Ex-Royal Navy officers running rum and gin distillery at Fort Cumberland switch to producing hand sanitiser

Vince Noyce and Giles Collighan, former Royal Navy officers, and Dich Oatley, a drinks industry professional, run the Portsmouth Distillery based at Fort Cumberland in Portsmouth.

Together the team have been crafting a range of small batch, artisan spirits since 2018.

However the pandemic hit, effectively closing down operations, until the trio spotted a gap in the market, and a way to help the community.

Vince said: ‘This pandemic couldn't have come at a worse time for us, and indeed the whole hospitality industry.

‘We were just starting to pick up after the usual flat start to the year.

‘As a young company, with not much behind us yet, we were quite concerned as to how we could weather this storm, so we furloughed most of our staff, leaving one to deliver the online sales. Until of course the world ran out of hand sanitiser!’

Vince found the recipe to make hand sanitiser – a mix of ethanol, water, hydrogen peroxide and glycerol - from the World Health Organisation and starting making it.

After starting production, and realising how easily they could produce it due to the firm’s ability to handle high-strength alcohol, they secured a contract providing sanitiser to a company supplying Govia Thameslink - and it has taken off from there.

All three businessmen - and their apprentice Joshua Collighan - are now busy and back at work.

Vince said: ‘This has in turn afforded us the opportunity to make hand sanitiser for local distribution. So we are also busy producing five litre plastic jerry cans of hand sanitiser for sale to care homes, hospitals and anyone who needs it.

‘We are exceptionally well priced, as we need to cover our costs, but do not wish to get rich off the back of the demand - we are doing our bit.’

They have set up two prices - one for care homes and one for distributors - with the £18 care home price simply covering production costs.

Vince says demand has been good, and they have also been encouraged by the online sales of their other products, with the Portsmouth community happy to support a local business.

Vince said: ‘We are very keen to assist in any way we can to provide hand sanitiser to anyone who needs it, in order to assist in the fight against the virus and getting things running again.

‘And we are very pleased to be open for online sales with free delivery during this weird time.’

The Portsmouth Distillery won Start-Up Business of the Year at this year’s Business Excellence Awards, run by The News.

For more go to theportsmouthdistillery.com

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