Sometimes you really don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.
Not, in the manner suggested by the cliché, a heart wrenching vacuous hole that can’t be filled, but more in the sense of an opportunity that was yet to present itself. The decision made may well have been the right one at the time, but now, things have changed.
The Chase family, in essence, are farmers, something that they would proudly tell you themselves. However, that is not even close to being the full story. From what comes from their farms, they’ve built a series of businesses that have grown to become national treasures and brands loved around the world.
Their inherent entrepreneurship is diverse; ranging from the much lauded Tyrrells Crisps to the more recent exploits in spirits. And it appears this maverick spirit has been transferred to the next generations too, with sons James and Harry Chase heavily involved in the Chase Distillery business and while creating others, such as an innovative skincare range based on ingredients from their farms.
That said, there is something about legacy that gives more potency to endeavour, and with Rosemaund Farm Whisky the Chase brothers have found their champion. It ticks all the right boxes; the perfect amalgamation of the skillsets each possess, while bringing back to life a family — and regional — heirloom, in a way that quite literally feeds the growth of their locality.
Make no mistake, while this may be a family founded business, their intention is that the community of Rosemaund — in fact, all of Hereford — will play a big part in the future of this farm distilled whisky. Succeed, and the reward will be more jobs, regional development and a legacy befitting of the one they began in 2007.
It bodes well, as the region does already have a reputation for producing fine liquid, with the globally renowned Tom Oliver Cider counted as “neighbours” and of course the family’s very own Chase Vodka & Gin, which proved so successful it led to acquisition by Diageo in 2021.
“Potatoes were very big and obviously a huge part of our story” James explains, “which ultimately started with our farm, growing up 17 miles away at a lovely little farm called Tyrrells. From that farm, we built what is now household name, Tyrrells crisps — or chips as Dad likes to call them. The distillery itself was built in 2008 for the purpose of using potatoes that were too small to make into the crisps or too wonky to go to the supermarkets — and that brand became Chase Vodka. A few years later, we expanded into gin production, using the same potato and apple spirit we crafted here. That process made our gin truly unique and set it apart from others on the market. Ultimately, we partnered with and sold the distillery to Diageo.”
James is confident, speaking with the poise of a man who has been there before, but with the humility of one that is under no illusions as to the enormity of the task that lies ahead. Of late, even for the Scottish, whisky has not been easy going, but Rosemaund are already off to a great start.
“This site is phenomenal, and I had the opportunity to take it on again as Diageo moved the Chase brand to Scotland and their large distillery at Cannon Bridge. That transition gave us an incredible opportunity, not only to reclaim this fantastic site, but also to acquire the whisky casks that have been here from the very beginning. They’ve been quietly resting on-site all these years — the hidden golden goose we’d been sitting on all along.”
With casks filled with whisky as long ago as 2012, it was the role of Chase family’s Master Blender, Tristan Stephenson, to hone the liquid into a whisky of character, one that may not yet lock-in the house signature style, but most certainly is a great exhibition of craftsmanship and expertise.
When I visited their Farm Distillery back in September they had just announced their first release, a Rosemaund 10-year-old single malt whisky, and had already sold over half of their 2,700 bottles via ballot. At the time of writing this article (almost one month later) all the bottles have been sold and the ballot is closed. Impressive for any first release whisky, but even more impressive given that the release price was a healthy £126.
That’s not to say that it doesn’t warrant that price mind you, far from it; the rich, warm dram, has sophistication that belies its years, the sweetness of apple blossom merging with candied baked fruits, leaving an elegantly poised peppery finish. It’s also their first release, and as the brand’s reputation grows — and you can be sure that it will — so will its value.
Looking from the outside in, the outlook for the Chase brothers is very rosy. Along with the outstanding liquid and natural produce at their fingertips, and an incredibly well thought out brand, they’ve also enticed Guy Ritchie to join the team as a creative collaborator, bringing his WildKitchen al fresco dining concept to the farm distillery grounds.
The popular saying goes “Start as you mean to go on.” But having just done that my message to Rosemaund would be to “Go on as you’ve started”, which is very, very well indeed.
