Gin lovers help English outstrip Scots for distilleries

ENGLAND now has more distilleries than Scotland, after the trend for drinking “craft” gin increased the number of spirit makers.

Last year there were a total of 361 distilleries across Britain, of which 166 were in England, with only 160 in Scotland, despite the strength of the whisky industry north of the border, according to HMRC figures.

The figures reveal that a total of 54 new distilleries opened in 2018, while eight closed, which means the number of spirit makers increased by 46 last year.

Of the 54 new distilleries, 39 were in England, 11 in Scotland, two in Wales and two in Northern Ireland. In 2017, Scotland had a total of 149 distilleries to England’s 135.

Miles Beale, the chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), said: “It lifts the spirits to hear that distillery numbers continue to grow in the UK. It’s not just our gins picking up awards – we have also seen a growing number of excellent quality English and Welsh whiskies too.

“With all the uncertainty surrounding Brexit it is extremely reassuring that our talented spirit makers are continuing to innovate, invest and grow.”

Killian O’sullivan, the chief executive of the London Distillery Company, said: “Our view is that each of the new English distilleries will bring their own unique style and sense of place to the industry, which in turn will drive the innovation that consumers have embraced over the last number of years.”