Henstone Reacts to the Geographical Indication for English Whisky
Years in the making, now officially recognised: Henstone’s founder Chris on what the new G.I. means for English Whisky.
Henstone Distillery has been a member of the English Whisky Guild since it was set up in 2022 and our founder, Chris, was a Board Member until April 2026.
From its inception, the Guild has been progressing a Geographical Indication (G.I.) for English Whisky.
In September we heard that the G.I. had been approved and to quote the UK Government’s website “The new status officially recognises English Whisky as a distinctive whisky category, reflecting years of work by producers across England who have combined craftsmanship, innovation and ambition to create a spirit with a character worthy of protection. With distilleries from Cornwall to Northumberland, the sector is supporting local communities by protecting skilled jobs and drawing visitors across the country, helping drive growth in every postcode. There are more than 70 distilleries now producing English whisky, up from 46 in 2023, and bottles exported to more than 30 countries across the globe. Industry estimates maturing stocks held in casks across England to be worth around £1 billion, underlining the confidence and investment pouring into the sector.”
We are very proud to have been involved in this exercise and on the 17th of September 2026 Chris was interviewed about the G.I. by Mark Elliot on BBC Radio Shropshire. You can listen to the entire interview (about 10 minutes) by clicking below.
Listen to the recording:
