Salcombe Distilling Co.

What Salcombe Distilling Co. does

Salcombe Distilling Co. is a Devon, UK-based craft spirits producer founded in 2014 by Angus Lugsdin and Howard Davies, with its first product, the flagship London Dry gin 'Start Point', launched in June 2016 after two years of recipe development. Operations centre on a waterside distillery at The Boathouse, 28 Island Street, Salcombe (one of the world's only distilleries directly accessible by boat), with a second retail and experience venue in Dartmouth and a portfolio that includes core gins (Start Point, Rosé Sainte Marie, Four Seas), the Voyager Series of limited-edition chef collaborations, Salcombe Rum (Island Street, Lantern Rock), and the New London Light non-alcoholic range. Distillation uses a 450L Arnold Holstein copper pot still named 'Provident' and 13 hand-sourced botanicals traced to historical maritime trading routes, with proprietary techniques including hand-peeled fresh citrus, Dartmoor water blending, and vapor infusion of rose petals and lavender.

The company monetises across three revenue streams: premium spirit sales (DTC e-commerce, owned retail, and wholesale through Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Majestic, Sainsbury's, travel retail, and US/Asia distributors); paid experience services (Gin School from £110, Rum School from £110, and Distillery Tour & Tasting from £50 per person, with over 5,000 unique bespoke bottles created since March 2017); and cause-marketed variants such as Four Seas, which donates a share of net sales to the RNLI. The business is privately held by its co-founders with no disclosed institutional investor, and a single funding event of approximately $1.5M was recorded in December 2019. The primary customer segments are premium spirit enthusiasts, gift purchasers, experience seekers, and on-trade/travel retail buyers, served through a hybrid segmentation approach with growing international exposure and a stated ambition to triple in size over five years.

Name

Salcombe Distilling Co.

Legal name

Salcombe Distilling Co.

Website

https://salcombegin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Salcombe Distilling Co. is a Devon, UK-based craft distillery producing premium gin, rum, and non-alcoholic spirits, plus paid Gin/Rum School experiences, sold direct-to-consumer, through owned retail stores in Salcombe and Dartmouth, and via UK premium retailers, travel retail, and US/Asia distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Distilled Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG), Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC), Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF), Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE)

Keywords

• Premium gin production
• Craft spirit distillery
• Small batch rum
• Non-alcoholic spirits
• Distillery experience services

Headquarters

HQ city

Salcombe

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

Revenue model

1. Premium Gin & Spirit Sales: Direct-to-consumer and wholesale sales of multi-award winning gins including Start Point, Rosé Sainte Marie, Four Seas, and Voyager Series limited editions. Products sold in 70cl, 50cl and 12x5cl formats.
2. Gin School & Rum School Experiences: Award-winning experiences where visitors learn distillation and create their own 70cl bottle. Gin School from £110 for one person, Rum School from £110. Includes distillery tours and tutored tastings.
3. RNLI Partnership Product: Four Seas gin generates donations to RNLI - 2% of net sales donated to support the charity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Salcombe Distilling Co. produces premium distilled spirits using a 450L Arnold Holstein copper pot still at its waterside distillery in Salcombe, Devon. Its portfolio includes multi-award winning London Dry gin (Start Point), Mediterranean rosé gin (Rosé Sainte Marie), British Coastal Gin (Four Seas), the Voyager Series of limited-edition gins, small-batch rums (Island Street, Lantern Rock), and non-alcoholic spirits (New London Light). The company also sells gift sets, hampers, glassware, and distillery experiences (Gin School, Rum School, Distillery Tour & Tasting).

Product overview

Salcombe Distilling Co. is a Devon-based distillery producing premium gin, rum, and non-alcoholic spirits with a portfolio of core products, limited editions, and experiential offerings. The core gin range includes 'Start Point' (flagship London Dry gin, 44% ABV), 'Rosé Sainte Marie' (Mediterranean Dry Rosé Gin, 41.4% ABV), and 'Four Seas' (British Coastal Gin, 40% ABV with RNLI partnership). The Voyager Series comprises limited-edition gins created with celebrity chefs. The portfolio also includes two rum expressions ('Island Street' and 'Lantern Rock'), non-alcoholic spirits under the 'New London Light' brand, and special editions like the P&O Cruises 'Marabelle Gin'. Supporting the product range are experiential services including the award-winning Gin School, newly launched Rum School, and Distillery Tours. Gift products include hampers, miniature sets, glassware, and experience vouchers. The company operates from waterside locations in Salcombe and Dartmouth, with retail stores and a bar.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Voyager Series: Limited-edition gins developed in collaboration with world renowned chefs or iconic winemakers, including 'Daring' with Paul Ainsworth, 'Phantom', 'Restless', 'Island Queen', 'Mischief', 'Guiding Star', and 'Arabella'.
• New London Light
• Salcombe Rum

Products and services

• Start Point Gin Multi-award winning flagship London Dry gin (44% ABV) with citrus-led flavour profile featuring red grapefruit, Macedonian juniper berries, and 11 further hand-picked botanicals. Available in 70cl, 50cl, and 12x5cl formats. Named after the iconic Start Point lighthouse on the English coastline.
• Rosé Sainte Marie Gin Mediterranean Dry Rosé Gin (41.4% ABV) with delicate flavours of fresh lemon peel, Provence herbs, pink peppercorns, and strawberries. Named after the Sainte Marie lighthouse marking the entrance to Marseille's Old Port. Available in 70cl, 50cl, and 12x5cl formats.
• Four Seas British Coastal Gin British Coastal Gin (40% ABV) showcasing four key flavours: smoky citrus, sugar kelp, sea buckthorn, and elderberries. Named after the four seas surrounding the British Isles. Created in partnership with the RNLI with a percentage of net sales donated to save lives at sea. Available in 70cl.
• Voyager Series Limited Edition Gins Collection of limited-edition gins developed in collaboration with world renowned chefs and iconic winemakers. Each bottle features an embossed outline of the iconic gin pennant and bespoke copper stopper. Includes Daring (with Paul Ainsworth), Phantom, Restless (with Monica Galetti), Island Queen, Mischief, Guiding Star, and Arabella.
• Start Point Offshore Strength Higher ABV variant of the flagship Start Point gin, offering a more intense flavour experience while maintaining the same citrus-led profile.
• Salcombe Rum Island Street Small batch handcrafted rum produced at the waterside distillery in Salcombe. Named after Island Street in Salcombe's traditional boat building quarter.
• Salcombe Rum Lantern Rock Small batch handcrafted rum, lovingly produced in limited quantities. Features unique flavour profiles distinct from the Island Street range.
• New London Light Non-Alcoholic Spirits Non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs range including First Light, Midnight Sun, and Aegean Sky variants. Produced by the same expert distillers using innovative flavour combinations without alcohol.
• Victuallers Special Edition Limoncello Special edition limoncello liqueur produced in partnership with Victuallers. A citrus-forward Italian-style liqueur.
• Marabelle Gin World's first gin distilled at sea, created in partnership with P&O Cruises for their Iona ship. Named Marabelle meaning 'star of the sea'. Also available in Mediterranean Edition variant.
• Gin School Experience Award-winning experience where visitors learn the art of distillation using a mini copper still, create their own unique 70cl bottle of gin, and enjoy complimentary drinks. Located at the waterside distillery. TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice Award winner in 2025. Pricing from £110 for one person.
• Rum School Experience Experience where visitors learn the art of rum distillation, create their own recipe, and distil a 70cl bottle of rum. Includes tour of distillery, cask ageing education, and complimentary rum cocktails. Pricing from £110.
• Distillery Tour & Tasting Tour of the waterside distillery with tutored tasting of four gins from the collection, overlooking the Salcombe estuary. Includes complimentary 'Salcombe & Tonic' on arrival. From £50 per person.
• Salcombe Gin Hampers Luxury gift hampers featuring a choice of gin (Start Point, Rosé Sainte Marie, Four Seas, or Voyager Series Daring), 2 branded glasses, 8x150ml cans of Fever-Tree tonic, branded beach bag, and wicker hamper. From £99.
• Experience Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers for Gin School (for one or two) or Rum School (for one or two), with prices starting from £160.

Quantifiable outcome

• Gin School has welcomed thousands of visitors and over 5,000 unique gins have been created
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• P&O CruisesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Created 'Marabelle Gin' - the world's first gin distilled at sea - for P&O Cruises' ship Iona. Marabelle means 'star of the sea'. Also created Mediterranean Edition.
• New London LightminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs brand under Salcombe Distilling Co. Offers First Light, Midnight Sun, and Aegean Sky variants at 0% alcohol.
• RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Four Seas gin was created in partnership with the RNLI to celebrate their upcoming 200th anniversary. Salcombe Gin donates 2% of net sales to the RNLI to help save lives at sea. The partnership celebrates coastal community spirit and gives back to those who protect and save lives at sea.
• Darts FarmminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022External retail location for Gin Refill Scheme in Exeter. Customers can refill their 50cl or 70cl bottles with 20% discount.
• Barrel & StillminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022External retail location for Gin Refill Scheme in Kingsbridge. Customers can refill their 50cl or 70cl bottles with 20% discount.
• Marine Conservation SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Long-term partnership to protect and regenerate precious ocean habitats. Marine Conservation Society is a company member (2026-2027). Supports the mission of fighting for a cleaner, better protected, healthier ocean.
• Monica GaletticoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Created 'Restless' Voyager Series gin reflecting her culinary style and Pacific Islands heritage. Gin is tropical, inspired by the ocean with notes of freshly cut pineapple, sweet mango and coconut in balance with traditional juniper.
• Paul AinsworthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Michelin-starred chef and owner of Paul Ainsworth at No6 in Padstow. Created 'Daring' Voyager Series gin inspired by his oyster dish 'A Tale of Porthilly'. Gin evokes a sense of being by the sea with local Cornish flavours.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebooken-gb.facebook.com/SalcombeGin
• Instagraminstagram.com/salcombegin
• Xx.com/SalcombeGin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 Salcombe Distilling Co.