations to a purpose-built five-acre site in Rugby, Warwickshire, England.