COTSWOLDS DISTILLERY SMASHES CROWDFUNDING TARGET TO EXPAND BUSINESS

Award-winning Cotswolds Distillery has successfully raised £3 million of equity through the crowdfunding platform Crowdcube and private investors. After exceeding the initial target of £2 million in just a week, the funding period was extended due to overwhelming interest, resulting in one of Crowdcube’s biggest equity raises of 2018.

The funds raised will be invested in building the Cotswolds Distillery business and brand, from advertising and marketing to expanding and deepening sales and distribution networks. The hiring of a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) will also be integral to the growth and development of the brand.

Cotswolds Distillery recently announced plans for a new visitor centre at its Stourton site, housing tasting rooms, an expanded shop, exhibition space and café. This equity raise will allow for an improved and enhanced customer experience for the 30,000 visitors who travel to the distillery annually to participate in the Visit Britain award-winning tour, cementing its position as one of the top visitor attractions in the Cotswolds.

Dan Szor, Founder and CEO of the Cotswolds Distillery said, “We are overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of our new investors and the belief they’ve shown in the distillery. The total raised will transform the business, but we’re equally delighted to have gained over a thousand new shareholders – their support will carry us through the next chapter in the company’s journey and we couldn’t be more excited for it.”

In 2015, Cotswolds Distillery raised £1.5m of equity through CodeInvest. With this latest round of crowdfunding with Crowdcube, Cotswolds Distillery welcomes over 1,200 new investors to the business, raising the distillery’s profile even further around the globe.

For more information, please visit www.cotswoldsdistillery.com.

Notes to Editors

The Cotswolds Distillery:

Located in Stourton, Shipston-on-Stour, the distillery has become a premier local attraction, offering tours and tastings daily, and now receives 30,000 visitors a year.

Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky was launched in October 2017. It has been aged in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels and specially shaved, toasted and re-charred red wine barriques. It is bottled non-chill filtered, with no added colour and at 46% ABV. RRP £44.95. Each bottle lists the barley variety, harvest year and local Cotswolds farm it was grown on.

Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky is available nationally and in 12 countries across the world. Key UK retailers include Majestic Wine, The Whisky Exchange and Laithwaites.

The distillery also produces the Cotswolds Dry Gin, which was named Best London Dry at the 2016 World Gin Awards and received the top Gold Outstanding award in the 2017 International Wine and Spirits Competition. Difford’s Guide recently ranked the Gin as one of the top 20 Gins available in a survey of 450 brands.

Cotswolds Dry Gin is on sale nationally and in over 23 countries.  Key national accounts include Waitrose, Majestic, Oddbins, Laithwaites, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, and Fortnum & Mason.

For more information, visit www.cotswoldsdistillery.com.