Distil PLC

Announcement of UK off-trade partnership with Global Brands

Distil plc (AIM: DIS), owner of premium drinks brands RedLeg Spiced Rum, Blackwoods Gin and Vodka, TRØVE Botanical Vodka and Blavod Black Vodka, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Global Brands Ltd ("Global Brands") to supply UK off-trade customers.

Global Brands will be servicing Distil's UK grocery, cash & carry, and convenience customers effective immediately. Utilising its extensive sales network, and proprietary logistics and warehouse capabilities, this new venture offers the opportunity to work closely with a long-standing partner to accelerate brand growth.

Distil's relationship with Marussia Beverages, who service UK on-trade and premium off-trade customers, remains in place.

Don Goulding, Executive Chairman of Distil, said:

"I'm delighted to announce a new partnership with Global Brands to service our UK major grocery and cash & carry customers.

Global Brands has strong relationships with major grocery customers thanks to the national distribution of its own brands - which include VK, Hooch, and Franklin & Sons - in this channel and has demonstrated a keen understanding of Distil's brands and ambitions.

Having worked with its experienced team on our RedLeg ready-to-serve cans with Franklin & Sons since 2019, we are confident that Global Brands is the best partner to support our growth within the UK off-trade.

Distil will remain the drivers of commercial decisions and marketing activity, with Global Brands servicing the customers from a logistics and communications perspective, allowing Distil brands to benefit from the scale of its business in this channel. We look forward to working closely with the Global Brands team going forward on both existing business and new opportunities that this partnership will afford.

Our relationship with Marussia Beverages remains unchanged ensuring continuity of communication and supply to on-trade customers. The team at Marussia is committed to growing Distil brands and it is building on early successes to increase availability of our products at a difficult time for the on-trade. We thank them for their continued support. 

In light of the new partnership, Commercial Director, Alex Baker, who previously led customer communications, will be stepping down from his role at Distil to focus on his consulting business effective from the end of March 2024. I thank Alex for the support that he has given the business during his time with us, and we wish him all the best in his new ventures."

Julian Atkins, Managing Director at Global Brands, commented;

"After a fruitful relationship collaborating on our ready-to-serve 250ml cans, we're really pleased to be working with the team at Distil on the distribution of its brands in the UK off premise. We've long admired the RedLeg brand with its eye-catching logo and great liquid so I'm looking forward further driving its availability, and that of Distil's other brands, for consumers."

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About Distil

Distil Plc is quoted on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. It owns drinks brands in a number of sectors of the alcoholic drinks market. These include premium spiced rum, vodka, gin, vodka vanilla cream liqueur and are called RedLeg Spiced Rum. Blackwoods Vintage Gin, Blackwoods Vodka, TRØVE Botanical Vodkas, Blavod Original Black Vodka and Diva Vodka.

www.distil.uk.com

About Global Brands

Global Brands is the UK's leading independent drinks expert and the creator of a range of great-tasting alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, boasting a brand portfolio of household names such as VK, Frankin & Sons and Hooch.

In 1997, Steve Perez set-up Global Brands, unafraid of the dominance of large brands in the popular ready-to-drink market. After experimenting with vodka and different flavours, Steve spotted a gap in the market for a vodka-based drink. VK was born, with the first bottle going on sale in 1997.strate

Global Brands is now a major independent drinks business that comprises 15 brands for every occasion, from premium tonic waters and soft drinks to spirits, liqueurs and canned cocktails.

Global Brands also expands beyond drinks and in 2010, the four-star Casa Hotel was built and opened, becoming an award-winning hotel and is the home of Global Brands Head Office.