Eight years ago, Luke Pentith and Jess Slater were making 30 bottles at a time in a tiny utility room.

Today, they are inviting people to be part of the next chapter.

Whitby Distillery has opened pre-registration for a new £200,000 crowdfunding round on Seedrs, which will help complete the final stage of its new distillery beside Whitby Abbey, which is scheduled to open in April next year.

The Distillery is holding an information evening on Tuesday 7 April at 7pm, which can be attended either in person at the distillery at 8 Botany Way in Whitby or online with the pre-registration link https://europe.republic.com/Whitby-distillery1/coming-soon

The evening will include an update on the new distillery, plans for a new whisky, business performance, investor rewards and the details of the new crowdfunding round.

The funding will be used to create the visitor experience at the new site: a tasting bar, retail space and immersive distillery tours, turning the historic Abbey Lands site into a year-round destination for Whitby.

It will also allow Whitby Distillery to begin something Luke and Jess have dreamed about for years: creating their first whisky.

Made in partnership with Whitby Brewery, the whisky will be a truly small-batch, organic English whisky shaped by the place it comes from. Distilled from local wash, matured beside the coast and influenced by the moorland, salt air and sea, it will be non-chill filtered and unmistakably Whitby.

The new raise follows Whitby Distillery’s last crowdfunding campaign, which hit its target in 4 hours and welcomed over 650 investors into the business.

While the last round helped fund the construction of the new distillery, this raise is about bringing it to life: completing the visitor experience, opening the doors and beginning production of Whitby Distillery’s first whisky.

Luke Pentith, Co-Founder of Whitby Distillery, said: “When we started Whitby Distillery, we never imagined any of this. We just wanted to create something people could take home after making memories in Whitby and support the local community.

“Eight years later, we’re building a distillery beside the Abbey, growing our team and preparing to make our first whisky. It still feels a bit surreal. This raise is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about creating a place people can visit, spend time in and feel part of. Somewhere that feels properly rooted in Whitby.”

Founded in 2017, Whitby Distillery has grown from those first 30 bottles into one of the UK’s leading independent distilleries.

Since the launch, the business has:
● Sold more than 390,000 bottles

Built a community of over 18,000 direct customers

Grown 40% over the past two years

Been named Best in Britain at the World Gin Awards (2019)

Become the highest-rated distillery in the UK on Trustpilot

The new distillery is being built on Abbey Lands Farm, beside Whitby Abbey, under The new distillery is being built on Abbey Lands Farm, beside Whitby Abbey, under a 100-year lease. Once complete, it is expected to welcome more than 30,000 visitors a year.

The project is designed to tap into North Yorkshire’s growing visitor economy. More than 9 million people visit the North York Moors each year, yet there are still very few all-weather visitor attractions that encourage people to stay longer and return.

Jess Slater, Co-Founder of Whitby Distillery, said:
“After our last campaign, so many people got in touch to say they felt like they had missed out and some people wished they’d bought more shares. We heard from customers, tour guests and local people who wanted to be part of what we were building.

This time, we wanted to give them that opportunity. We’re creating more than a distillery. We’re creating something for Whitby: a place that celebrates this town, brings more people here and gives them a reason to come back.”

Investors in the new round will receive ordinary dividend-bearing shares in Whitby Distillery. The investment is expected to qualify for EIS tax relief, giving eligible UK investors up to 30% income tax relief, alongside potential capital gains benefits.

As well as owning a stake in the business, investors will also receive a range of rewards depending on the amount invested, including exclusive tours, events, discounts and special experiences at the new distillery.