Spirit of Harrogate, the company behind the Slingsby Gin brand, has been bought in a pre-pack administration deal.
The Harrogate-based supplier has been sold to Brightside Spirits, a newly founded company run by sole director Chris Williams, for an as of yet undisclosed sum.
The deal includes the Slingsby brand, but not the Spirit of Harrogate retail premises, which had now closed owing to “large overheads”, joint administrators Matthew Russell and Gareth Lewis, of Lewis Business Recovery & Insolvency, said.
The pre-pack sale would “see the continuation of the well-respected Slingsby Gin product range and brand, maintaining continuity of supply to customers across the UK”, Lewis said.
It had “maximised the return for creditors and preserved some jobs”, he added.
It comes after Spirit of Harrogate instructed Lewis Business Recovery & Insolvency to place the company into administration in January.
Commenting on Brightside Spirits’ acquisition of the Slingsby brand, Williams said: “As long-time supporters of independent Yorkshire producers, we couldn’t stand by and watch a brand with such strong heritage potentially disappear. When the opportunity arose to acquire the business out of administration, we knew we had a responsibility, not just to the product, but to the community that has championed it from the very beginning.
“Our immediate focus is on stabilising the business, rebuilding production, and ensuring that the outstanding quality and character of Slingsby remain at the heart of everything we do.
“Over the coming months, we will be investing in the brand, strengthening local partnerships, and exploring new ways to celebrate the craftsmanship that made this gin so special.”
Slingsby Gin products including its London Dry, Rhubarb and Marmalade gins are stocked in Waitrose and on Ocado, as well as in specialist retailers including Master of Malt and Amathus Drinks.
The extent of Spirit of Harrogate’s obligations to creditors has not yet been disclosed by the administrators.
According to its latest available financial results on Companies House, the business racked up cumulative losses of almost £5m between 2014 and 28 February 2025.
It was founded by local entrepreneurs Marcus Black and Mike Carthy in 2014.
In a joint statement, Black and Carthy said they were “pleased that the brand will continue and that some of our colleagues will support the new owners in their future journey”.
No comments yet