AN award-winning distillery has collapsed into administration after suddenly shutting down its bar earlier this year.
The UK gin brand has faced a “perfect storm” of rising costs and taxes.
The owners of The Spirit of Manchester Distillery had to shut down their bar, located within arches beneath Manchester Central, back in August.
Owners Jen & Seb Heeley-Wiggins cited the rising costs of running a business, taxes and cost of living crisis as the reason behind the closure.
They recently shared an update that the 5,300 sq ft distillery, which pumped out 4million bottles a year, had to close down as well.
In a Linkedin post, they wrote: “You may have seen our heartbreaking news online and on social media about the closure of our premises in the city.
“Covid dramatically changed the whole landscape for everybody, but more recently and especially over the last 2 years, operating a hospitality business has become increasingly difficult with rising costs, taxes, and pressure on customer spending.
“It really has been a perfect storm and although we have fought our hardest to weather it, the joy and excitement that once defined hospitality have been harder to find.
“The reality is we has no choice but to close the doors of both our customer facing operation on Watson Street and also our production site in Trafford Park in August.
“It’s taken a while for us to accept it, and to be able to say it out loud, but the whole business went into administration. We lost the site we’d invested everything we had into (both in terms of cash and love), we lost the incredible team we’d worked with for so long, and we lost a little part of our identity.
“While it’s the end of Watson street, our new reality starts now with just the two of us, just as we started (plus DeeDee our distillery dog) and we will always stand by the promise of Manchester Gin being made in Manchester.
“One Point Six English Whisky will also continue to be made by us, and these brand will be our focus over the coming months.”
The Spirit of Manchester Distillery is not only known for making Manchester Gin, but also Manchester Spirit Vodka, One-Eyed Rebel Spiced Rum and Forty-Five Vermouth amongst other things.
The firm started in the couple’s dining room before expanding to a small industrial place in Manchester in 2018.
In 2019, they moved to a bigger space and launched a cocktail bar, gin school and a restaurant serving cuisine inspired by the botanicals used in Manchester Gin.
Customers can get updates on its whisky club membership, the status of items made at the gin school, and how to obtain refunds for vouchers on its recently updated FAQ website.
