That's the spirit! Oxford distillery owners in comeback bid
What was once the Oxford Artisan Distillery is now aiming at a spirited revival within the grounds of South Park. If you're looking for a Friday tonic, read on…
In 2016, an entrepreneur named Tom Nicolson founded a distillery in South Park, Headington. He named it TOAD: The Oxford Artisan Distillery.
Built on a site which dated back to the 18th century, when it was owned by a local family, the property where the distillery operated was known as Cheney Farm. A Grade II-listed threshing barn still stood on the property, now known as the Old Depot in South Park and under the control of the Oxford Preservation Trust. They leased it to TOAD, who built their distillery there.
Recipe for success
The grain-to-glass distillery produced gin, vodka and whisky using ‘heritage’ grains, produced within a 50 mile radius of Oxford, grown through an approach to grain farming known as Restorative Continuous Grain Cropping (R-CGC). It was a visitor-led attraction, rooted in the local community, with tours, a bar and tasting area.
The spirits, and the tour, attracted rave reviews and dedicated local fans. They became known for gin collaborations between Oxford institutions, like the Ashmolean and the Botanic Garden. During the pandemic they used the stills to make hand sanitiser for Oxfordshire care homes, hospitals and the local community, supplying the sanitiser at cost to organisations, and distributing for free to individuals in need.
In 2022 spirits giant Diageo acquired a minority stake in the business, via its drinks accelerator fund Distill Ventures, and Nicolson exited. Then in 2024, the business was rebranded to Fielden, and the company announced the closure of the Oxford site, relocating it to a much larger production facility in Goole in Yorkshire, and focusing on rye whisky and “transforming the way rye is farmed for whisky”. At the time, Fielden CEO Dave Smith said:
“Continuing in the Oxford site with the former stills is simply not viable. The stills themselves are unfortunately no longer fit for purpose and continued use was deemed a health and safety risk, and restoration options were just too costly.
“We also explored options to remain at our home in Oxford but the site is difficult to develop given its physical footprint, location and the fair and reasonable restrictions imposed by the Oxford Preservation Trust covenants and Oxford City Council’s planning requirements.
The company ceased tours on 31 May and the staff were put on notice, according to drinks industry magazine The Spirits Business. The distillery in Yorkshire is expected to open in September.
Original founder Tom Nicolson has joined with others in a campaign group, the Spirit of Oxford, who believe a distillery is still viable on the mothballed TOAD site. But the property is now subject to a competitive tender. Accordingly, they have gathered investors and talent who wish to repair the stills and relaunch the distillery with a larger, multipurpose visitor centre. The visitor centre would house a restaurant, cocktail bar and snack options, showcasing the best of local produce; it would also be available for weddings and other private hire. Its distilling focus would be Oxford rye whisky, made from organic rye grain grown at Sheepdrove Farm.
Their stated vision is to create “A unique distillery and leisure enterprise in the heart of Oxford. Every aspect of the operation is a product of our magical city.” They commented:
“We fully intend to win the bid for the site and create a phenomenal new distillery and hospitality venue which is bigger, better and bolder than anything seen before.”
The bid process is expected to begin in September.
The Clarion has reached out to Oxford City Council for comment. This is a developing story, and we'll update it as we learn more. Cheers!
Thank you to @HeadingtonNews for originally posting a shorter version of this story. And let it be known that the Clarion is always prepared to do investigative journalism on distilleries. Send us all your gin-based stories. We are selfless in the pursuit of news...