What The Lakes Distillery does

The Lakes Distillery is a privately held English whisky distillery founded in 2011 by Paul Currie and operating from a converted 160-year-old Victorian model dairy farm in the Lake District National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), five miles north-west of Keswick, Cumbria. Its core production technology centres on a proprietary "élevage" maturation process — proactive, continuous cask management inspired by Cognac cellarmasters — combined with triple yeast fermentation pushed to 96 hours (reaching malolactic fermentation), slow pot-still distillation with narrow cut points, and bespoke sherry-seasoned oak casks (European and American oak Oloroso and PX) with controlled toasting and seasoning. The "Whiskymaker" role holds end-to-end responsibility from barley selection through bottling, ensuring single-point flavour coherence.

The product portfolio spans three tiers: (1) Single Malt whisky — Signature (first permanent style, £74.99), The Whiskymaker's Reserve series (numbered editions No.4–No.7, £70–£85), The Whiskymaker's Editions (limited releases including Galáxia, Nostalgia, Reflections, Velocity, priced £95–£600), and the Global Travel Retail exclusive Boundless; (2) The One blended whisky collection blending Lakes Single Malt with Scotch grain and malt, finished in Colheita, Sherry, Port, and Manzanilla casks (£38–£42); and (3) Gin (Classic English, Pink Grapefruit) and Ultra-Smooth English Vodka at £38 per 70cl. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via lakesdistillery.com (UK-only delivery, complimentary over £50, Klarna BNPL), with on-trade presence in top London hotels and bars, exclusive retail launches at Selfridges, international online reach via Master of Malt and House of Malt, and Global Travel Retail via Boundless. Strategic collaborations include 3-Michelin-star chef Simon Rogan (Whiskymaker's Editions Reflections), and The Lakes is a founding member of the English Whisky Guild, which has submitted a Geographical Indication application for English whisky.

Revenue is generated through one-time product sales across premium and ultra-premium price points (£38–£600 per 70cl bottle). The company has raised approximately £20.5M across 2017–2022 funding rounds from Gresham House, Comhar Capital, Secure Trust Bank (debt facility), and Crowdcube. Headcount sits at 51–100 employees. Recent strategic developments include the launch of Signature as the first permanent style (March 2025), Velocity ultra-premium limited edition (2025), and the appointment of a new Whiskymaker, Brendan McCarron. The on-site brand home (shop and bistro) has been closed, and the distillery is currently scaling production capacity by 70%.

Name

The Lakes Distillery

Legal name

The Lakes Distillery

Website

https://lakesdistillery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Lakes Distillery is an English whisky distillery in the Lake District producing sherry-led single malt via proprietary élevage maturation, serving affluent whisky enthusiasts globally through DTC e-commerce, premium on-trade, luxury retail, and global travel retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Distilled Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Distilleries (31214), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spirits Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAD), Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE), Mixed Alcohol Specialty Retail (Beer/Wine/Spirits Combined) (CRANABAH), Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

Keywords

• Single malt whisky
• English whisky distillery
• Sherry cask whisky
• Craft gin vodka
• Premium spirits

Headquarters

HQ city

Wales

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Single Malt Whisky Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of The Lakes Single Malt whisky across three main ranges: Signature (first permanent style, £74.99), Whiskymaker's Reserve series (numbered editions, £85), and Whiskymaker's Editions (limited one-off releases, £95–£600). Revenue from exclusive releases such as Velocity (limited to 583 bottles, £600) and Global Travel Retail exclusive Boundless.
2. The One Blended Whisky Collection: Blended whisky collection where The Lakes Single Malt is blended with select Scotch grain and malt whiskies from Highlands, Speyside and Islay, finished in various oak casks (Colheita, Sherry, Port, Manzanilla). Sold at £38–£42 per 70cl bottle.
3. Gin and Vodka Sales: Classic English Gin (juniper, cracked black pepper, orange peel) and Pink Grapefruit Gin sold at £38 per 70cl. Ultra-Smooth English Vodka (finest British wheat, copper pot still) sold at £38 per 70cl. Also gift sets, miniatures, glassware, and cocktail accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Lakes Distillery manufactures and sells premium English spirits — single malt whisky, blended whisky, gin, and vodka — produced at its distillery in the Lake District National Park. Its core range centres on The Lakes Single Malt (Signature, Whiskymaker's Reserve series, and limited Whiskymaker's Editions) and The One blended collection, complemented by Classic English Gin, Pink Grapefruit Gin, and Ultra-Smooth Vodka, all sold direct-to-consumer via its own e-commerce site and select premium on-trade, retail, and global travel retail channels.

Product overview

The Lakes Distillery is an English whisky distillery producing a portfolio of award-winning spirits. The core offering includes The Lakes Single Malt whisky (with Signature as the permanent house style and The Whiskymaker's Reserve series), The Whiskymaker's Editions limited releases (including Galáxia, Nostalgia, Velocity, Reflections, and Boundless), The One blended whisky collection (featuring cask-finished variants), The Lakes Gin (Classic English Gin and Pink Grapefruit Gin), and Ultra-Smooth English Vodka. The distillery also offers glassware and bar accessories. All products are crafted at their Lake District facility using traditional copper pot still distillation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Whiskymaker's Reserve: Core series of single malt whiskies exploring sherry-led maturation and flavor evolution, including numbered editions No.5, No.6, and No.7.
• The Whiskymaker's Editions
• The One Collection
• Signature
• Velocity
• Galáxia
• Nostalgia
• Boundless
• The Lakes Gin
• Pink Grapefruit Gin
• The Lakes Vodka

Products and services

• Signature Single Malt Whisky Permanent sherry-led single malt whisky matured in European and American oak Oloroso and PX sherry casks, priced at £74.99 per 70cl. Designed as the everyday house-style single malt accessible to enthusiasts after the conclusion of the numbered Reserve series.
• The Whiskymaker's Reserve No.7 Numbered edition single malt whisky at £85 per 70cl at 52% ABV, matured in Oloroso, PX and red wine casks, defining the signature house style of The Lakes Distillery. Awarded Grand Gold at Spirits Selection by CMB and Gold at World Whiskies Awards 2024 and Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition.
• Galáxia (Whiskymaker's Editions) Limited Whiskymaker's Edition single malt at £185 per 70cl, a celestial assembly uniting the most admired characters from the Editions series with rich dark fruit cake, ginger, cocoa nibs, and manuka honey notes. Awarded Gold at ISC 2024 and Double Gold at Warsaw Spirits Competition 2024.
• Nostalgia (Whiskymaker's Editions) Limited Whiskymaker's Edition single malt at £95 per 70cl, inspired by old-style sweetshop flavours with an eclectic fusion of Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks, evoking orchard pears, plums, butterscotch, chocolate and cherry drops. Launched exclusively at Selfridges before wider release.
• Velocity Single Malt Whisky Ultra-premium limited-edition single malt at £600 per 70cl, limited to 583 individually numbered bottles, crafted through rare Oloroso casks as a celebration of The Lakes' expertise in élevage and blending.
• Reflections (Whiskymaker's Editions) Whiskymaker's Edition single malt co-developed with 3-Michelin star chef Simon Rogan, released at 54% ABV non-chill filtered and natural in colour, sold through Rogan's restaurant portfolio across two continents and featured in November's Home by Simon Rogan menus.
• Boundless Single Malt Whisky Travel-retail-exclusive single malt at 48% ABV, matured in first-fill Oloroso casks marrying European and American oak, unveiled at TFWA Cannes 27 September 2024 and available in select duty-free and travel retail locations globally.
• The One Fine Blended Whisky Collection Blended whisky collection with The Lakes Single Malt at its heart, blended with select Scotch grain and malt whiskies from Highlands, Speyside and Islay, finished in Colheita, Sherry, Port, or Manzanilla casks, priced £38-£42 per 70cl.
• The One Colheita Cask Finished Fine blended whisky at £38 per 70cl at 46.6% ABV, non-chill filtered, finished in rare Colheita (vintage port) casks with notes of peach cobbler, fresh apricots, ripe plums, vanilla custard and warming cinnamon.
• The One Sherry Cask Finished Rich full-bodied blended whisky at £38 per 70cl (5cl miniatures also available), non-chill filtered with natural colour, principally matured in European oak Oloroso and PX casks with Spanish oak sherry cask finish. Category Winner for Best English Blended Whisky at World Whiskies Awards 2021.
• Classic English Gin Classic London dry gin at £38 per 70cl, gently distilled with the luxury of time in a traditional copper pot still for exceptional smoothness, featuring vibrant notes of juniper, cracked black pepper and orange peel. Gold Award winner at World Gin Awards 2019.
• Pink Grapefruit Gin Distinctively zesty pink grapefruit gin at £38 per 70cl, bursting with uplifting citrus notes and refreshingly tangy pink grapefruit flavour married to The Lakes Gin's juniper notes. Scored 98/100 for 'Outstanding' Gold at IWSC 2022.
• Ultra-Smooth English Vodka Ultra-smooth English vodka at £38 per 70cl at 40% ABV, distilled once in a bespoke copper pot still using purest Lake District water from a borehole on site, retaining distinctive characteristics of finest British wheat. Voted World's Best Vodka at the 2019 Global World Drinks Awards.
• Glassware & Barware Range of whisky glasses (Copita £8, Tumbler £7, Balloon £8, Highball, Glencairn) and bar accessories (Cocktail Jigger £8, Bar Spoon £8, Hawthorn Strainer £8, Cocktail Set £42) supporting the Lakes spirit portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Whiskymaker's Reserve No.4 was named 'World's Best Single Malt 2022' — establishing international recognition for the brand
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Simon RoganflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 20233-Michelin star chef Simon Rogan collaborated with The Lakes Distillery to create The Whiskymaker's Editions Reflections, a single malt whisky released on 23 September to mark Rogan's 20th anniversary since launching his first restaurant L'Enclume. Inspired by the autumnal Lake District, the whisky is sold at Rogan's restaurant portfolio across two continents and featured in November's Home by Simon Rogan menu. The collaboration also included artist Hideyuki Sobue for the bottle artwork, representing the marigold flower from Rogan's Farm in the Cartmel Valley.
• Lake District FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021The Lakes Distillery partnered with the Lake District Foundation in 2021 to establish the Lakes Distillery Water Fund — an annual programme of grants to environmentally focused charities, local groups, and community interest companies aligned with the ambition to positively impact climate action, improve clean water and sanitation, and enhance life below water and on land in the Lake District National Park.
• English Whisky GuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lakes Distillery is a founding member of the English Whisky Guild, collaborating to showcase and protect the quality and diversity of whiskies made in England. The Guild represents more than 40 English whisky distilleries and has submitted a Geographical Indicator (GI) application to legally define English whisky and establish production standards to ensure the highest quality. The overarching vision is for English whisky to be recognised around the world as a respected choice for whisky drinkers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lakesdistillery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Lakes Distillery