AEDDA’S Farm Distillery

Location

Buckinghamshire

Project Manager: Alexander Moss

Project Team:

Planning Consultant – Edgars

Transport Consultant – Paul Basham Associates

Ecologist – Bernwood Ecology

Designers – Peak Building Consultants

Distillery Consultant – Malvern Spirits

Vision and Objectives

Adstockfields Farm, located near Buckingham, is one of Dudley Peverill’s longest-standing clients. Having made a transition towards regenerative farming and renewables, in late 2021, we began working with them to help them realise their aspirations for full circular farming and added value in the form of a distillery, to be supplied by cereals and fruit grown on farm.

Project Updates

Estate Masterplanning

We started off by reviewing the farming estate from a wider perspective, taking into account the clients aspirations, challenges, enterprises, assets, site context, planning, and demographic context to aid their understanding of the opportunities available. In doing so, we scoped appropriate areas for the distillery and orchard, while considering budget, operational and management efficiencies, and optimal project strategies.

Preparation & Briefing

Once a preferred strategy had been agreed upon, we set to work collecting information necessary to inform the project.

This amounted to:

Surveys and site information
Outline feasibility studies
Identification of relevant grant opportunities – The Farming Investment Fund Added Value grant and Rural England Prosperity Fund were identified as appropriate
The commencement of budgeting, business planning and financial forecasting
Sourcing an operator or joint venture partner to assist in the running of the distillery and enterprise

Alongside gathering information, we formed a project team to aid in the delivery of the various outcomes in this significantly complex and multifaceted project, utilising expertise from UK craft spirit markets to distillery engineering.

Concept Design

Whilst working with the project team to create conceptual designs, we progressed on the following items:

Business plans and budgets to inform ongoing feasibility analysis
Submitted expression of interest for both the Added Value (Farming Investment Fund) and the REPF
Began working with client side solicitors to structure a Partnership Agreement for the formation of Aedda’s Farm Distillery
Began the management and assisting in the compilation of planning applications for both the distillery itself (Class B2) and the change of use of an agricultural calf barn to a visitor centre (Class E)
Early design specifications for the distillery plant and associated equipment
Assisting the client in acquiring personal and premises licencing
The compilation of information required to submit for a “licence in principle” for Excise
Warehousing and Distillers Licence

We also worked with the client to design and cost the 5 hectare (12 acre) orchard to be planted in the coming planting season, to supply the distillery upon maturation.

Spacial Co-ordination

Business planning and feasibility was looking good and delivered upon the clients objectives. This phase of the project delivered the following outcomes:

Agreed heads of terms and the signing of the Partnership Agreement
Submission of planning applications
Submission of the full grant applications
Further detailed designs of both the building and distillery plant
Creation of tender packs for contractors
The submission of a “Licence in Principle” application for distilling and excise warehousing
Further business planning, budgeting and forecasting
Refinement in sales and marketing strategies, routes to market and production

An exciting period as the orchard was planted over the course of 6 months, suddenly revealing some tangible project progress!

Teachnical Design

Whilst this phase of the project involved a lot of hard work within the project team to finalise technical designs and budgets, we were inundated with great outcomes:

Granted planning permission for the distillery
Granted planning permission for the visitor centre
Successful discharge of pre-commencement planning conditions
Successfully offered a grant funding agreement through the Added Value (Farming Investment Fund) worth £160,000 to help fund the purchase of the distillery plant and equipment
Sign-off of business plans and budgets enabling the purchase of the distillery equipment
Issued tenders for both construction projects

Alongside gathering information, we created a project team to aid in the delivery of the various project outcomes, utilising expertise in UK craft spirit markets to distillery engineering.

Upcoming

Now that we’ve successfully obtained our signed grant agreements and the client is happy with the business plan and forecasts, we have progressed to order the distillery equipment, starting the clock on what is a fairly protracted lead time from point of order to delivery!

As we imminently receive final tender costs from contractors for both the distillery building and the visitor centre, we hope to begin construction very soon! Watch this space to see this project come to life!

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