The North Yorkshire whisky with global aspirations

Distillery plans to consolidate Filey Bay’s position on the world whisky map

bottle whisky production.

Named after the beach that is visible from the distillery’s Pot Still Coffee Shop, Filey Bay Single Malt Whisky isn’t just made in Yorkshire, it’s made of Yorkshire.

The distillery was founded in 2012 by friends Tom Mellor (third-generation arable farmer) and David Thompson (agronomist and marketer), with the first distillations in 2016 and the first single malt whisky being released in 2019.

The pair built the distillery from the ground up and, instead of recruiting time-served distillers, they learned their craft from renowned whisky expert Dr Jim Swan so that they could impart their own character and ideas into the spirit.

“Our capacity gives us the potential to be one of the largest whisky producers in England and sales to date have given us a solid foundation for future success.

The distillery prides itself on

By using a four-plate rectifying column (something not permitted by the Scotch Whisky Association) alongside the conventional pot still, they can create two distillate styles that lead to a unique flavour profile. No-one else in the UK is distilling like this.

Filey Bay is the first, and currently only, fully-matured and bottled whisky in Yorkshire. It is sold in specialist retailers throughout the UK and in 12 export markets, including the US, Canada, France, China and Italy.

The cornerstone of the Filey Bay range is Flagship. Made from a combination of both distillate styles that are matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks from Kentucky, it is light, creamy and fruity.

The distillery’s aim is that Flagship creates a recognisable Filey Bay style of whisky that has complexity and nuance for experienced palates but is also accessible for those new to whisky.

Flagship is complemented by several ‘finished’ Filey Bay whiskies that start life in ex-Bourbon casks but are then ‘finished’ for 6-9 months in other cask types and include Filey Bay Moscatel Finish and Filey Bay STR Finish.

In addition, the distillery bottles a range of rare small-batch marriages and Single Cask whiskies, including the annual Filey Bay Yorkshire Day release. Recent launches include Filey Bay Port Finish Batch #1 and Filey Bay Sherry Cask Reserve #3.

Spirit of Yorkshire fills around 600 casks each year and only bottles 20% of what’s of age in the warehouse to ensure there’s plenty of whisky ageing for future releases.

In 2023, the distillery plans to release more Special Release whiskies, reintroduce the popular Distillery

Sessions live music events and maintain its presence at domestic and international whisky festivals to consolidate Filey Bay’s position on the world whisky map.

“From Year One turnover of £38,500 in 2016, to 2022 sales of £2,172,000, and forecasted sales of £7.8m in 2024, we’re extremely proud that our beautiful home on the Yorkshire Coast is coming to be known and respected worldwide for its single malt whisky,” said co-founder David Thompson.

Both co-founders have agricultural backgrounds and are passionate about being at the forefront of sustainable production, in distilling, brewing and farming.

They farm regeneratively and progressively - all barley is now direct drilled on the Mellor farm at Hunmanby Grange using cover crops through the winter too to aid soil health and capture carbon. Hunmanby Grange was the first farm in the UK to be actually paid for carbon capture.