What Hensol Castle Distillery does

Hensol Castle Distillery is a family-owned Welsh spirit producer and visitor attraction operating within the cellars of a Grade 1 listed 17th-century castle in Hensol, Pontyclun, near Cardiff. The company operates three integrated business pillars: (1) owned spirit brands under the Hensol Castle, Crawshay, Benjamin Hall, and Trulo sub-brands, covering gin (Welsh Dry, Black, flavoured variants), spiced rum, vodka, whisky-making kits, and reduced-calorie liqueurs, with pricing around £32 per 70cl bottle; (2) B2B contract services including contract bottling (capacity up to 10–20 million bottles/year at BRCGS AA grade), contract distilling with WSET/IBD qualified distillers using vacuum, hydro, and vapour infusion techniques, 40,000 sq ft bonded warehousing with duty deferment, tender work support, and start-up consultancy; and (3) paid visitor experiences including gin tours and tastings (£20–£30/person), gin-making and rum-making experiences, cocktail masterclasses, the £50 per-person 'Coal, Coin & Cheers' tri-attraction package with the Royal Mint and Welsh Coal Mining Experience, and venue hire for corporate events, hen/stag parties, and private celebrations accommodating up to 50 guests.

The company is wholly owned by the Leeke family, whose portfolio includes Leekes Retail (since 1896) and the Vale Resort, and operates through Vale of Glamorgan Hotel Limited. Its technology stack centres on traditional copper pot stills augmented by advanced infusion methods, a semi-automated bottling line with 18-bottle flexibility and high-speed rinsing (4,000 bph), filling (3,000 bph), and capping (2,500 bph), plus a 5-head linear labeller, and bonded warehousing. Distribution combines DTC channels (e-commerce shop, on-site retail, stockist finder including Tesco, gift voucher platform, Welsh-language site) with B2B direct sales of contract services to spirit brands and tour operator partnerships.

Revenue is generated through unit pricing on spirits, transaction fees on visitor experiences and venue hire, managed services on contract bottling/warehousing, professional services on contract distilling/consultancy, and a nominal Gin Club subscription. The customer base spans individual consumers and tourists, corporate clients (Sony, Clenergy EV, Cathedral Chambers referenced), private celebration groups, tour operators, and B2B spirit brands (Barti Rum, Bullion Rum, Sacred Spirits, Hive Drinks, Toca Vida, Grounds for Good). The business has earned multiple gold awards across World Gin, World Rum, and World Liqueur Awards (2023–2024), TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice 2025, and BRCGS AA grade accreditation.

Name

Hensol Castle Distillery

Legal name

Vale of Glamorgan Hotel Limited

Website

https://hensolcastledistillery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hensol Castle Distillery is a family-owned Welsh spirit producer and visitor attraction operating from a Grade 1 listed 17th-century castle, producing own-brand gin, rum, vodka, and liqueurs, offering paid distillery experiences and venue hire, and providing BRCGS-accredited contract bottling, distilling, and bonded warehousing services to third-party spirit brands across the UK and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Distilled Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (31214), 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), Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF), Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ)

Keywords

• Craft spirit production
• Contract bottling services
• Distillery visitor experiences
• Contract distilling services
• Bonded warehousing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wales

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Spirit Sales: Direct retail sales of proprietary spirits (gin, rum, vodka, whisky) and branded merchandise through the company's e-commerce shop and at the distillery location. Products sold include standard bottles, gift sets, miniatures, and barware items.
2. Visitor Experiences: Revenue from paid experiences including gin distillery tours and tastings, gin making experiences, rum making experiences, cocktail masterclasses, and group activities. Pricing ranges from £20-30 per person for group tours to £50 for combined attraction packages.
3. Venue and Bar Hire: Private event hire services including distillery bar hire (up to 50 guests), corporate events, private celebrations (hen parties, stag parties, birthdays), and team building experiences. Food packages and experience add-ons available.
4. Contract Bottling Services: Full-service contract bottling for third-party brands with production capacity of up to 10-20 million bottles per year. Services include semi-automated and fully automated production lines, warehousing, and quality assurance. BRCGS AA grade accredited facility.
5. Contract Distilling Services: Collaborative recipe development and distillation services with team of over 50 years shared experience. Services include new recipe development, product development, and consultancy for start-ups. Charges approximately £1,500 for distilled recipes with full IP ownership transferred to client.
6. Warehousing Services: Bonded storage facilities allowing duty deferment until products are released for sale. 40,000 square foot bonded warehouse providing secure storage for finished goods and dry goods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hensol Castle Distillery produces and sells a portfolio of premium Welsh gins, spiced rums, vodkas, liqueurs and whisky products from the cellars of a 17th-century Grade 1 listed castle in South Wales. It also operates distillery tours, gin/rum-making experiences, cocktail masterclasses, corporate and private venue hire, and provides B2B contract bottling, contract distilling, bonded warehousing, tender work, and start-up consultancy services to third-party spirit brands.

Product overview

Hensol Castle Distillery is a family-owned spirit producer and visitor attraction operating within a 17th-century Grade 1 listed castle near Cardiff. Its product portfolio comprises three main pillars: (1) Owned spirit brands under the Hensol Castle, Benjamin Hall, and Crawshay sub-brands, encompassing gins (Welsh Dry, Black, Blood Orange Zest, Wild Strawberry & Hibiscus), spiced rums (original and Cherry), vodkas (standard, Cardiff City FC 1899 collaboration, and Benjamin Hall/Vodka variants), whisky products (via at-home kits), and liqueurs (Crawshay Pink Rose and Sweet Violet). (2) B2B contract services including contract bottling (up to 20 million bottles/year; BRCGS AA grade accredited), contract distilling (WSET/IBD qualified distillers, vacuum/hydro/vapour infusion), warehousing (40,000 sq ft bonded facility), tender work (up to 6M bottles capacity), and start-up consultancy (licensing, brand development). (3) Visitor experiences including gin distillery tours and tasting, gin-making experience, cocktail masterclass, spiced rum making experience, and group venue hire (distillery bar, private events, corporate events), with the Coal, Coin & Cheers package linking three award-winning South Wales attractions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trulo: Market-defining range of reduced-calorie liqueurs
• Crawshay
• Benjamin Hall

Products and services

• Hensol Castle Welsh Dry Gin A flagship London Dry gin distilled in the cellars of the 17th-century Grade 1 listed Hensol Castle, recognised with a Gold award at the World Gin Awards 2023 and Best in Wales at The Gin Guide Awards 2023.
• Hensol Castle Black Gin A dark, distinctive variant of the distillery's signature gin produced in the castle cellars.
• Hensol Castle Blood Orange Zest Gin A flavoured gin infused with blood orange citrus, part of the Hensol Castle gin range.
• Hensol Castle Wild Strawberry & Hibiscus Gin A flavoured gin featuring wild strawberry and hibiscus botanicals.
• Hensol Castle Spiced Rum An artisanal spiced rum produced at the distillery, available for purchase and as the subject of a hands-on rum-making experience.
• Hensol Castle Cherry Spiced Rum A flavoured spiced rum variant with cherry, extending the distillery's rum portfolio.
• Hensol Castle Vodka A house-distilled vodka produced at the Hensol Castle facility.
• Hensol Castle X Cardiff City FC 1899 Vodka A collaborative vodka produced in partnership with Cardiff City Football Club, priced at £35.
• Castell Hensol Jin Myfyr Morganwg (Limited Edition) A limited-edition Welsh-language gin produced in partnership with the Eisteddfod, priced between £35 and £60 depending on variant.
• Age At Home Whisky Making Kit An at-home whisky-making kit allowing customers to participate in whisky production remotely, priced at £124.99.
• Crawshay Spirit Range A sub-brand offering Welsh Dry Gin, Welsh Vodka, Strawberry Gin, Orange Zest Gin, Rhubarb & Vanilla Gin, Pink Rose Liqueur, and Sweet Violet Liqueur.
• Benjamin Hall Spirit Range A sub-brand offering London Dry Gin, Strawberry Gin, Blackberry Gin, Sicilian Lemon Gin, and Benjamin Hall Vodka.
• Trulo Reduced-Calorie Liqueurs A market-defining range of reduced-calorie liqueurs launched as a sub-brand of Hensol Castle Distillery.
• Contract Bottling Services Full end-to-end contract bottling for third-party spirit brands with production capacity of up to 20 million bottles per year, including semi-automated lines accommodating 18 bottle types, advanced bottle air rinser (up to 4,000 bph), 12-head in-filler (up to 3,000 bph), flexible capping (up to 2,500 bph), and a 5-head linear labeller. BRCGS AA grade accredited facility.
• Contract Distilling Services Collaborative spirit recipe development and distillation services with four WSET/IBD-qualified distillers boasting over 50 years of combined experience. Includes vacuum, hydro and vapour infusion techniques and licensed distillation of beer, cider, grain spirits, made wine, neutral spirits, and rectification of gin and spiced rum botanicals. Clients retain full IP ownership.
• Warehousing Services A 40,000 square foot bonded warehouse providing secure storage for finished goods and dry goods, with the ability to store stock under bond to defer duty payments until release for sale.
• Tender Work Services Services supporting tender bids including custom spirit production, new recipe development, product development, competitive pricing strategy, and wet and dry goods sourcing. Production capacity of up to 6 million bottles.
• Start-up Consultancy Services Specialised consultancy guiding start-up spirit brands from concept to launch, covering regulatory licensing (Personal Licence, Premises Licence, AWRS, WOWGR), brand development, liquid development, and design. No commission fees charged.
• Gin Distillery Tour & Tasting A 1.5-hour guided tour of the distillery including an arrival G&T, exploration of the botanical room, tutored gin tasting, and a final G&T in the distillery bar.
• Gin Making Experience A hands-on 2.5-hour session where guests distil, bottle, and label their own 70cl bespoke gin to take home.
• Cocktail Masterclass A 2-hour mixology session including a signature arrival cocktail, expert guidance, one-to-one tuition to make two chosen cocktails, and a competitive element judged by the team.
• Spiced Rum Making Experience A hands-on rum-making session set within the castle, including an arrival rum-based drink, guided distillery tour, hands-on rum distilling, bottling and labelling of a 70cl bespoke rum, and a tutored rum tasting.
• Coal, Coin & Cheers Package A combined group package priced at £50 per person, linking three TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice Award-winning South Wales attractions: the Royal Mint Experience, the Welsh Coal Mining Experience, and Hensol Castle Distillery, including guided tours, underground mining experience, and gin tasting.
• Distillery Bar Hire Private bar hire within the castle cellars, accommodating up to 50 guests, with optional add-ons including food packages (nibbles, hot finger buffet, grazing table, pizza platter) and supplementary gin or cocktail experiences.
• Private Events Hire Private party venue hire for celebrations including birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, and hen/stag events, with spaces ranging from intimate rooms to larger versatile areas.
• Corporate Events Hire Corporate event hosting including team-building sessions, end-of-year parties, and private drinks receptions, with preferential rates for groups of 16 or more.

Quantifiable outcome

• Production capacity of up to 20 million bottles per year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal Mint ExperiencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint marketing partnership for the 'Coal, Coin & Cheers' combined Welsh heritage experience package. All three attractions (Royal Mint Experience, Welsh Coal Mining Experience, Hensol Castle Distillery) have obtained TripAdvisor 2025 Traveller's Choice Award. Package priced at £50 per person including guided tours, underground mining experience, and distillery gin tasting.
• Welsh Coal Mining Experience (Rhondda Heritage Park)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint marketing partnership for the 'Coal, Coin & Cheers' combined Welsh heritage experience package. Underground tours led by former Welsh miners as part of the £50 per person package.
• Vale ResortminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated hospitality business within the Leekes family portfolio. Partnership for venue accommodation and preferential rates for distillery visitors. Located within 650-acre private estate in Vale of Glamorgan countryside.
• Hensol CastlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Grade 1 listed 17th century castle, part of the Leekes family portfolio, provides the unique historic location for the distillery operations and visitor experiences.
• Leekes Retail GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company portfolio business established in 1896. The ironmongery business started by James Henry Leeke (great grandfather of current managing directors) has grown to include retail operations, the Vale Resort, and Hensol Castle.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cotswolds Distillery: Cotswolds Distillery produces award-winning gin, whisky, and liqueurs in the English countryside with a strong visitor experience and DTC offering. It mirrors Hensol's mix of premium own-brand spirits, contract services, and tourism-driven revenue.
• Chase Distillery: Chase is a UK craft distillery producing gin and vodka with a heritage farm-based setting. It is comparable to Hensol as a UK craft producer offering tours and on-site experiences, and historically has also offered contract services.
• The Lakes Distillery: The Lakes Distillery in Cumbria operates a heritage-style distillery producing whisky, gin, and vodka with a substantial visitor centre, restaurant, and tours. It is highly comparable in its blend of premium spirit production and destination tourism.
• Penderyn Distillery: Penderyn is a Welsh distillery producing single malt whisky and spirits with a strong visitor experience centre. Like Hensol, it combines own-brand spirit manufacturing with on-site tours and tastings in Wales, making it the closest geographic and business-model peer.
• Aber Falls Distillery: Aber Falls is a North Wales distillery producing gin, whisky, and liqueurs with a visitor centre. It is a direct competitor in the Welsh craft spirits space and operates a comparable model of own-brand production plus tourism.
• In The Welsh Wind: In The Welsh Wind is a Welsh craft distillery producing gin and other spirits with a focus on premium own-brand production. Comparable to Hensol in geographic scope, product range, and DTC orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Sipsmith: Sipsmith is a London-based premium gin producer (now part of Beam Suntory) that pioneered the London craft gin movement and operates distillery tours. It is a broad incumbent in the UK premium gin space that competes for similar consumers and on-premise listings.
• Diageo: Diageo is the world's largest spirits company, owning major gin and rum brands. While not a craft peer, it competes with Hensol's owned brands on retail shelf space, on-premise listings, and global distribution reach.
• Adnams Southwold: Adnams is a long-established UK brewery and spirits producer with distillery tours, hospitality, and a multi-channel retail and DTC model. It is comparable to Hensol in combining heritage brand, on-site experiences, and a broad consumer product portfolio.

Emerging players

• GlenWyvis Distillery: GlenWyvis is a community-owned Scottish craft distillery producing gin and whisky. While smaller and more emerging, it shares Hensol's focus on heritage-led storytelling, contract bottling, and direct consumer engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HC_Distillery
• Facebookfacebook.com/HensolCastleDistillery
• Instagraminstagram.com/hensolcastledistillery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hensol-castle-distillery

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Hensol Castle Distillery