A deal with supermarket giant Asda has boosted a North East leisure company’s switch towards brewing and distilling.
Sunderland’s Poetic License Distillery struck a deal with supermarket giant Asda to stock one its fruity spirits in the run-up to Mother’s Day.
The firm, based at Roker Hotel, secured the seasonal listing with Asda which led to its Strawberries and Cream Gin being stocked in 191 of the supermarket chain’s stores.
The deal came as Poetic Licence’s parent firm, Tavistock Group, signalled a recent change in strategy, putting two of its pubs up for sale after deciding to focus on its fast-growing gin distillery business and brewery operation.
The group has decided to sell the New Plough in Burnopfield and the Lambton Worm in Chester-le-Street, after managing director Mark Hird saw gin distillery and brew business Sonnet 43 emerge as leading lights in the group.
He said: “We are delighted to be working with Asda who are currently the only major retailer that are stocking us nationally.
“This achievement really demonstrates a demand for unique and high-quality spirits not to mention a sense of adventure when it comes to trying new flavours. Asda seek quality and provenance within their spirits range and we recognised these qualities in abundance within our own portfolio.”
Francesca Lister, buying assistant at Asda said: “The love of artisan spirits continues to grow in the UK and its clear customers are not just looking for more premium spirits, they’re also really keen to experiment with new flavour combinations.
“There’s a sense of pride when something is created locally, and customers want to support the success of homegrown businesses.”
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Nationally, new figures show that gin sales have seen a “staggering” boost to reach a record 73m bottles last year, figures show.
Sales broke £2bn in 2018 - almost doubling in two years, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) annual market report.
Previously unpublished figures show that sales of gin in the first quarter of the last two years peaked in March in the run up to Mothering Sunday, suggesting it is a popular gift for women.
WSTA chief executive Miles Beale said: “The truly staggering rise in gin sales shows that British gin is gaining more and more fans by the day. And we fully expect to see sales rise again in March this year, just as they did last year.”
