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Spirits High As Sir Paul Beresford Mp Visits Silent Pool Distillers

16th May 2022
  • Local MP Sir Paul Beresford visited distillery Silent Pool Distillers, with the view of championing the cause of the UK Spirits Alliance.
  • Distilleries such as Silent Pool Distillers are currently unfairly taxed under the Government’s current tax system.
  • The UK Spirits Alliance are seeking to ensure the Government implements a fair duty regime for UK spirits producers, following the closure of the Treasury’s consultation into the Alcohol Duty Review on 30 January 2022.

May 13, 2022 – Sir Paul Beresford MP was getting in the spirit on Friday 6th May at a visit to Silent Pool Distillers to see the distillery premises in Albury.

Silent Pool Distillers were founded in 2014 by Ian McCulloch and James Shelbourne. The two originally met in a local pub and discussed the idea of setting up a small, local distillery. They took their inspiration from Scottish whisky distilleries and started out with a grand vision of making a truly sustainable distillery next to a fresh water source, producing handcrafted, artisan spirits, using locally sourced ingredients.

Sophie Best, Operations Director at Silent Pool Distillers, was keen to win the support of Sir Paul Beresford MP for the UK Spirits Alliance’s campaign to back spirits producers like Silent Pool Distillers in Westminster. The campaign seeks to ensure the Government implement a fair duty regime for UK spirits producers, following the closure of the Treasury’s consultation into the Alcohol Duty Review on 30th January 2022. Initially launched by the Chancellor at the autumn 2021 Budget, the Review aims to simplify a complex tax system. The Treasury are currently reviewing industry responses to the consultation.

Sophie Best, Operations Director at Silent Pool Distillers, said:

“It was fantastic to welcome Sir Paul Beresford MP to Silent Pool Distillers. We’re really proud of the products we produce and so it’s great to get the support of our local MP.

“We have asked Sir Paul to take the message back to Westminster that the best way to support businesses like ours across the country would be to ensure the Government back spirits and back producers like us.”

A spokesperson for the UK Spirits Alliance said: 

“It’s great to see MPs across the country recognising that spirits are a British success story. Hospitality is a huge element of the UK spirits industry, and distillers provide billions every year to the Exchequer.”

“But we need the Chancellor to support the industry as we reform alcohol duty, to build on the Prime Minister’s Queen Speech commitment to ‘support Scotch Whisky and Gin producers.’”

“This is a once in a generation chance to make the alcohol duty system fairer and more representative of modern drinking trends.”

Sir Paul Beresford, Conservative MP for Mole Valley, said: 

“I was fascinated at my visit to Silent Pool Distillers where I met Sophie who is helping produce spirits that capture the essence of England. 

UK spirits is a British success story creating jobs, investment, and economic growth across all four corners of the UK, including here in Albury. Coming from the Antipodes I was taken to see a huge volume of Silent Pool Gin ready to be sent to Australia!

I want to see the Government support spirits producers like those here at Silent Pool Distillers, as the Treasury looks to reform the way alcohol is taxed.”