Winchester Distillery auctions assets
England’s Winchester Distillery is selling its production assets via online auction as part of a strategic transition to a ‘more flexible and asset-light operating model’.
Founded in 2014 by Paul Bowler in central Winchester, Hampshire, the distillery is said to have grown into one of the county’s best-known independent spirits producers.
The brand’s portfolio includes Twisted Nose Gin – made with locally sourced watercress – white and golden rum, a British agave spirit called Verdevida, and a single cask malt whisky.
The disposal of the distillery’s production equipment forms part of a long-term strategic decision to outsource manufacturing to specialist production partners, allowing the business to focus its resources on brand development, product innovation, sales and customer growth.
BPI Auctions, the platform through which the assets are being sold, noted that Winchester Distillery has operated in an increasingly challenging environment characterised by rising alcohol duty, increasing regulation, higher energy and labour costs, and growing pressure on margins throughout the premium drinks sector. As such, it says the transition reflects a broader trend within the industry towards asset-light operating models that reduce fixed costs while increasing flexibility and scalability.
The sale of the production equipment will allow Winchester Distillery to retain ownership of its brands, recipes, trademarks, customer relationships and intellectual property, while accessing larger-scale production capability through specialist manufacturing partners.
The auctioneer says the sale presents a rare opportunity for distillers, brewers and beverage manufacturers to acquire well-maintained production equipment from an established spirits producer.
Assets in the auction include a 2020 iStill 500 NextGen automated stainless steel still and infuser unit, a Still Dragon bain-marie hybrid still, and an unused 2020 Speidel Braumeister 500L automated mash tank.
Additional assets include storage vessels, water treatment equipment, transfer pumps and material handling equipment.
BPI is managing the auction, which concludes on 11 June. Full details and viewing information are available via the BPI website.
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