Whitby Distillery

What Whitby Distillery does

Whitby Distillery is a privately held UK craft distillery founded in 2018 by co-founders Jess and Luke Pentith, producing gin, rum, and vodka inspired by the North Yorkshire coastline and moorland landscape. Operations are anchored at a single working distillery on Botany Way in Whitby, supported by a town-centre retail shop on Church Street; a second, larger production and visitor facility — the Abbey Lands Distillery on restored 19th-century barns beside Whitby Abbey — is under construction with a planned Spring 2027 opening. The portfolio spans eight gin expressions, three rums, one vodka, gift sets, and branded merchandise, with international shipping facilitated through a partnership with Master of Malt.

Production is built around a 300L German copper still (named Dora-Grace) and a curated botanical programme featuring sugar kelp sourced from Seagrown (Scarborough), heather from the North York Moors, Yorkshire honey, and other locally foraged ingredients. The flagship Original Edition gin won Best British London Dry Gin at the World Gin Awards 2019, and the company pairs its spirits with charity tie-ins (10% of RNLI Dark Spiced Rum proceeds to the RNLI; £5 per Navy Strength bottle to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Give Seas a Chance campaign). E-commerce runs on Shopify, with mainstream payment integrations and a third-party ticketing platform for tour bookings.

The business model combines direct-to-consumer spirits sales, a tiered Founders Club membership (£55-£999) offering lifetime discounts and exclusive access, £25 guided distillery tours, and Spirits Walkway panel sales (a capital-raising mechanism for the new distillery). Distribution is omnichannel: own e-commerce, two physical shops, a UK stockist network, and Master of Malt international. The company operates with 11-50 employees, serves customers primarily in the UK with growing international reach, and has no disclosed external institutional investment.

Name

Whitby Distillery

Legal name

Whitby Distillery Limited

Website

https://whitbydistillery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Whitby Distillery is a UK craft distillery founded in 2018 producing gin, rum, and vodka from North Yorkshire botanicals. It sells direct-to-consumer through e-commerce, two Whitby shops, guided distillery tours, and a tiered Founders Club membership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532), 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), Mixed Alcohol Specialty Retail (Beer/Wine/Spirits Combined) (CRANABAH)

Keywords

• Craft gin distillery
• Craft spirits production
• Artisan rum vodka
• Distillery tours experiences
• Regional botanical spirits

Headquarters

HQ city

Whitby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Spirits Sales: Direct sales of craft gin, rum, and vodka products through e-commerce and retail locations. Products range from £38-£47 for 70cl bottles, with gift sets from £19-£89.
2. Founders Club Memberships: Tiered membership program offering exclusive benefits including limited edition gins, lifetime discounts (10-15%), unlimited tours, and naming rights. Three tiers: Endeavour (£999), Resolution (£80), Adventure (£55).
3. Distillery Tours: One-hour guided distillery tours at £25 per person, including gin & tonic welcome drink, botanical masterclass, spirit tastings, and complimentary gin glass.
4. Spirits Walkway: Personalized cast iron walkway panels at new Abbey Lands Distillery, priced £125-£500 based on name count, supporting distillery build funding.
5. Merchandise: Branded merchandise including glasses, tote bags, clothing, upcycled bottle products, and handmade soaps.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Whitby Distillery manufactures and sells craft gin, rum, and vodka spirits produced on a 300L German copper still from locally foraged botanicals (sugar kelp, North York Moors heather, Yorkshire honey). The company retails these spirits through its own e-commerce site, two Whitby-based shops, UK stockists, and Master of Malt internationally, alongside offering one-hour guided distillery tours, gift sets, branded merchandise, and a tiered Founders Club membership programme with exclusive releases and lifetime benefits.

Product overview

Whitby Distillery is a craft distillery producing gin, rum, and vodka inspired by the North Yorkshire coastline and moorlands. The core product portfolio centers on eight gin expressions (Original Edition, Prince of Darkness, Real Rhubarb, Wild Old Tom, Demeter, Bramble & Bay, Navy Strength, and Founders' Edition), three rum varieties (Spiced Rum, Dark Spiced Rum RNLI Edition, and Marauder Rum Gothic Cherry Edition), and one vodka expression (Wyrmfyre Edition). The company also offers gift sets (Three Masts, Dark Side Trinity, Rum Voyage, Twin Pack, standard Gift Set), merchandise (t-shirts, tote bags, glasses, upcycled products), and an experiential Founders Club membership program with three tiers providing exclusive access, discounts, and lifetime benefits. The distillery operates physical visitor experiences including one-hour guided tours at Botany Way and a Spirits Walkway installation at the new Abbey Lands Distillery (opening Spring 2027). All products are powered by Shopify e-commerce infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Whitby Gin - Original Edition Award-winning London Dry Gin distilled with sugar kelp, heather from the North York Moors, and Yorkshire honey. Winner of Best British London Dry Gin at World Gin Awards 2019. 42% ABV, 70cl bottle at £41.
• Whitby Gin - Prince of Darkness Oak-aged gin rested in Transylvanian oak casks producing vanilla and caramel notes with cherry, citrus, and honey. Gothic edition inspired by Dracula, crafted for Halloween. 42% ABV, 70cl bottle at £46.
• Whitby Gin - Real Rhubarb Seasonal Yorkshire rhubarb gin crafted with syrup made from forced rhubarb handpicked by candlelight. Naturally pink, 42% ABV, no artificial colour. Collaboration with chef Matt Hunter. 70cl bottle at £43.
• Whitby Gin - Wild Old Tom Edition Victorian-style gin infused with native gorse and gooseberry foraged from coastal headlands and moors, finished with Yorkshire honey. 42% ABV, 70cl bottle at £41.
• Whitby Gin - The Demeter Edition Gothic twist gin inspired by Dracula's stormy arrival in Whitby. Juniper-forward gin layered with plum, warming vanilla, and pink peppercorn. Vegan friendly. 42% ABV, 70cl bottle at £41.
• Whitby Gin - Bramble & Bay Edition British blackberry gin with fragrant bay leaf. Inspired by childhood blackberry hunts, rich, aromatic and wild. 42% ABV, 70cl bottle at £41.
• Whitby Gin - Navy Strength Bold gunpowder-proof version of the award-winning Original Edition at 57% ABV. £5 from every bottle donated to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Give Seas a Chance campaign. 70cl bottle.
• Whitby Gin - Founders' Edition Citrus gin with herbal overtones from thyme and samphire, produced on the Dora-Grace still with succulent oranges creating a bold zesty gin. 42% ABV. Available exclusively to Founders Club members.
• Whitby Dark Spiced Rum - RNLI Edition Bold dark spiced rum distilled with cassia, clove and sea buckthorn, aged in Madeira casks. 10% of every bottle supports RNLI. Partnership concluding. 70cl bottle at £44.
• Whitby Marauder Rum: Gothic Dark Cherry Rum Edition Bold spiced rum aged in oak with cherry and red berry notes. Nod to Whitby's pirate raids and maritime legend. 38% ABV, 70cl bottle at £41.
• Whitby Rum Spiced rum distilled with sea-buckthorn and pepper dulse, rested in Madeira casks. Mellow notes of charred orange, cinnamon, and caramel. 40% ABV, 70cl bottle at £41.
• Whitby Vodka - The Wyrmfyre Edition Vodka distilled with wild heather, sea buckthorn berries, coastal bladderwrack, fresh thyme, lemon verbena and Whitby sea salt. Inspired by the legend of the Whitby Wyrm dragon. 40% ABV, 70cl bottle at £38. Released to mark the distillery's 7th birthday.
• Whitby Distillery Miniatures 5cl miniature bottles of various gin and rum expressions including Original Edition, Bramble & Bay, Wild Old Tom, Demeter, Prince of Darkness, Real Rhubarb, Rum, RNLI Dark Spiced Rum, Marauder Rum, Wyrmfyre Vodka, and Navy Gin. £6 each.
• Whitby Distillery Three Masts Gift Set Gift set containing three 50ml miniature bottles of signature gins: Bramble & Bay Edition, Original Edition, and Wild Old Tom Edition.
• Whitby Gift Set 70cl gift set with any 70cl bottle of choice presented with either Whitby Distillery Branded Tumblers or up-cycled Ammonite Tumblers. Prices range from £63 to £89.
• Whitby Distillery - 70cl Twin Gift Set Gift set containing two 70cl bottles of Whitby Gin in a branded gift box. Customers can select any combination of two bottles from the range.
• Whitby Distillery Dark Side Trinity Set Gothic gift set featuring three 50ml miniature bottles: Demeter Edition Gin, Prince of Darkness Gin, and Marauders Rum. Priced at £19.00.
• Whitby Distillery Rum Voyage Set Rum collection set with three 50ml miniature bottles: Lightly Spiced Rum, RNLI Dark Spiced Rum, and Marauder Rum. Priced at £19.00.
• One Hour Distillery Tour One-hour guided distillery tour at the Botany Way facility. Includes welcome G&T, botanical masterclass, still tour, three spirit tastings, and complimentary Whitby Gin glass. £25 per person, running Thursday-Sunday.
• Founders Club Memberships Exclusive tiered membership program with three tiers: Adventure (£55, members-only events), Resolution (£80, lifetime 10% discount online and in-store), and Endeavour (£999 one-off or 4×£255, lifetime benefits including Founders' Edition Gin, unlimited tours for 2, 15% discount, name on Founders' Wall, 5×70cl Limited Edition bottles, 60×5cl tasting panel bottles). Limited to 365 Endeavour memberships.
• Whitby Distillery Spirits Walkway Personalized cast iron walkway panels for the new Abbey Lands Distillery. Customers can add a name (single £125, two £250, three £375, four £500, family £175; plus £4 for certificate). Walkway installation Spring 2027.
• Whitby Ammonite Tumbler Glass Heavy tumbler glass crafted from upcycled Whitby Gin bottles featuring the iconic ammonite design. Single tumbler priced at £19.50.
• Empty Whitby Gin/Rum Bottle Upcycled empty Whitby Gin or Rum bottle. Available in Original, Bramble and Bay, Demeter, Wild Old Tom, Prince of Darkness (black bottle), and Spiced Rum varieties. Priced at £9.00.
• Whitby Distillery Upcycled Bottle Tealight Handmade tealight candle holder made from recycled Whitby Gin bottles on a custom wood turned base by Welsh craftsman Chris Marshall. Priced at £40.00.
• Whitby Distillery Gothic T-Shirt Black unisex t-shirt inspired by Prince of Darkness gin. Heavy-weight fabric (220gsm) with relaxed fit. Sizes S-4XL. Priced at £22.00.
• Botanical Breeze Natural Handmade Soap Handmade soap crafted with gin botanicals, sandalwood, rosemary, and lemongrass. Made by Cosy Cottage Ltd in Malton, Yorkshire. 120g bar, SLS-free, palm oil-free, cruelty-free. Priced at £7.50.

Quantifiable outcome

• Winner of Best British London Dry Gin at World Gin Awards 2019

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Native ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitectural collaboration for the new Abbey Lands Distillery. Native Architects designed the sustainable distillery blending heritage restoration with modern environmental standards, featuring wildflower green roofs, solar power, and recycled heat systems.
• Master of MaltminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational delivery partner enabling Whitby Distillery products to ship to customers outside the UK. Master of Malt stocks the full Whitby Distillery range for worldwide delivery.
• RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership where 10% of every RNLI Edition Dark Spiced Rum bottle sale supports the lifeboat charity. Featured on Channel 4's Yorkshire by the Sea. Partnership is drawing to a close.
• Yorkshire Wildlife TrustminorStrategic or Co-development Partner£5 from every Navy Strength bottle supports the Give Seas a Chance campaign, helping restore the wild beauty of northern shores.
• Seagrown (Scarborough)minorOthersSupplier of sugar kelp for Whitby Gin Original Edition. Originally foraged from Robin Hood's Bay, now sourced from Seagrown in Scarborough for sustainable coastal ingredients.
• Matt Hunter (Chef)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with chef Matt Hunter on Real Rhubarb gin, using syrup made from forced rhubarb handpicked at Robert Tomlinson's farm.
• Hewitt & Walker Video ProductionminorOthersVideo production company from York that produced Spirits Walkway promotional video for the new distillery.
• Cosy Cottage Ltd (Malton, Yorkshire)minorOthersSupplier of Botanical Breeze Natural Handmade Soap made with gin botanicals, crafted in Malton, Yorkshire.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chase Distillery: UK craft producer of gin and vodka from a single estate, with a strong on-site visitor experience and farm-to-bottle positioning comparable to Whitby's D2C-plus-tours model.
• Warner Edwards Distillery: Family-run English craft gin distillery with multiple botanical expressions, founder-led storytelling, distillery tours, and D2C focus — directly comparable in scale and positioning.
• Masons of Yorkshire: Yorkshire-based craft gin distillery with locally sourced botanicals, distillery tours and a tasting room — closest geographic and product peer, competing for the same regional craft gin customer.
• The Lakes Distillery: English craft distillery producing gin, whisky and vodka with a large-scale visitor centre and tours — comparable multi-category spirits plus tourism-led business model.
• Anno Distillers: Kent-based small-batch gin and spirits producer with quirky locally themed expressions and D2C focus — overlapping craft gin positioning and producer-led branding.
• Tarquin's Cornish Gin (Southwestern Distillery): Founder-led Cornish craft gin distillery producing award-winning small-batch gin with on-site tours and a tasting room — closely mirrors Whitby's craft gin, tourism, and DTC model.
• Isle of Harris Distillery: Boutique island-based Scottish distillery producing award-winning gin with community and sustainability narrative, gift sets, and a flagship visitor centre — directly analogous on craft gin + destination model.
• Eden Mill St Andrews: Scottish craft distillery producing gin, whisky and vodka with a strong tourism-led visitor centre — same combination of multi-category spirits and destination experience as Whitby Distillery.

Broad incumbents

• Sipsmith: Pioneering London craft gin distillery, now under major ownership; serves as a benchmark UK craft gin producer with broader distribution and on-trade presence relevant to Whitby's positioning.

Emerging players

• Forest Distillery (Macbeth's): Small-batch English craft gin producer with locally foraged botanicals and DTC focus — relevant niche comparable around provenance-led craft gin and small-batch storytelling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

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 Whitby Distillery