B&D Wales to open distillery at Hensol Castle

By Lisa Riley

Published: 05 July, 2019

Bottlers and Distillers Wales (B&D Wales) has partnered with Vale Resort to open a full-scale distillery and visitors experience at Hensol Castle.

The venture, which forms part of a £7m investment into the 17th century castle, will comprise a distillery, bottling plant, bonded warehouse, visitors experience and gin school, along with the development of the Hensol Castle branded portfolio and a white labelling function.

Constructed in the basement of the Grade 1 listed building, the Hensol Castle Distillery will produce a range of entry-point, mid-level and premium-quality gins, vodkas and other spirits including a low abv range.

The ambition is for these to be available in both the on and off-trade, as well as in wholesalers and cash and carry channels nationally and eventually in export.

“Together with Vale Resort we are building a modern distillery and bottling plant that will produce 5 million bottles per year of quality Welsh spirits from gin and vodka to rum and other NPDs, said said Andy Mallows, managing director of B&D Wales, who stepped down as Toorank’s chief executive two years ago

At the same time, the visitor experience and gin school will attract further visitors to this wonderful destination, he added.

The gin school will enable guests to distil their own personalised bottles of gin made to their specific taste profile. In addition, they will be able to look around the distillery operation, learning about the history of gin and the castle before enjoying a gin tasting and a master class in the cocktail bar.

Stephen Leeke, managing director of the Vale Resort, said: “This is a hugely exciting development at the Vale Resort, the spirits industry is a great sector and I’m thrilled that we’ve weaved this into the overall redevelopment of Hensol Castle.”

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