Berry Bros invests in Cotswolds Distillery

British wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros & Rudd has acquired a minority stake in England’s largest whisky producer, The Cotswolds Distillery.

The investment was part of the English distillery’s ‘Cotswolds 2.0’ funding round, which included existing and new private investors. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The distillery aimed to raise funds to boost production and sales of Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky.

In August, Cotswolds Distillery raised £3 million (US$3.6m) to quadruple its annual alcohol production.

Cotswolds Distillery founder Daniel Szor said: “We could not be more delighted with the results of our funding round, in particular our new partnership with Berry Brothers who like us stand for excellence in fine spirits, as we further build our brand through increased national and international distribution.”

The producer aims to increase its annual sales by 15%, and plans to hit £25m (US$29.6m) turnover by 2030.

The Cotswolds Distillery recently opened a second distillery on its 14-acre site, dedicated to malt whisky production.

The brand claims to be the best-selling English whisky, with national listings in Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Majestic, Amazon and Ocado. It is distributed in more than 35 countries around the world.

Emma Fox, CEO of Berry Bros & Rudd, will also join The Cotswolds Distillery’s board.

Fox said: “Their impressive growth has seen them become the best-selling English whisky and a leading light in the fast-growing premium single malt category.

“We look forward to supporting and accelerating their international expansion and helping them maximise the growing global opportunity in new world whisky.”

The investment from Berry Bros will also fund the distillery’s sustainability plans, including the build of a bio-diverse wetlands ecological treatment system.

“We’re also delighted that our investment will help boost their sustainability plans as this is an important part of our role in the industry to ensure we’re building a resilient and sustainable future for generations to come,” Fox added.

The Cotswolds-based site has an annual footfall of more than 100,000 visitors to its visitor centre and two satellite shops.

In addition to whisky, the distillery produces gin, vermouth and liqueurs.

SB named The Cotswolds Distillery as one of its world whisky brands to watch in 2023.