‘It’s a Sad Day’: Award-Winning Gin Distillery Faces Closure Following Problems Brought on by Brexit, COVID-19 Pandemic
A spirit brand that earned a “Gin of the Year” award for its dry gin is now facing closure. (Photo: Verdant Spirits)
Verdant Spirits, an award-winning gin distillery based in Dundee, Scotland, is reportedly facing closure following problems brought on by both Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Drinks International.
Verdant Spirits once made headlines in 2019 when it was appointed as the exclusive supplier of gin to the House of Commons, the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Prior to that, in 2017, the distiller was recognized with the “Gin of the Year” award at the Scottish Gin Awards, per the report.
In an interview with The Courier, Andrew Mackenzie, the founder of Verdant Spirits, shared the challenges the business faced. In 2019, the business had been preparing to expand and sought a £250,000 ($317,723.75) investment to propel its growth, which would have included the establishment of a visitor center and gin school.
However, these plans were thwarted by the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. To survive during this period, the distillery shifted its production to hand sanitizers, but the demand for these products eventually declined, per Mackenzie.
“It’s a sad day and of course losing £200,000 is something nobody wants to do,” said Mackenzie, according to The Courier. “It’s a real shame as we currently have £36,000 of unfulfilled orders. There will be an auction, probably at the distillery, of the equipment. Then that money will go towards paying creditors and the business will just be wound up.”
“Debts are in the region of £25,000. I’ve spent the last six months going down every possible avenue to try to get this going. It’s a terrific product in a great site but we just don’t have the cash to get through. It will be a few weeks before the liquidation becomes firm so if anybody out there wants to get involved, please get in contact.”
Furthermore, Mackenzie explained that the repercussions of Brexit had a significant effect on the company’s ability to procure bottles. Not only did the costs escalate, but suppliers also adopted a policy of shipping only when there were substantial orders from multiple companies to justify the shipment, reported The Courier.
Verdant Spirits’ range features a signature dry gin, pink gin and rum. Verdant Dry Gin offers notes of juniper, citrus and earthy spices, while the pink gin boasts a natural sweetness from ripe raspberries and blackberries.
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