Diageo buys Chase distillery

By Nicholas Robinson

- Last updated on GMT

Buyout: Chase bought out by Diageo
Buyout: Chase bought out by Diageo

Related tags Diageo Chase distillery Dayalan Nyager Vodka Spirits

Spirits giant Diageo has acquired family-owned Chase Distillery and its portfolio of brands for an undisclosed sum.

The 12-year-old brand, founded by William Chase in 2008, has a portfolio of seven gins, four vodkas and an elderflower liqueur.

Diageo has acquired several spirits brands in recent months and years including actor Ryan Reynolds Aviator Gin earlier this year.

Chase made its name for producing sustainable spirits from British-grown potatoes and a range of fruit, using steam to run the distillery process. A biomass boiler is powered by prunings from the apple orchard and potato waste is used as fertiliser and to feed cattle.

Chase Distillery

“It’s inspiring to have Diageo invest in Chase Distillery’s future,” said William Chase. “They believe in the potential of our field to bottle spirits and will build on our mission to develop our sustainable distillery in Herefordshire.”

Diageo managing director for Great Britain Dayalan Nayager said: “We are thrilled to be brining such a quintessentially British portfolio of high quality, crafted brands into our family.

“We are excited about the growth opportunity within the premium-plus segment and are very much looking forward to working with the Chase team to build on the portfolio’s considerable potential.”

A statement on Chase's website read:

We are excited to announce that Chase Distillery has reached an agreement to be acquired by Diageo, accelerating our mission to champion field to bottle spirits made sustainably on our farm in Herefordshire. 

Since 2008, when Chase kickstarted the UK’s craft spirit revolution, we’ve built Chase into a much-loved Vodka and Gin brand, constantly innovating and changing the way people appreciate and drink spirits. 

Taking inspiration from the early days of the craft spirits scene in the USA, we wanted to use a surplus of potatoes that were too small for Dad’s crisp brand, or too wonky to sell as spuds, so we worked with an artisanal still maker to build Chase Distillery in our rural corner of Herefordshire. It seems like only yesterday that we set out to tell our story at the local farmers’ markets and city cocktail bars.

We’ve always wanted to challenge the status quo of the spirits industry, bringing farming heritage and provenance back to the centre stage. With much support from friends, family and the hard work and passion from our team, we are very much looking forward to welcoming this new, exciting chapter for our family of vodkas and gins.

For Chase Distillery, it will be business as usual and we will be here every day making sure our quality remains unrivalled and that our farm distillery in Herefordshire is a must visit for any gin or vodka enthusiast. Diageo believes in the potential of our award-winning spirits and are looking forward to working with the Chase team to build on our mission to develop our sustainable distillery for generations to come.

Kindest Regards, 

James Chase

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