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28
Mar
'The chance to save a great brand like Slingsby Gin was too hard to resist'
The new owner of Slingsby Gin has said he wants to refocus on the local market after rescuing the company from administration.
The Stray Ferret revealed on Wednesday (March 25) that Brightside Spirits Ltd had acquired the Slingsby Gin brand and product range after its previous owners, Spirit of Harrogate Ltd, entered administration.
However, the shop on Montpellier Parade has permanently closed and three jobs have been lost.
Marcus Black and Michael Carthy co-founded Spirit of Harrogate in 2014 with Slingsby Gin as its core brand. It sponsored major national sports events such as Royal Ascot and the PGA Golf Championship.
Chris Williams, director of Brightside Spirits, said the previous owners “tried to grow too fast” by attempting to establish a national brand and he planned to target the narrower Harrogate and wider Yorkshire market instead.
He appealed to local people to give him time to stabilise operations, but added he eventually hoped to launch new gin products and flavours, including an alcohol-free version.
Mr Williams, who has lived in Harrogate for 11 years with his wife Asma and is a former finance director at Bettys, said talks started in January and intensified over the last month.
He said:
Being a local chap, when I saw Slingsby Gin on the market I was naturally interested. They supplied Bettys gin and tonics so I knew of Marcus and Mike.
For us, acquiring the company has been life changing. It’s a great brand in a county that has welcomed us. We are really excited but we ask people to show us some patience for two or three months while we get up to speed.
Slingsby Gin sponsored many sporting events.
Mr Williams, who has worked in interim roles turning around business since leaving Bettys about five years ago, said gin experienced a pre-covid boost but the market has become tougher.
Slingsby Gin is available in Sainsbury’s and Waitrose supermarkets and can be ordered online.
Mr Williams said he would attend local events such as the Great Yorkshire Show to establish Slingsby Gin as a strong Yorkshire brand, like Whitby Gin.
He thanked customers, distributors and suppliers for their support, which he said "has been overwhelming and is a testament to the strength of the brand and local community".
The Spirit of Harrogate shop on Montpellier Parade in Harrogate.
Spirit of Harrogate Ltd was placed in administration on March 18.
Marcus Black and Michael Carthy, co-founders of Spirit of Harrogate, said in a statement after the deal was announced:
We are pleased that the brand will continue and that some of our colleagues will support the new owners in their future journey with Slingsby.
We wish them all every success and are proud that Slingsby will still be available to its loyal and longstanding customers.
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