Award-winning Whitby Gin maker launches £400,000 crowd-funding campaign to help fund new distillery and visitor experience

The campaign will support its planned expansion through trade, retail, tourism and export.

The campaign is being run by crowd-funding specialists Seedrs. Registration is now live and, as part of the Enterprise Investment Scheme, investors can claim 30 per cent tax relief where eligible.

Whitby Distillery, maker of Whitby Gin, was founded in 2017 by Jessica Slater and Luke Pentith who have grown their business from a passion project to one whose gin stocked in more than 200 outlets across the UK.

Mr Pentith said: "We believe this is a wonderful opportunity to become involved in our flourishing business, which has shown sustainable growth year and year and has tremendous potential.”

One of Whitby Gin’s key projects over the next couple of years is to renovate two derelict barns at Abbey Lands on the south-west corner of the Whitby Abbey grounds. This has planning permission and a 100-year lease agreed.

“This isn’t just about raising funds, it is an invitation to be an integral part of our growth and to own a piece of the dream. Once our new distillery is fully operational, we anticipate the business will grow by 500 per cent over the next five years,” Mr Pentith said.

“We will be creating one of the most iconic distillery visitor experiences in England, positioned on one of the UK’s most beloved and popular coastal locations and providing high-quality leisure and function space for the local community to enjoy.

“There is a huge opportunity for a destination gin distillery in Yorkshire.”

He added: "By 2028, the market’s value is predicted to be £3.18bn.”

Get the best business news, straight to your inbox

Ms Slater said: “The opening of our distillery and visitor centre will be a complete game-changer for us, amplifying our brand across the UK, allowing us to reach more hearts and glasses, unleashing a wave of innovation and crafting exciting new spirits and products that will leave a lasting impression.

“Whilst we have been very happy in our current premises in nearby Botany Way, our new home will take Whitby Distillery to the next level, stepping up production and giving visitors the opportunity to see us distilling and bottling through the week with our tour experiences.

“It is an honour and a privilege to be restoring these derelict buildings on such a world-famous site. For us, this is all about launching an amazing adventure on the atmospheric North Sea coastline, with tremendous knock-on effects for the local economy.

“Our new eco-friendly and sustainable distillery is a serious commitment to Whitby. We are making a significant investment into the local community and the future of the town. Once complete and established, we anticipate up to 25 employees."

Whitby Distillery’s products are crafted using hand foraged botanicals from the Yorkshire coast and moorland and more than 1000 bottles of it are sold every week.

It has won a raft of awards, including the Best British London Dry Gin category at the World Gin Awards.

Whitby Distillery is holding information evenings on this crowd-funding campaign at 8 Botany Way, Whitby on April 30 at 7pm as well as a Zoom meeting.