Cotswolds Distillery brings in new CEO as part of expansion

The Cotswolds Distillery has announced the appointment of Jeremy Parsons as its new chief executive.

Parsons will take up the role effective from June 2022 and will be working alongside the distillery management team as they continue to scale the distillery operations and build the Cotswolds Distillery brand, both in the UK and internationally.

The appointment is part of the significant expansion plans at the distillery, announced earlier this year.

Founder and current chief executive Daniel Szor will take up the new role of executive chairman and remain involved with the running of the business on a day-to-day basis.

Szor said: “As we continue to grow and scale our operations, Jeremy’s industry experience and management skills will be invaluable, as will his brand-building and brand management talents.

“My new role as executive chairman will remain full-time and, in many ways, will be much the same as my role over the past years; focusing on long-term strategy, helping develop our range of spirits, our physical site and visitor offering, talking to customers and investors alike and showing them around our beautiful distillery.”

Parsons has over 30 years’ experience in the wine and spirits industry, having held senior positions at Constellation Brands and Diageo among others. He managed and grew the premium spirits business of Berry Bros. & Rudd for over 10 years which included famous brands such as Cutty Sark Whisky, Glenrothes Single Malt and Berry’s No. 3 Gin.

Most recently, he has been chief operating officer of Beamish International, the Edinburgh-based global private office specialising in the sale of ultra-premium single cask whisky where he helped take the business’ turnover from £6m to £15m over three years. He will continue as a non-executive director at Beamish.

Parsons said: “I am very much looking forward to joining the Cotswold team at this exciting time for the business as it builds its distribution footprint in the UK and in key export markets around the world, as well as scaling up the production of its award-winning range of premium spirits.”

“Having spent the last three years working in the ultra-rare whisky sector building the structure and sustainability of a now leading advisory firm, it was a good time to take on a new challenge and to join Dan at the Cotswolds Distillery – a company I have much admired for a long time.”

The Cotswolds Distillery recently announced significant expansion in the production of its single malt whisky at its site near Shipston on Stour in the North Cotswolds. The expansion, which includes a new dedicated distillery for its whisky, will see the distillery become the largest producer of English whisky at an eventual 500,000 litres of pure alcohol per year. The distillery will be commissioned over the Summer of 2022.

The Cotswolds Distillery achieved sales growth of 30 per cent in volume and 35 per cent in value in 2021 versus 2020, thanks to significant growth in the off-trade, key international markets and online sales. Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky grew 122 per cent in the off-trade year on year.