Nyetimber closes Lakes Distillery visitor centre
Nyetimber, which acquired The Lakes Distillery in 2024, has shut the whisky producer’s visitor centre, ending tours and hospitality operations and placing about 15 roles at risk.
Nyetimber has closed the visitor centre at The Lakes Distillery, ending tours and placing around 15 jobs at risk at the Cumbria-based site.
The brand home – which included a bistro and shop – shut last Friday (24 April). The distillery, located near Bassenthwaite Lake, will continue production as normal.
“Financial realities” behind closure
In a statement, Nyetimber said: “The financial realities of running the brand home have become increasingly challenging, with factors such as rising cost-of-living, consumer spending habits and broader commercial pressures all having an impact.
“Financially subsidising this part of the business has been diverting funds away from the core financial objectives and growth plans for The Lakes, and as a result, the difficult decision has been made to close the shop and the bistro and stop offering distillery tours. Sadly, this has also resulted in job losses for a number of valued staff.”
The company did not confirm whether the visitor centre could reopen in future.
Production unchanged
Nyetimber stressed that the closure will not affect whisky production. The facility continues to operate five days a week, with schedules and volumes unchanged.
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The distillery will continue to produce “luxury English spirits, with a particular focus on single malt whisky”. Production is led by whisky maker Brendan McCarron, who joined the business in August 2025.
Products will remain available via click-and-collect through the distillery’s website.
Strategic review under way
Nyetimber added: “The Nyetimber Group will also be carefully considering how The Lakes site can best support its ambitious, strategic goals, which will be shared at an appropriate time.”
The sparkling wine producer acquired The Lakes in June 2024 in a deal valuing the distillery at £71 million. At the time, owner and CEO Eric Heerema outlined plans to bring greater synergy to the group and support the brand’s long-term growth.
The Lakes previously set out a 10-year ambition to reach a 1% share of the global luxury dark spirits market by 2030.
Prior to the acquisition, the distillery reported an audited EBITDA loss of £1.3m on net revenue of £5.8m for the year ending 30 June 2023.
The business is also a member of the English Whisky Guild, which recently hosted a week-long celebration of the category from 18-26 April and is working to finalise a geographical indication for English whisky.
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Does that mean Founder members can still claim 10% of online orders-as they have now closed the shop where it applied as promised for life?.