皇冠体育app

Husband and wife team Karl and Lindsay Bond have big plans for their new whisky brand 鈥� Forest Whisky 鈥� to help secure the firm鈥檚 future through exporting. 皇冠体育appy plan to increase their exports to constitute 90% of their total revenue in 5 years鈥� time.

Currently, the family-run distillery鈥檚 exports make up 17% of its sales, with its gin sold in 10 countries, including Japan, China, Australia and the US. UK stockists include Harvey Nichols and their gin is available by the glass in the Virgin Trains First Class lounge in London.

Interest in the new whisky brand follows repeat orders from distributors in Japan for the firm鈥檚 earl grey infused gin over the last year.

Forest Gin is the only gin to have ever been awarded 2 separate Double-Gold Medals at the San Francisco World Spirit Awards in 2016, a competition that assesses hundreds of spirits from all over the world.

Since starting operations 3 years ago, the business has leveraged worldwide demand for premium products with a clear British heritage to fuel its impressive growth. 皇冠体育app team joined trade missions to China, Japan and the US, organised as part of the Food is GREAT campaign, a joint initiative by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for International Trade (DIT) to help British food and drink businesses sell their goods and services overseas.

Karl Bond, co-founder of the Forest Distillery said:

We鈥檝e been amazed at the reception to our gin from overseas buyers. We鈥檙e expecting our exports to grow substantially over the next few years, especially as we continue to find trusted contacts in new markets, with support from DIT.

We鈥檙e very excited about the launch of Forest Whisky. We鈥檙e only the 15th distiller in England to be granted a licence to mature whisky, and to receive pre-orders at this early stage shows how highly regarded British distillers are internationally.

We expect to face a few challenges as we grow our exports. 皇冠体育app logistics of transporting our porcelain bottles is an obvious one. But support is on hand from DIT to help us connect with distribution partners that we can trust to take maximum care of our products. With the support that鈥檚 available, there鈥檚 nothing stopping others like us in the drinks business to find a footing in new markets.

Paul Stowers, Head of North West region at DIT, said:

While it鈥檚 the Scottish that are typically best known for their whisky exports, ambitious drinks businesses like the Forest Distillery are beginning to fly the flag for English whisky overseas.

We鈥檙e also currently seeing a surge in demand for British gin from abroad, as part of a so-called 鈥榞inaissance鈥�, which is the result of excellent products like Forest Gin.

UK exports of gin have risen by 19% in the first half of 2018 and are predicted to reach 拢600 million by the end of the year. This is more than double the value exported in 2008. 皇冠体育app US and Australia in particular are hot markets for British gin, and we鈥檇 urge any distiller to get in touch with one of our local to find out how they can begin or grow their trade overseas.