Halewood partners with Dufry to launch Whitley Neill Raspberry Gin in Edinburgh

Halewood Wines & Spirits has collaborated with Dufry to launch the travel retail-exclusive Whitley Neill Raspberry Gin at Edinburgh Airport.

The 1-litre, 43%ABV expression, which balances the flavour of Scottish raspberries with notes of juniper, is now listed at all Dufry-operated stores in UK international airports.

Taking Scottish raspberries to a Scottish hub: Whitley Neill Raspberry gin features at Edinburgh Airport

Whitley Neill is a hand-crafted London Dry gin, distilled in small batches by Johnny Neill, whose family’s distillery business dates back to 1762.

With a ‘Crafted from the tree of life’ tagline, Whitley Neill The Original Gin blends two African botanicals – Baobab Fruit and Cape Gooseberries – with more traditional botanicals such as juniper, coriander, lemon and orange peel, angelica root, cassia bark and orris root. Raspberry Gin is one of a range of flavoured expressions which includes Pink Grapefruit, Blackberry, Lemongrass and Ginger and Protea and Hibiscus.

The brand was launched in 2005 and acquired by Halewood Wines & Spirits in 2009.

Halewood Wine & Spirits Managing Director Global Travel Retail Simon Roffe noted that the Whitley family cultivated plants which served as the inspiration for many of Johnny Neill’s handcrafted dry gins.

“Adventurous cocktail lovers and travelling consumers have really taken these superb full-strength flavoured gins to their hearts – and their palates,” Roffe said.

“We are confident that the latest listing of Whitley Neill Raspberry 1-ltire with Dufry, activated with tastings across the UK stores to demonstrate its true quality, will be as successful as its predecessors.”

Sampling was included in the Edinburgh Airport activation which led to a +200% increase in Whitley Neill sales

As reported, Roffe noted positive response from travellers to the colour and taste of the Whitley Neill flavoured gins, which include Rhubarb & Ginger, Lemongrass & Ginger, Parma Violet, Raspberry and Blood Orange. Sales, he said, have been “off the scale”.

Dufry Product Manager at Edinburgh Airport Allan Goodall commented: “The innovative Whitley Neill activation has been a real success so far. Consumers have really engaged with the brand and the sampling has worked well, all of which has driven sales of Whitley Neill up by +200%.”

Whitley Neill Raspberry Gin is exclusive to travel retail and now available in all Dufry-operated stores in UK international airports

Dufry UK lists other variants of Whitley Neill’s flavoured gins and noted the popularity of Rhubarb & Ginger and Lemongrass & Ginger.

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