Witchmark Distillery: Where Authenticity, Provenance & Heritage Come Together

UK-based Witchmark Distillery is going from strength to strength, developing an impressive team of industry heavy-hitters and all set to filling a significant number of whisky casks. Nestled in the heritage-rich village of Fonthill Bishop in southwest Wiltshire, Witchmark is already one of the largest English whisky distilleries. With locally sourced malted barley and aquifer-fed water source, it’s one of the few UK distilleries producing its own neutral grain spirit for white spirits, a marker of true provenance. As JON Carson, Commercial Director of Witchmark Distillery says, this unique approach underlines the quality of its current range and sets the stage for its single malts to take a leading position in the premium whisky market.

‣ BISHAN Kumar

While the pandemic period was undeniably devastating to Jon and Alistair Munro’s marketing business, it also presented a unique opportunity to pursue a new venture in spirits, a sector they had long admired as consumers. Though their long-term goal has always been to produce premium whisky, Witchmark Distillery began its journey with white spirits, launching with vodka and gin, crafted from the same malted barley that will eventually shape their single malts.

Although both founders brought considerable business acumen to the table, they lacked hands-on experience in alcohol production. To fill that gap, they brought in Eddie Large, a seasoned industry professional who had previously led an award-winning brewery on the picturesque Fonthill Estate in the UK. That brewery is now known as Stone Daisy, the sister company of Witchmark Distillery. Eddie’s expertise and qualifications quickly saw him evolve into the accomplished Director of Distillery Operations and Production. Together, Jon, Alistair and Eddie formed the founding team behind Witchmark Distillery. Alistair now serves as the Managing Director of the distillery, bringing his strategic vision and operational oversight to the venture, while Jon leads on commercial direction.

However, the venture would not have progressed beyond the concept stage without the guidance and support of Chairman James Espey OBE, a legendary figure in the spirits industry and the creator of iconic brands such as Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Chivas 18, Malibu. James brought immense credibility, opened doors through his industry network, and helped assemble a team of non-executive directors and advisers. Their collective experience and insight were instrumental in securing the investment needed to bring Witchmark Distillery to life.

A Heritage-Rich Home

Located at the heart of the picturesque 9,000-acre Fonthill Estate, just a stone’s throw from Stonehenge, Witchmark Distillery occupies a preserved Grade II listed barn dating back to the 1600s. This setting places the distillery in one of Europe’s most fertile malting barley regions, lending it a unique historical charm. Adjacent to the main distillery, a striking 17th century grain-drying barn has been thoughtfully converted into a visitor centre and shop.

“Our name pays homage to the medieval ‘witch marks’ carved into the ancient stonework within our buildings and surrounding area. This remarkable setting offers the perfect conditions for crafting some of the finest English whiskies,” says Jon.

From Field to Bottle
Each bottle, whether it’s vodka, gin, or eventually whisky, begins with the finest locally grown barley, nurtured on the chalk-rich downlands of the estate. This regenerative farming approach not only delivers superior grain quality but also supports Witchmark’s commitment to sustainable agriculture.

 Complementing the barley is Fonthill’s exceptionally pure water, drawn from an aquifer directly beneath the distillery and naturally filtered through layers of limestone, ensuring each bottle begins with the best nature has to offer. “While the whisky matures, we are already producing a selection of award-winning spirits uniquely crafted from malted barley distilled through our whisky stills. As far as we are aware, this is totally unique,” Jon explains.

These spirits include London Dry Gin, Wiltshire Gin, Black Lime Gin and Single Origin English Vodka.

The distillery works exclusively with the country’s oldest floor maltings located only a short distance away, using traditional methods to gently malt the barley and preserve its character. “This is the ‘ignored botanical’ that absolutely sets the character of our vodka and gin. In the botanical bills for the gin, we have not gone off-script and created three delicious gins and an award-winning vodka based around the heart of the liquid, the malt-based spirit,” Jon states. Their approach has already won them a Gold at the World Drinks Awards for vodka, and Silver for Black Lime Gin.

At the cheap or volume end of the vodka market, the product is indeed just alcoholic water to be used as a base for other drinks. “This is the antithesis of what we are doing. Premium vodka is made to be appreciated for its own character, something those engaged at the premium end of the market understand,” Jon adds. The recent IWSC list of the top 10 best vodkas in the world had a story to tell, one conveyed through the character of the spirit. Witchmark Distillery is in that club, alongside nine other outstanding vodkas.

Green Commitment

Sustainability was deeply embedded in Witchmark Distillery’s work culture from day one. “It was either build it this way, or we don’t build it; period!” Jon affirms. This attitude enabled the distillery to create a stunning operation in the knowledge that it is essentially crafting a blueprint for how to build a sustainable whisky distillery. The team has invested heavily in heat recovery technology that allows gas to be used sparingly.

“We only use bio-LPG, which has a 40-50 percent lower carbon emission impact than fossil fuel,” Jon explains. This is considerably more expensive than fossil fuel but again was not up for debate. All the bottles are 100 percent recycled and the stoppers are plant extract based. Any effluent produced during the process is taken to a local bio-digester and converted into biofuel to be reused. “We are looking to implement solar power in the not-too-distant future and are also exploring electrical vehicles,” Jon adds.

These efforts helped Witchmark achieve the highest B-Corp score of any English distillery to date

Scaling with Purpose

Witchmark Distillery is well on its way to build a scalable business. Already one of the largest English whisky distilleries by production capacity, the team has ambitious plans to increase that output in the coming years. This growth will be underpinned by continued investment in infrastructure, sustainability, and visitor experience, with the distillery expecting tens of thousands of visitors per year over time.

to producing world-class single malt whisky. With its local barley fields and chalk-filtered water sourced from a borehole onsite, Witchmark Distillery is well-positioned for whisky production. “We will have our first single malts hitting the market in the third quarter of 2027 using a plethora of different woods for maturation. We will also look at producing whiskies from other grains and woods, along with possible blended whiskies, but our single malts will be our signature spirits,” Jon says.

As the whisky matures, so does Witchmark’s vision for a global footprint. However, as a young brand, it’s important not to run before it can walk. On this note, Witchmark Distillery’s primary focus is strengthening its presence in the southwest of England and expand from there. Once the first whiskies are ready for market, the brand will look beyond the UK, targeting key international markets such as the United States, India, China, and South Korea.

Witchmark certainly sees India as a key location to introduce and promote its sustainable and premium single malts, especially after the signing of the India UK Free Trade Agreement.