A POPULAR gin distillery has fulfilled its biggest order to date and forecasts turnover growth of more than 300 per cent.

Batch Brew Limited, in Burnley, received help from Lancashire’s business growth hub, Boost, to successfully apply for a £20,000 Rosebud Micro loan from Lancashire County Council.

The Coal Clough Lane business was recently picked for December’s ‘Gin of the Month’ by the UK’s Craft Gin Club and around 20,000 bottles of is ‘Frankincense and Myrrh’ were shipped to the club’s members throughout the UK.

Claire Plowes, operations manager at the brewery, said: “We pride ourselves on thinking out of the box. 

“When we were approached by the Craft Gin Club to be in their Christmas subscription box we jumped at the chance. 

“We had no idea how big the order would be and what opportunities it would provide.

“We started off distilling gin in the basement of the family home back in 2015 and we have just grown from there. 

“We moved into Habergham Mill at the end of 2016 when we started regularly shipping big orders to Milan and Vienna.

“The ethos at Batch is to be green wherever we can. 

“Given the volume of the gin club order we took the opportunity to design new bottles for our signature gin. 

“The new bottles are easier to pack so we can fit more in a box and they are considerably lighter – all contributing to greener travelling.”

Boost is led by the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership and Lancashire County Council, and supported by funding from the European Regional Development Fund.

Jonathan Nelson, a member of Boost’s Access to Finance team, met with the gin owners in April 2017. 

Mr Nelson said: “I was fascinated by the rapid success of Batch when I first met the team. 

“Batch products are very well known to all the locals in Burnley and it was clear to see the potential that they had for continued growth, including the export market.

“The Craft Gin Club order was almost 80 times bigger than any order Batch had done previously. 

“It was a mammoth task for the team to take on and as with many orders, payment is received after delivery. 

“Creating an order so much bigger than usual meant the team needed an injection of capital to fund ingredients, equipment and labour.”

The distillery’s gins are sold across East Lancashire, including Whalley Wine Shop and the large supermarket chain, Booths, as well as several bars and restaurants across the county.

It has already gained regional and international recognition after winning the Silver Medal Award at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Head distiller at Batch, Ollie Sanderson, said: “Seeking Boost support has opened up so many doors for Batch and securing the loan has allowed us to share our message and our passion for flavours and innovation with the nation. 

“The loan from Rosebud and the contract with Craft Gin Club has put us in a great position.

“We are heading into 2018 with lots of plans. 

“We are launching our newest range ‘Batch innovations’ in January, which lets subscribers taste a different flavour of spirit each month. 

“This is what we truly love doing, experimenting with spirits and flavours, offering our customers something that they won’t get anywhere else.”

In addition to receiving financial support from Boost is helping the business with mentoring sessions in marketing, human resources and finance.