UK’s first dedicated brandy distillery, Burnt Faith, launches premium brandy-based ready-to-drink cocktails, aiming to disrupt the stagnant brandy sector while gearing up for expansion through a major crowdfunding campaign.
UK’s Burnt Faith Distillery Pioneers Brandy-Based RTDs, Eyes Growth Through Crowdfunding
Burnt Faith, the first dedicated brandy distillery in the UK, has entered the fast-growing ready-to-drink (RTD) market with what it claims are Britain’s first brandy-based RTDs. The launch sees two premium canned cocktails, Burnt Faith Brandy & Apple and Brandy & Ginger, hitting wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels priced at £3.50 per 250ml can. Both drinks use Burnt Faith’s signature British brandy as their base, with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 6.2%. The Brandy & Apple offers a flavour profile of citrus blossom, juicy fruit, marmalade, and a cinnamon apple crumble finish, while Brandy & Ginger highlights burnt orange, fragrant ginger, biscuit, spiced honey, toffee, and toasted coconut notes.
Founder Simon Wright, previously the creator of London cider brand Hawkes acquired by BrewDog, explained that the introduction of brandy RTDs is a deliberate challenge to an industry that has largely neglected innovation in this category. “RTDs in the UK alone are now worth over £800 million and growing fast, up 20% in value last year, but brandy’s been completely missing from the shelf,” Wright said. He emphasised that while other spirits categories like rum, vodka, whisky, and gin have embraced RTDs amid shifting consumer trends around price, accessibility, and experimentation, brandy has been overlooked until now.
The move to develop brandy RTDs comes as Burnt Faith prepares to scale its business through a forthcoming crowdfunding campaign aimed at expanding inventory, increasing distribution, and supporting further innovation. Although a specific fundraising target has not yet been announced, the company was valued at £4.3 million in 2024, having raised over £2 million in an earlier funding round. The business demonstrated striking growth with revenues reaching £600,000 in the 2024/25 financial year, up from £120,000 the previous year. Forecasts suggest revenues could approach £1.4 million in the 2025/26 year, reflecting growing consumer interest and sales momentum. Burnt Faith’s advisory board counts former Skyy Vodka founder Keith Greggor and PR executive and entrepreneur Matthew Freud among its members.
Strategic discussions are ongoing with potential retail stockists to place Burnt Faith’s RTDs more broadly, with a view to capitalising on the category’s significant consumer demand. Wright highlighted brandy’s versatility and underrepresentation in the RTD segment as key opportunities for success. Beyond the RTDs, Burnt Faith has continued to bolster its presence with initiatives such as the recent opening of a cocktail bar at its Walthamstow distillery, where classic cocktails featuring its brandy are served with innovative twists using local ingredients. The distillery itself is notable for housing the UK’s only Charentais pot still and aims to produce brandy “without boundaries,” not constrained by traditional Cognac regulations.
The company’s approach is firmly rooted in scaling while preserving authenticity. Wright stated that the crowdfunding campaign is about “scaling the business without losing our soul,” underscoring a commitment to innovation paired with brand integrity. This balancing act aligns with Burnt Faith’s broader mission of refreshing the British brandy category, which has traditionally remained static in comparison to other spirit types.
In addition to the RTDs, Burnt Faith collaborates with local partners such as East London Liquor Company to produce limited-edition items like an apple brandy released to support The Orchard Project charity. These efforts reflect broader engagement with the community and sustainability themes, helping position Burnt Faith as a distinctive, forward-looking presence in the UK spirits scene.
Burnt Faith’s developments highlight a broader trend where distinctive spirit brands are leveraging innovation in product formats and marketing to capture evolving consumer tastes. The arrival of brandy RTDs fills a conspicuous gap in the market and could well drive renewed interest in British brandy as a versatile and accessible choice for modern drinkers.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/burnt-faith-launches-uk-first-brandy-rtds-and-readies-crowdfunding-push/706593.article – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://retailtimes.co.uk/burnt-faith-launches-uk-first-premium-brandy-rtds-pioneering-innovation-in-a-static-category/ – Burnt Faith, the UK’s first brandy distillery, has introduced two premium ready-to-drink (RTD) cans: Brandy & Apple and Brandy & Ginger. These 250ml cans, priced at £3.50 each, feature Burnt Faith’s signature British brandy and are available through wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels. The Brandy & Apple variant offers notes of citrus blossom, juicy fruit, and marmalade with a cinnamon apple crumble finish, while Brandy & Ginger presents burnt orange and fragrant ginger with biscuit and spiced honey, finishing with toffee and toasted coconut. Both RTDs have an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 6.2%. Founder Simon Wright views these products as a challenge to an industry that has overlooked innovation in the brandy category. The company is also preparing a crowdfunding campaign to support inventory expansion, distribution growth, and further innovation, with a valuation of £4.3 million in 2024. In the 2024/25 financial year, Burnt Faith reported revenues of £600,000, up from £120,000 in 2023/24. The advisory board includes former Skyy Vodka founder Keith Greggor and PR executive Matthew Freud. Wright, previously the founder of London-based cider brand Hawkes, acquired by BrewDog in 2018, emphasizes the importance of scaling the business without compromising its core values.
- https://www.just-drinks.com/news/burnt-faith-launches-crowdcube-funding-push/ – Burnt Faith, the UK brandy producer, is seeking funds through Crowdcube to invest in inventory and distribution. Established in 2021, the company primarily sells in the UK but has recently begun shipping to India. Founder Simon Wright mentioned that the Crowdcube campaign could support potential entry into the US market. Last year, Burnt Faith raised £2 million, valuing the company at £4.3 million. In the 2024/25 financial year, the company generated revenue of around £600,000, compared to £120,000 a year earlier, and forecasts approximately £1.4 million in the current 2025/26 financial year. The business is entering the RTD category with two products in the UK: Brandy & Apple and Brandy & Ginger, both at 6.2% ABV and priced at £3.50. Talks with potential retail stockists are ongoing. Wright believes that Burnt Faith’s products can succeed in the RTD market, noting that brandy is versatile and has been underrepresented in the RTD category.
- https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2023/10/uks-first-brandy-distillery-launches-cocktail-bar/ – London-based brandy distillery Burnt Faith, the first of its kind in the UK, has launched a new cocktail bar at its brandy house in Walthamstow, East London. The bar offers classic cocktails with a local twist, such as an Aged Negroni made with Burnt Faith British Brandy, VRSD London Vermouth, and Select Aperitivo, and a Sazerac using Burnt Faith British Brandy, Rittenhouse Rye, Devils Botany Absinthe, and Peychaud’s Bitters. Burnt Faith’s eau de vie, an unaged grape spirit distilled in an imported Charentais pot still, features in cocktails like the Plum and Sour Cherry Margarita and the Honey Man Daquiri, made with honey sourced 50 meters from the distillery. Founder and CEO Simon Wright stated that the bar aims to take their liquid to the largest possible audience and allow consumers to experience brandy in a new way. The Brandy House Bar is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 4pm to 11pm at 57 Sutherland Rd, London E17 6BH, with reservations via Designmynight and walk-ins welcome.
- https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2024/10/burnt-faith-and-ellc-create-apple-brandy/ – Burnt Faith and East London Liquor Company (ELLC) have collaborated to distil an apple brandy supporting The Orchard Project. The limited edition, small batch English brandy was pressed, distilled, aged, and bottled in East London. Made with fermented Dabinett apples, the cider was distilled in ELLC’s hybrid column still and aged for six years in ex-Bourbon barrels, developing vanilla and pepper notes. Annie Elizabeth apples were pressed from a London orchard and blended into the final mix. All profits from the bottle sales will go to The Orchard Project, a charity dedicated to creating, maintaining, and celebrating urban orchards. The East London Apple Brandy is versatile, suitable for enjoying neat, over ice, or as an aperitif, and pairs well with desserts and cocktails like the Sidecar and Hot Toddy. Limited to 400 bottles at 40% ABV, the brandy will be available from early November via select on-trade accounts, the Burnt Faith Brandy House Bar, and online.
- https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2023/03/new-brandy-distillery-burnt-faith-opens-in-london/ – Burnt Faith, the first dedicated brandy distillery on the British Isles, has officially opened in Walthamstow, northeast London. The facility spans 5,500 square meters and houses the only Charentais pot still imported into the UK. Founded by Simon Wright, who previously established Hawkes Cider (sold to BrewDog in 2018), Burnt Faith aims to create a ‘brandy without boundaries,’ unconstrained by traditional Cognac conventions and regulations. The inaugural release, Burnt Faith Charentais Distilled British Brandy – Batch 001, is made from four grape varieties: Trebbiano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Muscat Blanc. The brandy has been aged and finished in four different cask types, including an ex-cherry liqueur cask from Ukraine, a Pineau Charentes cask, a Spanish brandy cask, and ex-Bourbon barrels. Bottled at 40% ABV, the brandy is priced at £36 per 700ml bottle. The packaging was inspired by the old Pentecostal church that once stood on the distillery’s location, reflecting the brand name, Burnt Faith. The term ‘brandy’ derives from the Dutch word ‘brandewijn,’ meaning ‘burnt wine.’
- https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2024/04/burnt-faith-releases-bourbon-finished-brandy/ – British brandy producer Burnt Faith has launched its Cask Series, beginning with a limited edition expression finished in Bourbon barrels. The brandy, made with four different grapes—Trebbiano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Muscat Blanc—was matured in barrels from Kentucky’s Heaven Hill distillery for three years. The expression is described as a ‘London spirit meets Kentucky smoke.’ Founder Simon Wright stated that the Cask Series aims to redefine brandy making, appealing to innovation and adventure that drinkers expect. The Bourbon Cask Brandy has notes of sweet vanilla on the nose, with cinder toffee, coconut, raisins, and butterscotch on the palate, finishing with subtle hints of peppercorns and dry banana bread. Bottled at 40% ABV, only 800 bottles are available for an RRP of £60, from the brand’s website or directly at its brandy house and bar in Walthamstow, northeast London. Burnt Faith, which is the first dedicated brandy distillery on the British Isles, has raised more than £2 million in its first funding round and opened its distillery in March 2023.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative is recent, dated July 7, 2025, and introduces Burnt Faith’s new brandy-based RTDs and crowdfunding plans. Similar reports appeared on July 7, 2025, in Retail Times ([retailtimes.co.uk](https://retailtimes.co.uk/burnt-faith-launches-the-uks-first-premium-brandy-rtds-pioneering-innovation-in-a-static-category/?utm_source=openai)) and Just Drinks ([just-drinks.com](https://www.just-drinks.com/news/burnt-faith-launches-crowdcube-funding-push/?utm_source=openai)). The earliest known publication date of substantially similar content is July 7, 2025. The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The narrative includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged.
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The direct quotes from founder Simon Wright are consistent across sources, with no significant variations in wording. The earliest known usage of these quotes is July 7, 2025. No online matches were found for these quotes prior to this date, suggesting they are potentially original or exclusive content.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative originates from The Grocer, a reputable UK-based publication. The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high reliability score. No unverifiable entities or fabricated information were identified.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about Burnt Faith’s new brandy-based RTDs and crowdfunding plans are plausible and align with recent developments in the spirits industry. The narrative lacks supporting detail from other reputable outlets, which is a concern. The tone and language are consistent with typical corporate communications. No excessive or off-topic details were noted. The structure and tone are appropriate for the subject matter.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is recent, with no significant discrepancies or signs of disinformation. The quotes are consistent and likely original. The source is reputable, and the claims are plausible, though lacking supporting detail from other outlets. Overall, the narrative passes the fact-check with high confidence.
