The loss of its founder has placed one of England’s top distilleries on sale. Nelson’s Distillery & School has entered administrative management following the passing of its founder this March 2025.
Neil Harrison, a world-renowned chef, passed away suddenly this March, raising questions about the distillery and school continuity. According to the folks close to the business, the distillery experienced operational disruption, which prompted a formal review. Martin Williamson, a licensed insolvency practitioner at IPD, was subsequently appointed as administrator on 9 July.
Williamson noted that the timing was great for acquiring an established whisky business.
“This is a rare opportunity to acquire a well-loved, award-winning British spirits brand with growth potential,” said Williamson. “Despite recent setbacks, the core offer remains strong due to its production infrastructure and unique gin recipes to its customer base and tourism accolades.”
Nelson’s Distillery & School Now Up for Sale
In 2016, then professional chef, Neil Harrison, founded the distillery and school in a bid to enhance the local community. Soon, it became famous for its London Dry No.7 gin and Signature Blend Rum. “It was also the ‘first’ gin brand to use timur pepper from Nepal as a key botanical.”
But there is a lot more to Nelson’s Distillery. The brand was the main contributor of bars and restaurants of gins and specially flavored rums. Its clientele includes Michel Roux, Le Gavroche, and Matt Tebbutt.
The Spirit Business also reported that the school found growing success with the population. “As well as the distillery, the Staffordshire-based business includes a 14-station Gin School. The school offered five-hour guided classes, where participants could learn about more than 60 botanicals before creating their own spirit. Other options included a two-hour tasting lesson. Bookings are currently paused.”
Niel Harrison sadly passed away in March, leaving an open path for any brave investor to continue.
