Tyrell's tycoon sells Chase Distillery

William Chase, the farmer behind Tyrell's crisps and Chase gin and vodka, has announced the sale of his family-run distillery to spirits leader Diageo.

William Chase stated that the business has been purchased by Diageo for an undisclosed sum. Chase will join the group's other famous gin brands, including Gordon's and Tanqueray.

Having launched the distillery in 2008, William Chase went on to produce seven different types of gin, four different vodkas and an elderflower liqueur. All of the spirits are produced on site at the Chase Farm in Herefordshire, and are made from scratch using British potatoes, apples and botanicals grown at the farm.

Mr Chase commented: "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."

The sale follows news in August that buyer Diageo, which owns Guinness and Johnnie Walker, is also set to buy Aviation Gin. Commenting on the apparent gin acquisition drive, the firm has revealed that the spirit makes up around four per cent of its portfolio, with sales having increased by 22 per cent last year. This is a trend that was mirrored across the UK gin market as a whole, which was worth an estimated £1.6 billion in 2019.

Dayalan Nayager, managing director of Diageo Great Britain, said about the sale: "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."

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