What Kingsland Drinks does

Kingsland Drinks Group Limited is an employee-owned UK wine and spirits manufacturer, contract packer, and distributor headquartered at a single integrated site in Irlam, Manchester. The company operates nine production lines with combined annual packing capacity of 120 million litres and 80 million cans, offering an end-to-end service stack that spans global sourcing (40+ producer partners across 15 countries, 100+ suppliers), bulk wine importation, in-house chemical and microbiological laboratories, wine treatment and recovery, new product development for spirits, no-and-low alcohol, and RTDs, contract bottling and canning, and finished-goods distribution. Distinctive technical assets include the UK's first and only wine carbonation line (12,600-15,000 bottles per hour) and the proprietary WinePRO consumer insights platform.

The company monetizes across three revenue streams: contract bottling and canning services for retailer-owned and third-party brands (managed services with multi-year contracts), distribution of own and sourced brands to UK on-trade and off-trade channels (transactional), and branded product sales through owned labels including Vin Crowd (canned wines, £2.25 per 250ml can), Willow & Stone (British wines), Wave Break Pink Fizz (M&S exclusive carbonated wine), and Vandenberg, alongside the Ten Locks subsidiary's premium purpose-led spirits portfolio. Named enterprise customers include Tesco, M&S, Co-op, Waitrose, Morrisons, Majestic, Booker, NISA and Costcutter. In April 2026, the company secured a £65m Asset Based Lending facility from Barclays to fund continued investment in capacity and NPD.

Ownership is held 51% by an Employee Ownership Trust and 49% by four founding directors (Andy Sagar, Karen Wilson, Michael Forde, Mark Dixon) following a July 2021 transition. The group has roughly 400 employees, is led by Executive Chairman Andy Sagar and Managing Director Sarah Baldwin, and reports subsidiaries Ten Locks and Bottle Green Ltd (acquired 2015). The company's geographic footprint is exclusively United Kingdom, with international activity limited to producer sourcing and exclusive UK agency arrangements.

Name

Kingsland Drinks

Legal name

Kingsland Drinks Group Limited

Website

https://kingsland-drinks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kingsland Drinks is an employee-owned UK wine and spirits contract manufacturer and distributor operating a single integrated bottling, canning, and carbonation site in Irlam, Manchester. It serves major UK grocers and on-trade channels with own brands, 40+ producer agency partnerships, and end-to-end NPD and supply chain services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine and Spirits Distribution and Contract Manufacturing

NAICS

Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bulk / Private Label Alcohol Production & Brands (CRADAIAJ), Bulk Beverage & Keg Distribution (AFAIAGAK)

Keywords

• Wine distribution services
• Contract bottling canning
• Drinks sourcing procurement
• Own brand beverages
• New product development

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Bottling & Canning: Provides contract packing, bottling, and canning services for major UK retailers and drinks brands. Customers include M&S (first customer to use the carbonation line), Booker, and numerous other brands. The facility handles wine, spirits, and no/low alcohol products across nine production lines.
2. Wine & Spirits Distribution: Distribution of owned and sourced brands to UK on-trade (bars, pubs, restaurants) and off-trade (major retailers, independent merchants). Portfolio includes 40+ producer partners spanning Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Spain, Italy, France, South Africa, and other regions.
3. Own Brand Wine & Spirits: Develops and markets its own branded products including Shorn (New Zealand), Willow & Stone (British wines), Vin Crowd (canned wines/RTDs), and through Ten Locks, premium purpose-led spirits brands. Products sold through major retailers and on-trade.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kingsland Drinks is a full-service drinks company that sources, develops, bottles, cans, and distributes wines and spirits for UK retailers, the on-trade, and drinks brands. It combines contract manufacturing (bottling, canning, and carbonation), new product development, sourcing from 40+ producers across 15 countries, and distribution of both own-label brands and third-party agency brands.

Product overview

Kingsland Drinks is a full-service drinks company offering complete category solutions for the UK wine and spirits industry. The core offering includes contract bottling and canning operations (with carbonation capability), technical and quality assurance services, wine treatment and recovery, new product development (spirits, no-and-low alcohol, RTDs), sourcing and procurement (40+ producers from 15 countries), and supply chain logistics. The company operates own brands including Vin Crowd (canned wines), Willow & Stone (British wines), and Wave Break Pink Fizz, while also distributing agency brands such as Andrew Peace Wines, Marisco/The Ned, Limestone Coast Wines, Pascual Toso, Baron de Ley, Borgo Molino, Vistamar, and Schmitt Söhne. Subsidiary Ten Locks focuses on premium purpose-led spirits brands. The company also operates the Thirsty Earth sustainability programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ten Locks: Conscious premium drinks company focused on creation and curation of premium spirits brands with purpose, established in August 2020.
• Vin Crowd
• Willow & Stone
• Thirsty Earth

Products and services

• Contract Bottling and Canning Services Full-service contract bottling and canning operations across nine production lines at the Irlam, Manchester facility, with capability to fill 12,600-15,000 bottles per hour and 80 million cans annually. Includes carbonation capability and serves major UK retailers and drinks brands.
• Sourcing and Procurement Wine sourcing and procurement services with over 40 producer partners across 15 countries, with a buying team of eight specialists sourcing wines globally.
• New Product Development (NPD) NPD team specialising in spirits, no-and-low alcohol and ready-to-drink products including cocktails, gin and tonics, wine spritzes and hard seltzers. Can create liquids from scratch or match existing formulas, backed by WinePRO consumer insights.
• Wine Treatment and Recovery Wine treatment and recovery capabilities including blending, fining and stabilisation to treat and recover out-of-specification wines, reducing waste and environmental impact.
• Vin Crowd Canned Wine Brand Own-label canned wine brand targeting non-wine drinkers and convenience consumers, available in White Spritz, Pink Spritz and Botanical Spritz variants, priced at £2.25 per 250ml can and sold through Co-op, Nisa and Costcutter.
• Willow & Stone British Wines Own-label British wines range with white, rose and rose fizz variants created using WinePRO consumer insights for beginners and millennials seeking affordable fresh tasting wines. RRP £3.39 still, £3.99 fizz.
• Ten Locks Premium Spirits Portfolio Conscious premium drinks company curating and developing purpose-led spirits brands striving for positive change. Established by Kingsland Drinks Group in August 2020 with craft spirit capability at Irlam.

Quantifiable outcome

• First company to import and fill wine in bulk in the UK in the 1960s — now industry standard, with bulk wine accounting for ~40% of UK wine
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boland CellarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2024Exclusive deal signed in February 2024 for Kingsland to distribute Boland Cellar's branded bottled-at-source ranges to the UK off-trade. Boland Cellar is an award-winning South African winery based in Northern Paarl with over 1,900 hectares and WWF Conservation Champion accreditation.
• Ten LockscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2020Conscious premium drinks company established by Kingsland Drinks Group in August 2020, led by Becky Davies. Ten Locks curates and develops a portfolio of purpose-led spirits brands striving for positive change. Kingsland powers Ten Locks with a craft spirit facility opened in July 2022 at Irlam.
• Soul Tree Wines (India)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2019Joint venture between Kingsland Drinks and Indian wine producer Soul Tree resulted in the first shipment of bulk wine from India to the UK. Soul Tree and Kingsland developed house wine tier wines for Indian restaurant wine lists, bottled, packed, and distributed from Kingsland's Irlam site.
• Schmitt SöhnecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 30 May 2018Kingsland Drinks selected as exclusive UK agent for Schmitt Söhne, one of Germany's largest wine companies founded in 1919. Family-owned winery producing wines in Mosel and Rheinhessen regions. Kingsland distributes across all trade channels including major retailers and on-trade.
• Bottle Green LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 April 2015Acquisition of Bottle Green Ltd from DCC Food & Beverage UK in April 2015. Leeds-based wine company that had been servicing the UK wine market for over 20 years with innovative products and top class producer partnerships. Subsequently fully integrated into Kingsland Drinks and consolidated at the Irlam site.
• The Hidden SeacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian wine brand which Kingsland Drinks manages for the UK retail and off trade market. The brand removes plastic from the world's oceans with the aim of removing one billion plastic bottles by 2030. Partnership aligns with Kingsland's Thirsty Earth sustainability programme.
• BookercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOn-trade partnership with Booker for distribution of Boland Cellar wines to the UK on-trade market.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights9 records

Broad incumbents

• Treasury Wine Estates: Global listed wine company with major brands distributed through UK supermarkets and on-trade (e.g., Blossom Hill, Hardys). Comparable to Kingsland in UK retail wine distribution, but at much larger scale and with fully owned global production rather than contract packing.
• Accolade Wines: One of the largest wine companies in the UK and globally, with a broad portfolio of branded wines across multiple price points. Comparable to Kingsland as a UK wine supplier to major retailers and on-trade, though significantly larger and portfolio-led rather than service-led.
• C&C Group: Listed UK and Ireland drinks group covering cider, beer, wine, and spirits distribution via Tennent's, Bulmers, and Bibendum. Comparable to Kingsland as a multi-category UK drinks distributor with own brands and agency partnerships, though much larger and pub/cider-led.
• Refresco: Global independent beverage contract manufacturer across soft drinks, juices, and alcoholic ready-to-drink formats. Comparable to Kingsland's contract bottling and canning services and RTD/no-low capability, though at materially larger scale and with non-alcoholic beverage focus.

Direct peers

• Halewood International: UK-based independent drinks producer and distributor covering wines, spirits, and RTDs across retail and on-trade. Comparable to Kingsland as a privately owned UK full-service drinks business with own brands, agency partnerships, and international producer relationships.
• Enotria Winecellars: UK premium wine importer and distributor supplying major retailers, on-trade, and independents with a portfolio of agency and own brands. Directly comparable to Kingsland's wholesale and agency-brand distribution model and UK retailer focus.
• Berkmann Wine Cellars: Independent UK wine importer and distributor representing family-owned producers across multiple countries. Comparable to Kingsland in agency-brand distribution and UK on-trade/independent merchant coverage, though more skewed to on-trade.
• John E. Fells & Sons (Fells): UK wine and spirits agent and distributor supplying independent merchants and on-trade with international agency brands. Closely comparable to Kingsland's agency distribution model and independent-merchant customer segment.
• Bibendum (C&C Group): UK wine and spirits distributor owned by C&C Group, supplying on-trade and retail with premium agency brands and own labels. Directly comparable to Kingsland in agency-brand distribution and UK trade focus; Mark Riley joined Kingsland from Bibendum.

Emerging players

• Quintessential Brands: Independent UK-based spirits group producing and distributing branded and private-label spirits across multiple categories. Comparable to Kingsland's spirits and RTD ambitions via Ten Locks and on-site craft spirits capability, particularly in NPD and own-brand spirits.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kingsland-drinks
• Instagraminstagram.com/kingsland_drinks
• Xx.com/kingslanddrinks

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Kingsland Drinks