A group of veteran whisky entrepreneurs have launched MBH Holding, an independent Scottish spirits group with acquisitions a key part of its strategy.
The Edinburgh-based group has been formed to combine the wide-ranging expertise of founders Charlie MacLean, Vikki Bruce, Jamie Burke, Liam Hughes and Mike Hayward.
They have founded and operated Maclean & Bruce, Strathearn Distillery and The Glasgow Distillery Company amongst other businesses operating across independent bottling, branded products, travel, cask ownership and rare spirits.
MBH will have an anticipated combined turnover of £16 million and an estimated £5m market value in casks and bottles.
The group will maintain its Scottish headquarters and identity while targeting international markets with a range of premium whisky, rare spirits and whisky tourism, with the founders citing the long-term strength of the Scotch whisky ecosystem and the opportunity to consolidate a fragmented market.
MBH controls a substantial portfolio of casks, including stock that has been maturing for over 40 years, and is in active discussions regarding the acquisition of substantially more whisky assets at home and overseas.
The group is already in early-stage discussions with several target assets and a select number of potential investors.
Mr Hughes said: “Our intention is to build a substantial independent Scottish spirits group of scale, headquartered in Scotland, creating jobs in Scotland, and exporting premium Scottish products globally.
“We have the operational team, the assets and the infrastructure – we will now deploy that selectively.”
Ms Bruce added: “This is a Scottish growth story. We have combined established businesses with real heritage, and through M&B Whisky and M&B Travel, we have a direct link between Scotland’s whisky story and consumers from around the world.”
MBH founders will retain all existing staff as part of the newly formed group and expects to increase headcount significantly as it expands.
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