David Rutley MP recently paid a visit to the award-winning Forest Distillery at their base in Macclesfield Forest to learn more about successful developments with the business.

Mr Rutley met with owners of the business, Karl and Lindsay Bond, who told him about how they are expanding to meet the demand for high-quality spirits.

The business began in 2014 with just Mr and Mrs Bond, and they launched their whisky distilling arm in 2018, as one of only a handful of firms in England to receive such a licence.

Despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, the Forest Distillery has recently doubled its staff from five members to ten.

The distillery has also expanded its premises to include the iconic Cat and Fiddle Pub which, at 1,200ft above sea level, will become the UK's highest altitude whisky distillery.

At this site, they also have a shop selling local produce and have plans to expand to include a pub and events space. This is expected to be a significant boost in helping to strengthen the local visitor economy.

At the meeting, Mr and Mrs Bond set out the aims of the UK Spirits Alliance campaign for a fair and stable duty regime.

They explained that the Spirits sector in the UK has been facing recent challenges with tariffs imposed by the United States.

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Whilst tariffs have not yet been imposed on UK gin, a move welcomed by Forest Distillery, a 25 per cent tariff remains in place on whisky, and this will continue to pose challenges in the months ahead.

They also asked Mr Rutley to raise their concerns with Government Ministers.

Mr Bond said: "It was good of David to come back to our distillery to discuss our growth and the challenges we still face. We're really proud of the spirits we produce, so it's great to have the support of our local community.

"We have asked David to take the message back to Westminster that the best way to support businesses like ours across the country would be to ensure the duty tax on spirits doesn't rise in the next budget, which would certainly slow our expansion and recruitment plans."

After the meeting, Mr Rutley said: "I am pleased to see Forest Distillery's ongoing success first-hand, they are a great example of a local export success story. It was positive to learn how their hard work has enabled the distillery to grow, take on more staff, and expand to the landmark Cat and Fiddle pub.

"This will help create a distinctive destination for our local visitor economy and I wish Karl and Lindsay continued success in all their endeavours."

The recently expanded distillery is now open for bookings, and anyone wishing to book a visit can do so on the Forest Distillery website.