The French spirits producer aiming to crack the ‘trendsetting’ UK market

Founded in 1989 by Alexandre Gabriel, Maison Ferrand manufactures and sells a diverse range of spirits – including Ferrand Cognac and Planteray Rum – in almost 90 countries around the world.

Still a family-owned business to this day based in the Cognac region of France, it started operating in the UK in 2010 before acquiring a 60% stake in distribution partner Identity Drinks in November 2017 to solidify its presence. Since then it has developed a close working relationship with Identity Drinks and its management, and has grown a network of customers across wholesale, retail and on-trade.

Then, in November 2023, Maison Ferrand came to an agreement with the owners of Identity Drinks to acquire the business and in turn create Maison Ferrand UK, an import and distribution company to serve its customers in the UK.

Maison Ferrand also has similar operations in Germany and the US, set up in 2000 and 2022 respectively, while it owns distilleries and agricultural estates in France, Barbados and Jamaica.

‘Significant step’

The acquisition of Identity Drinks was only announced last month (July 2024) following an initial transition period, but the team is excited to get to work.

“Acquiring Identity Drinks is a significant step for Maison Ferrand,”​ Gouze, who also serves as the firm’s sales director for EMEA and APAC, told Food Manufacture.

“It allows us take greater ownership of our operation and brand in the UK. We have been a family-owned company since the start and we hope to remain independent.”​

Asked why Maison Ferrand targeted the UK for the acquisition, Gouze responded: “The UK is a trendsetting market that has a ripple effect onto all other European markets, as well as the US and Asia-Pacific, with the London on-trade scene being particularly important for any spirit brand.”​

Other than the previous owners of Identity Drinks, who moved on following the acquisition, Maison Ferrand UK has retained the firm’s workforce and is now setting about identifying talent that can help the burgeoning business establish itself.

“​I want to ensure we have the right people in place with the right understanding of what makes Maison Ferrand unique," ​Gouze explained.

"Having said that, we have a great team in the UK already that know our brands and can form the backbone of this new business.”​

A fresh approach

As one of the largest markets in Europe, Gouze has observed that the UK has a longstanding spirit drinking culture up and down the country.

“The UK has famous whisky distilleries in Scotland and a thriving cocktail scene too,”​ he said.

“Of course, it is a challenging and expensive market with lots of competition too, so we want to attack it in a considered and optimised way.”​

As a result, Maison Ferrand UK is looking to adjust its strategy from how it worked with Identity Drinks in the past.

“We want to maximise our work with wholesalers and minimise our direct contact with the on-trade,” ​Gouze explained.

“This will allow us take advantage of lesser talked about parts of the UK where we can see the demand exists. London is a major on-trade market, but our brands are more skewed to off-trade selling to multiple and specialist independent retailers which we think has a lot of potential as people become more money-conscious and go out to bars less often.”​

Maison Ferrand UK is also keen to invest in the recent trend of younger people enjoying lower ABV spirits like Aperol.

“Younger generations are more interested in less boozy drinks like spritzers that they can sip,”​ Gouze said.

“Rum is also a trend to keep an eye on as it has been booming in the UK and across Europe. And then there is the focus on experiences which is something we want to focus on as a brand, finding ways to take our consumers on a journey.”​

Asked about his goals for the new venture, Gouze admitted that the firm wasn’t set on becoming the biggest, but instead was primarily focused on “doing a good job” ​and “working with people we like”.​

“This is really a passion job for us,” ​he added.

“We work with the people that have supported us along the way and hope to keep delivering on the quality that consumers have to expect. When challenges come up we will adapt, but we are excited to go on this journey.”​

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