Downton Distillery is a premium spirits company that blends the rich heritage of traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation. Established in 2019, the distillery is nestled in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside, UK, near the famous Downton Manor House. Known for producing high-quality artisanal gin, the company has gained attention for its commitment to sustainability, local sourcing, and unique botanical blends. This case study explores Downton Distillery’s journey, its market positioning, and the factors contributing to its success.
Background and History
Founding and Vision
Downton Distillery was founded by Hugh Anderson, who had a deep passion for spirits and a vision to create a premium distillery that embraced local heritage and sustainability. Inspired by the historical surroundings of Downton Manor House and its close proximity to Salisbury Plain, Anderson aimed to develop a brand that echoed the spirit of adventure and discovery.
From the start, the company’s ethos was built around quality and sustainability, focusing on handcrafting small batches of spirits with ingredients sourced from local suppliers. This ensured that every bottle was unique, with an emphasis on artisanal methods and authentic flavors.
Initial Product Offering: Explorer’s Gin
The company’s flagship product is Explorer’s Gin, a London Dry-style gin that quickly gained recognition for its smooth flavor profile and complex botanical composition. It is infused with 11 botanicals, including juniper, coriander, angelica, and hand-foraged ingredients such as gorse and bay leaves from the surrounding countryside. The gin is named in tribute to the historic explorers of the 18th and 19th centuries, tying the brand to themes of exploration and discovery.
Handcrafted to perfection
Downton Distillery operates in the premium spirits segment, specifically focusing on the craft gin market, which has seen significant growth in the UK over the past decade. Unlike mass-produced gins, the distillery emphasizes small-batch production, handcrafted processes, and unique local ingredients. This premium positioning allows the company to charge higher prices compared to mainstream competitors, appealing to a discerning customer base that values exclusivity and quality.
Great Bustard Gin
Downton Distillery partnered with the Great Bustard Group to create 'Great Bustard Gin,' earlier this year. The gin won gold earlier this year at the 'Taste of the West Awards', but also won 'Best Contemporary Gin' at the recent 2024 Gin Guide Awards - the largest independent spirits competition in the world.
Sustainability & refill pouches
Refill packs present the single biggest opportunity to significantly reduce waste packaging and its overall carbon footprint. Research is from LCA Centre says that buying a refill instead of a complete product saves on the following footprints:
70% CO2
65% energy
45% water.
Downton distillery looked at their Explorer's bottle footprint and the refill footprint and for them, there was a 96.57% reduction in their footprint due to this.
In 2024 Downton Distillery launched their Great Bustard Gin refill pouches with the help of Poucher. These are made using bio-based materials from sugar cane. These eco-packs are all being reused / upcycled within the on-trade loop, meaning there is now zero waste! Any plastics that Downton receive from their suppliers and cardboard are recycled using ‘Waste Management Wiltshire.’ Further enforcing this, Downton have a Freepost return service. This means that customers can send their refill packs and boxes back to the distillery themselves for reuse or for us to recycle.
Comentarios