A Staffordshire Moorlands distillery is expecting a record year built on success from working with local businesses.
Cheddleton’s Paper Mill Distillery develops and produces spirits for a range of clients, as well as offering a contract bottling, labelling and packaging service and having its own brand of products.
Last year saw it add three new gins to its profile, each flavoured with completely natural ingredients.
By working with local businesses such as quality hotels, wedding venues, restaurants and farm shops, sales have exceeded expectations, and the company has been able to invest in its bottling line, increasing production for the bottling and packaging side of the business.
Distillery Manager Joe Richards said: “2023 exceeded expectations. We saw that there was a demand for locally-produced gin, but because our products are not our only source of revenue, we knew we could offer really competitive prices on the same high-quality spirits.
“The reception to the new gins has been great. We are really pleased with the stockists that have come on board and we have built great relationships with local independent businesses who place the same importance on things as we do. Working with them has been essential.
“We have also been building the brand by going to local makers markets. We hope people will become familiar with the brand enough to try it in a bar and then come to us to buy a bottle.
“We believe every great restaurant, bar, wedding venue and farm shop in Staffordshire should be stocking Staffordshire spirits. I’d like us to double our number of stockists this year.”
He added: “We had a bumper year during the Covid pandemic when the pubs closed and people were drinking at home. That was great for us and the brands we were producing for.
“We have had a difficult year with having to balance keeping the cost of materials down as the cost of duty went up, but this one looks like it will certainly be a record one for us.”
Stockists of the new gins – Verde, Heath and Sumor – include Stone’s Little Seeds, Cheddleton’s The Flintlock, Thornbury Hall, in Kingsley Holt, the shop at Canalside Farm, in Great Haywood, and Trentham Wine and Cheese.
Joe added: “We believe our products are an affordable luxury for people who are interested in spirits.
“Their success has enabled us to make a substantial investment into our bottling line, which has increased the capacity from 500 bottles a day to 500 bottles an hour.”
Paper Mill Distillery has around 10 members of staff and is situated on the site of a former paper mill which crafted fine paper for Staffordshire’s pottery industry.
