After a very difficult year in 2025, when Wicstun Distillery in Market Weighton near York faced the sudden loss of one of its key directors, Lisa Packer. Lisa passed away unexpectedly, leaving both her family and the business in shock. Lisa was not only a director of the company but also the wife of fellow director and head distiller, Jago Packer. Her loss had a profound impact on both the family and the day to day running of the distillery.
As a result, many of the plans and developments scheduled for 2025 were placed on hold while the business took time to grieve, reflect, and regain its footing.
The outlook for 2026 has been far more positive for the company. Jago Packer and the Wicstun team, have spent the past few months putting into action the plans and ideas that he and his wife had set out at the start of 2025.
One of the first steps was to increase storage capacity at the distillery in Market Weighton. The team installed a new storage room and reorganised the distillery to create a more efficient working space. This work also made room for a new still, which was delivered in early April. The new equipment has now doubled Wicstun Distillery’s distilling capacity. The company has also installed two large fermentation tanks, allowing the team to produce raw spirit from scratch.
Alongside these improvements, Wicstun Distillery successfully secured an additional licensing grant from HMRC, which now allows the distillery to expand its production further.
Wicstun Distillery are now preparing to produce their own Yorkshire Rum from scratch. The spirit will be matured in a selection of sherry and bourbon oak casks over the coming months. The additional space and equipment have allowed the team to increase production of some of their most popular products, including their famous Toffee Vodka and Scarborough Gin.
The year has also brought a new look for the brand. The distillery is introducing updated bottle designs based on an idea that Lisa Packer developed in early 2025.
Jago and his team are now looking ahead to an exciting and busy year, with plans to introduce customers to the new bottle designs as well as several new flavours during 2026.
You will find Wicstun Distillery at events across North and East Yorkshire throughout the Summer and of course in the distillery working hard to produce new spirits.