Diageo has reached an agreement to acquire Chase Distillery, the owner of Chase GB Gin and Chase Original Potato Vodka. The deal is expected to close in early 2021 subject to regulatory clearances.
Founded in 2008 by entrepreneur William Chase, the Chase Distillery portfolio includes seven gins, four vodkas and an elderflower liqueur. In addition to Chase GB Gin, Chase has developed a number of flavoured gins including Pink Grapefruit & Pomelo, Seville Marmalade and Rhubarb & Bramley Apple Gin. The portfolio also includes Williams Elegant 48 Gin, made using 48 rare varieties of apple from 200-year old orchards.
Diageo Great Britain Managing Director Dayalan Nayager said: “We are thrilled to be bringing such a quintessentially British portfolio of high quality, crafted brands into our family. We are excited about the growth opportunity within the premium-plus segment and are very much looking forward to working with the Chase team to build on the portfolio’s considerable potential.”
William Chase said: “It’s inspiring to have Diageo invest in Chase Distillery’s future. They believe in the potential of our field to bottle spirits and will build on our mission to develop our sustainable distillery in Herefordshire.”
Chase Distillery places a strong emphasis on sustainability in its business. The spirits portfolio is distilled using British-grown potatoes, apples and natural botanicals on the Chase Farm in Herefordshire. The steam energy used to run the distillery is produced on site from a biomass boiler powered by prunings from the apple orchard, with potato waste used as fertiliser to feed the Farm’s cattle.
The UK is the largest gin market in Europe and between 2014 and 2019 grew at a compound annual growth rate of +17.4% (IWSR). Within the UK gin category, the premium-plus segment is growing at more than twice the rate of the total UK gin category, with a compound annual growth rate of +40% between 2014 and 2019 (IWSR).
Diageo and Chase Distillery were among the many spirits category exhibitors at the recent Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo.
Moodie Davitt International also recently announced the World of Spirits Virtual Expo, a pioneering consumer-to-trade event for the alcoholic drinks sector, to take place on 8-14 March 2021 (visit https://worldofspiritsxpo.com/ for full details).
