company overview
mill house distillery Welcome to the Business Owners Magazine quick interview – conducted in a very socially distanced fashion! Here we try and get an insight into a company leader and their industry to find out what makes them tick and how their challenges and lessons could help you in your business. - Name
John Cook
- Company
Mill House Distillery
- Position
Founder and Head Distiller
- Industry
Spirits manufacturing and retail
What does your company do? We are a Premium Gin Distillery sited in Cottingham East Yorkshire working from what could arguably be described as one of the oldest commercial sites in the UK today – registered in the Domesday Book as South Mill, the location has taken many forms over the years – More recently (well from 1752) in the manufacture of snuff from tobacco which is where the building known today as Snuff Mill House takes its name. Today we are proud to continue the manufacturing heritage of this little corner in crafting premium gins and liqueurs.
What changes or challenges do you foresee for your company in the next three years? The challenge we face is getting our gins and liqueurs into the hands of consumers and key retail decision makers in what is an increasingly saturated market. Buyers even turn the phrase Gin Drunk as they are faced with a plethora of craft products. Sadly, the pandemic will “thin out” some of the noise in the craft gin landscape as distillers begin to fall by the wayside – they already are. That said, with less pubs, bars and restaurants available to sell gin by the glass the battleground is now firmly in off trade and retail by the bottle. Are you optimistic, realistic or pessimistic about 2021? I would have to say realistic – not to sit on the fence mind. The licensed industry is in a tremendous state of flux and it’s those suppliers who are best equipped to adapt and respond to a changing market that will thrive – I would go as far as to say this won’t be the current big players who will survive for sure but have too much traditional
