Black Country distillery set to become tourist attraction

A Black Country distillery is set to become a visitor centre, presenting the history of gin.

Alcohols Ltd, part of the Palmer Group will be relocating its production from the Langley Distillery in Oldbury to a purpose-built five-acre site in Rugby, according to reports in the Express & Star.

Currently, Oldbury produces 80 brands of gin and some of the stills are more than 100 years old. Now, it will be home to an interactive visitor centre.

The company would not confirm how many workers remain at the Langley site but said: “We employ valued colleagues and wish to retain our staff as part of our exciting growth plan.”

The Palmer Group is a family business that has been distilling since 1805. A brewery at the Langley site was opened in 1870, it became a distillery in 1920.

Alcohols Ltd has an annual output of 100 million bottles, employs 65 across its sites and creates the core alcohol for more than 75 per cent of Britain’s artisan gins.

The company also produces a variety of fine alcohols, chemical solvents and hydrocarbon products for a wide range of businesses. They distribute these products to industries such as perfumes, cosmetics, food packaging, pharmaceuticals and automotive.

The multi-million-pound investment will consolidate the business onto one single site – the head office currently in Bishop’s Stortford, the Langley Distellery and its storage and distribution centre in London.

Adam Wallis, Alcohols’ managing director, said: “Because of the heritage of the Palmer Group and Alcohols Ltd, our current operating sites have no capacity for expansion and are severely restricting the growth of the business. They are in locations, which were once rural, but are now surrounded by housing developments. The new Rugby site provides scope for environmentally sensitive future development.

“Our products, services, technical and customer support will all remain fully operational during the development of the new site and facilities. From our customers` perspective, this process will be a seamless transition.

He added: “The new site will bring significant manufacturing capability and allow the business to grow and prosper. The excellent transport connections, train and road with A14/M1/M6 are an added benefit for moving to the region.”