Australian whisky brand Starward has been reacquired by its founder David Vitale, following a split from Diageo-backed brand incubator Distill Ventures.
The deal, struck for an undisclosed sum, sees Vitale reassume full control over the business more than a decade after selling a 30% stake to Distill Ventures.
“This feels like a rare opportunity to scale what we know works, in a category that’s only just getting started,” Vitale said. “I feel incredibly lucky to be doing that with the best brand, the best people, and the best years still ahead of us.”
Vitale established Starward in Melbourne in 2007 with the aim of creating an accessible Australian whisky designed for pairing with food. Its whiskies – stocked in Waitrose and specialist retailers including Master of Malt – are predominantly matured in Australian red wine barrels.
In 2015, the brand partnered with Diageo’s Distill Ventures programme to accelerate growth.
However, Diageo announced it would stop onboarding new brands and significantly scale back Distill Ventures last year.
Other Distill Venture-backed brands, including Stauning Whisky and Westward Whisky, were impacted by the decision.
Stauning was forced to cut roughly a quarter of its workforce and slow down expansion plans, while Westward was saved from bankruptcy by a group of private investors last year.
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