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Papillon Dartmoor Distillery to shut permanently
British gin producer Papillon Dartmoor Distillery will close for good at the end of March, blaming last year’s alcohol duty hike as “the final straw”.
In a post on Instagram, the distillery said it would be “calling time” at Papillon Dartmoor Distillery from 31 March 2024 after six years of production.
The Instagram post said: “It’s been a rollercoaster ride full of fun times and more challenging ones: the Covid years, the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in fuel costs, the hike in prices of all supplies.
“The increase in alcohol duty rates last year was the final straw for this small spirits business.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported us. It has been much appreciated.
“So, you have one month to stock up on your favourite Papillon products from your local retailers or online. See you on the moor!”
On 1 August 2023, the UK government increased alcohol duty in line with inflation, meaning a 10.1% hike. Recent HMRC data showed the Treasury has lost £436 million (US$550m) through spirits excise receipts since September.
Papillon Dartmoor Distillery was the first distillery of its kind in the Dartmoor National Park in the UK.
The B Corp-certified business donated 1% of all bottle sales to Butterfly Conservation in Dartmoor National Park.
The producer macerates dried botanicals for 24 hours before distilling them in copper alembic stills to create a London Dry-style gin.
Variants include Papillon Gin, made with 17 botanicals including Dartmoor fresh gorse flowers, rowan and hawthorn berries, camomile, and Devon violet leaves grown locally. Bottled at 42% ABV, it is available in a trio of formats: 700ml, 350ml and 50ml.
Papillon Sloe Gin, meanwhile, is bottled at 30% ABV in a 350ml bottle. It is made with handpicked sloe berries from East Dartmoor and Shute Farm, which are soaked in the brand’s signature Papillon Gin for a year before being lightly sweetened with Dartmoor heather honey.
The industry has been calling for urgent help recently to support the hospitality sector, which is “on the brink of collapse”.
View this post on Instagram