Manchester-based The Spirit of Manchester Distillery is seeking a £3m investment as it prepares for the development of a new Super Distillery for its new whisky line.

The drinks company, which reported a seven-figure turnover for 2021, is finalising plans to develop a new 15,000 square-foot whisky distillery and visitor attraction on the outskirts of Greater Manchester, with co-founder Jen Heeley-Wiggins describing the development as a ‘pivotal moment’ for the business.

Founded in 2016, the company’s current £1 million state-of-the-art distillery in Watson Street, Manchester, is capable of producing over a million bottles a year of its award-winning spirits, which include One-Eyed Rebel Spiced Rum, Forty-Five Vermouth and Manchester Gin.

The development coincides with the Distillery’s portfolio diversification as it becomes the 41st English whisky distillery in the UK with the launch of its OnePointSix English Whisky, casked this July.

As the company’s biggest product investment since it was founded in 2016, the move complements wider sector forecasts where spirit volume produced by English distilleries is predicted to grow 189 per cent between 2019 and 2023, while the number of bottles sold is predicted to grow by 418% over the same period.

The new distillery, which will be developed over the next three years, will aid the production of 500,000 bottles of OnePointSix whisky per year, and will significantly aid UK and international distribution increasing revenues by a forecasted 300%.

The Distillery will also launch a Founders Club membership scheme and investment opportunities to allow private individual investors interested in the collectibles market to invest in full or quarter whisky casks.

Heeley-Wiggins said:

“We are seeking investors who share our passion for the English premium spirits market, and who can help us unlock the potential of the brand equity we have developed over the past six years.

“Our portfolio is one of the most awarded in the UK premium spirits sector, and combined with our clear exporting successes, we have developed a strong and viable business model which is ripe for expansion.

“This is a pivotal moment in our business history and I am confident that, at this stage of our journey, now is the right time to bring outside investor expertise on board. We will carefully consider the options we currently have on the table, and those which come to us over this critical next quarter.”

The portfolio expansion marks an accelerated period of growth for the Distillery. Earlier this year, the company announced a 200% increase in export sales for 2022, having signed new partnership deals in South America and across Northern Europe for its Manchester Gin range.