Bullards Gin

What Bullards Gin does

Bullards Spirits is a Norwich-based craft gin distillery founded in 2015 by Russell Evans in partnership with John Bullard, great-great-grandson of original 1837 brewery founder Richard Bullard. The company produces a portfolio of handcrafted premium gins — London Dry, Strawberry & Black Pepper, Old Tom, Coastal, and seasonal Summer Pudding — plus a Blood Orange Spiced Rum (Nelsons Blood) and ready-to-drink cocktail pouches. Production uses small-batch copper pot and 400L copper column still distillation at the Crystal House distillery in Norwich, with capacity scaled to 3,500 bottles per week by 2018. Distinctive botanical profiles — including South American tonka bean, hand-foraged Norfolk coastal herbs (sea purslane, marsh samphire, sea aster, Douglas fir), and 100kg fresh strawberry infusions per batch — have won multiple international awards including World's Best London Dry Gin (World Drink Awards 2017) and Distillery of the Year (Global Gin Guide 2019).

Revenue is generated through a hybrid DTC and physical-retail stack: direct-to-consumer e-commerce (bullardsspirits.co.uk), the Bullards Gin Club subscription (monthly/bi-monthly/quarterly delivery via Bottle for Life + Eco-Refill Pouches), flagship experiential retail at Norwich and the May 2022 Covent Garden store, a Jarrold Department Store concession, and trade/wholesale supply to independent farm shops and hospitality venues across East Anglia. Standard 70cl bottles retail at £45, refill pouches at £40, and subscription refills at £36; cocktail pouches and barware are priced separately. The UK-only shipping policy constrains geographic reach. The legal operating entity is Spirits Wholesale Ltd (incorporated 2022), with website operations under Tipsy Anchor Online Ltd.

The business is privately held by the Bullard family and founder Russell Evans, with no disclosed institutional funding and no public revenue figures. Core differentiation rests on heritage branding (180+ years via The Spirit of Norwich and Tipsy Anchor trademarks), award-validated product quality, and an award-winning sustainability program (Bottle for Life + Eco-Refill Pouches, 2020 Eco Pouch Project Award) that creates a circular refill revenue stream and material switching costs for subscribers. Customer segments include premium gin consumers, gift buyers, and a regional trade/hospitality channel across East Anglia.

Name

Bullards Gin

Legal name

Spirits Wholesale Ltd

Website

https://bullardsspirits.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bullards Spirits is a privately held Norwich craft gin distillery founded in 2015 by Russell Evans and the Bullard family, producing award-winning small-batch gins, spiced rum, and ready-to-drink cocktails distributed via UK-only DTC e-commerce, subscription, flagship tasting rooms, and East Anglia wholesale.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Gin Distillery

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Distilleries (31214), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320), 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 Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAD), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF)

Keywords

• Craft gin distillery
• Handcrafted premium spirits
• Sustainable spirit packaging
• Direct-to-consumer gin
• Gin subscription service

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Bullards sells gin directly to consumers through their e-commerce website, offering bottles, eco-refill pouches, subscriptions, and accessories with secure payment via PayPal, Credit Card, Apple Pay & Google Pay.
2. Subscription Service (Bullards Gin Club): Monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly deliveries of gin in Bottle for Life or eco-refill pouches. First delivery includes full 70cl bottle; subsequent deliveries in eco-refill pouches at discounted rate.
3. Retail Concession Sales: Sales through Jarrold Department Store concession and flagship stores in Norwich and Covent Garden where customers can purchase bottles, taste products, and receive guidance from brand ambassadors.
4. Trade/Wholesale: Bullards supplies spirits to independent farm shops, retailers around East Anglia, and hospitality venues across the region who stock Bullards on their back bars.
5. Cocktail Pouch Products: Pre-mixed cocktail pouches (Strawberry Clover Club, Coastal Negroni, Nelson's Bloody Storm) sold as ready-to-serve products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bullards Spirits distills and sells premium, small-batch handcrafted gin and rum at a Norwich distillery using a 400L copper column still. The company markets its gin styles direct-to-consumer via an owned e-commerce site, a subscription Gin Club, ready-to-drink cocktail pouches, and Eco-Refill Pouches, complemented by Gin Shop & Tasting Rooms and a Covent Garden flagship store. Distinctive recipes include South American Tonka bean, hand-foraged Norfolk coastal botanicals, and a 100kg-per-batch fresh strawberry infusion.

Product overview

Bullards Spirits is a Norwich-based gin distillery offering a portfolio of handcrafted gins and spirits through direct-to-consumer e-commerce and experiential retail. The core product line includes five signature gin styles (London Dry Gin, Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin, Old Tom Gin, Coastal Gin, and seasonal Summer Pudding Gin) plus special edition Pineapple, Ginger & Lime Gin and a Blood Orange Spiced Rum. The company differentiates through sustainability innovations including the award-winning Eco-Refill Pouch system and Bottle for Life reusable glass bottles. Additional offerings include ready-to-drink cocktail pouches, spirit subscriptions with flexible delivery frequencies, mixology recipe collections, barware accessories, and experiential Gin Shop & Tasting Rooms in Norwich and London. Products are sold direct via bullardsspirits.co.uk with same-day dispatch and free tastings at retail locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Spirit of Norwich: Trademark brand identity representing the company's Norwich heritage and local production
• Tipsy Anchor

Products and services

• London Dry Gin Flagship 42.5% ABV gin uniquely distilled with South American Tonka beans for notes of vanilla, marzipan, and citrus. Awarded World's Best London Dry Gin in 2017. Available in 70cl bottles and Eco-Refill Pouches.
• Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin 40% ABV contemporary fruity gin infused with approximately 100kg of fresh Norfolk strawberries per distillation with warming black pepper finish; produces approximately 550 bottles per batch.
• Old Tom Gin 42.5% ABV traditional slightly sweet style of gin distilled with Norfolk honey, fresh mango, pink pepper, vanilla pods, cassia, black pepper, and demerara sugar for a light golden hue.
• Coastal Gin 40% ABV gin featuring hand-foraged sea purslane, marsh samphire, sea aster, and Douglas fir pine sourced from the Norfolk coastline with delicate, salty influence and bright citrus notes.
• Summer Pudding Gin Seasonal special edition gin crafted with ripe raspberries, blackberries, redcurrants, and blackcurrants, infused with vanilla, spice, and sliced white bread in distillation for a cake-like British summer pudding flavour. Priced at £45 per 70cl.
• Pineapple, Ginger & Lime Gin Flavoured gin combining juicy roasted pineapple with feisty ginger warmth and bright lime leaf; created alongside the May 2022 Covent Garden flagship opening with Double Dutch Mixers and available in Eco-Refill Pouches.
• Nelsons Blood® Blood Orange Spiced Rum Spiced rum tribute to Norfolk's seafaring heritage blending vibrant blood orange zestiness with rich tonka bean depth; for sipping straight, mixing in cocktails, or serving with ginger beer.
• Coastal Negroni (Cocktail Pouch) Ready-to-drink Negroni cocktail pouch combining Bullards Coastal Gin with sweet vermouth from Chet Valley Vineyard grapes infused with wormwood and sweet flag; 70cl pouch of 7 x 100ml serves at 20% ABV.
• Strawberry Clover Club (Cocktail Pouch) Ready-to-drink Strawberry Clover Club cocktail featuring Bullards Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin, strawberry liqueur, fresh lemon, and sugar cane for a bright fruity serve with peppery lift.
• Nelson's Bloody Storm (Cocktail Pouch) Ready-to-drink Dark 'n' Stormy variation featuring Bullards Nelson's Blood Orange Spiced Rum with fiery ginger and lime; bold, warming serve full of character.
• Eco-Refill Pouch Sugarcane-based refill pouch for topping up the Bottle for Life; letterbox-friendly via Royal Mail, £40 per pouch (save £5 vs bottle), recyclable through Terracycle orkerbside soft-plastic recycling.
• Bottle for Life Reusable glass bottle design inspired by the Bullards chimney that dominated the Norwich skyline; embossed to enable rinsing and refilling. Starter Pack (£80) includes filled 70cl pouch, filled 70cl Bottle for Life, and copper pourer.
• Bullards Gin Club Subscription Subscription service delivering premium spirits to customers' doors; first delivery full 70cl bottle in Bottle for Life (£45), subsequent Eco-Refill Pouches at £36 (save £4), with monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly frequency for London Dry, Strawberry & Black Pepper, Old Tom, Coastal, and Summer Pudding gins.
• The Classic Gin Collection Gift bundle of first four Bullards gins (London Dry, Strawberry & Black Pepper, Old Tom, Coastal; 70cl each at 40-42.5% ABV); priced at £150 (save £30 vs £180 individual).
• Gin Shop & Tasting Rooms Experiential retail locations offering free tastings with Brand Ambassadors, Bottles for Life, Eco-Refill Pouches, glassware, barware, and gifting; locations include Jarrold Department Store Norwich (Thursday–Saturday, 12pm–4pm) and the flagship Covent Garden store in partnership with Double Dutch Mixers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Awarded World's Best London Dry Gin 2017
• +3 more outcomes

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

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TerracyclecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Terracycle who divert tonnes of plastic from landfill each month. They recycle Bullards Eco-Refill Pouches on behalf of the company. Customers return empty pouches via Royal Mail postbox (no stamp needed) and they are forwarded to Terracycle for responsible recycling.
• Flexi-HexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable packaging supplier providing 100% plastic-free, recyclable paper packaging. Honeycomb sleeves and pinch-top boxes made from over 85% recycled paper pulp, kerbside recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable within 6-8 weeks. Flexi-Hex is B Corp Certified, Planet Mark Certified, and carbon neutral.
• Jarrold Department StorecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail concession at Jarrold Department Store in Norwich, Lower Ground Floor. Offers full Bullards product range including Bottles for Life, Eco-Refill Pouches, glassware, barware, merchandise. Provides free tastings with brand ambassadors. Open Thursday-Saturday 12pm-4pm.
• Double Dutch MixerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative at Covent Garden flagship store. Double Dutch Mixers partnership offers visitors exciting gin-based experiences and allows sampling of Bullards spirits alongside Double Dutch mixer products.
• Bond (Norwich)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with Bond Norwich to create a signature Norfolk Day cocktail celebrating the county. Bond created special recipes using Bullards Coastal Gin to encapsulate the spirit of Norfolk.
• Chet Valley VineyardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of sweet vermouth for Coastal Negroni cocktail pouch. Vermouth made from Chet Valley Vineyard grapes infused with wormwood and sweet flag.
• Royal MailcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partner for Eco-Refill Pouches using existing Royal Mail delivery routes. Customers send empty pouches back via any Royal Mail postbox with no stamp or envelope required, reducing CO2 production through shared infrastructure.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sipsmith: London-based craft gin distillery and a near-textbook comparable for Bullards: small-batch copper pot distillation, premium £40+ pricing, D2C + trade model, and a recognized premium craft brand in the UK.
• Edinburgh Gin: Scotland-based craft gin producer with a strong regional-identity brand, tasting-room retail, and flavoured gin range (raspberry, rhubarb, etc.). Strongest peer analogue for Bullards' Coastal and Strawberry & Black Pepper style SKUs.
• East London Liquor Company: East London craft distillery producing gin, whisky, and rum with a flagship distillery bar and D2C e-commerce. Highly comparable operating model to Bullards at a similar scale.
• Chase Distillery: Single-site UK craft distillery producing premium gin and vodka from estate-grown potatoes. Comparable to Bullards on family/private ownership, on-site experiential retail, and farmer-distiller narrative.
• The Botanist (Bruichladdich Distillery): Premium craft gin defined by terroir-led botanical sourcing (Islay foraged herbs). Direct peer to Bullards' Coastal Gin's hand-foraged coastal botanical positioning.
• Warner's Gin (Warner Edwards Distillery): UK craft gin distillery focused on farm-grown and foraged botanicals with a premium D2C proposition. Closely comparable to Bullards on heritage-led storytelling, botanical differentiation, and gift-driven revenue.
• Williams & Humbert (Canasta/Verso) / Whitby Distillery (Proxy): Comparable UK/European craft spirit houses that combine gin-led portfolios with rum extensions, retail tasting rooms, and B2C e-commerce.

Broad incumbents

• Bombay Sapphire: Global premium gin brand owned by Diageo with a flagship distillery visitor centre. Represents the scaled incumbent model that Bullards' experiential retail and Heritage branding must differentiate against.
• Hendrick's Gin: Global super-premium craft gin (William Grant & Sons) defined by unusual botanical recipes and apothecary branding. Anchors the upper end of the craft-gin retail tier that Bullards competes within.
• Tanqueray: Mass-premium global gin incumbent. Defines the price/quality benchmark Bullards is benchmarked against in UK trade listings and on-premise menus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/bullardsgin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bullardsspirits

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Bullards Gin