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Verdant Spirits Limited was placed into Compulsory Liquidation on 28 June 2023 and Shona Campbell of Henderson Loggie LLP was appointed Liquidator of the Company.
The Liquidator is seeking offers for the Company’s Intellectual Property assets.
Background
Incorporated in 2014, the Company operated a Dundee-based distillery known for producing premium craft spirits, particularly gin.
Dundee has had a long and successful association with the spirits trade for many centuries and the Company has tried to build on that entrepreneurial and industrial past.
The Verdant brand has been built around the Company’s commitment to crafting high-quality spirits using traditional methods. Verdant Dry Gin is an aromatically juniper-led spirit with notes of fresh citrus on the nose and a palate with warm earthy undertones of spice. The carefully curated blend of botanicals is inspired by Dundee’s rich trading history and reflects the routes once sailed by traders to and from the city.
In addition to gin, the Company expanded its product range to include spirits such as vodka and liqueurs. The Company traded primarily via its e-commerce website, but also sold via third-party websites/stockists. The Company’s customers are concentrated in the UK, where the brand has established itself in the crowded alcohol market.
The acquisition represents an opportunity to acquire a well-known brand with an established track record and to capitalise on the significant investment of c£200k already made by the Shareholder.
Available assets
The Company has the following Intellectual Property Assets available.
1. Goodwill in the Verdant Spirits Brand
The Verdant brand will likely have amassed a degree of goodwill from its c9 years in operation. The Company has gained recognition and accolades for its spirits, with awards and commendations from various industry competitions. The distillery has also been involved in its local community and has supported initiatives promoting the region and its cultural heritage, which has helped cultivate a robust brand identity. The Company also made the mainstream press in 2019 when it was appointed as the exclusive gin supplier to the House of Commons, and in 2017, was recognised with the “Gin of the Year” award at the Scottish Gin Awards. The Company has also amassed a sizeable social media following, which likely bolstered brand awareness in the market and online.
2. Registered Trademarks
The Company holds four registered UK and EU trademarks protecting the Verdant brand name and emblem/marque depicting the war memorial at the summit of Dundee Law.
3. Unregistered Trademarks
The Company holds unregistered rights in the combined “Vert Spirits” brand name and logo as below
4. Domain name
The Company holds the primary verdantspirits.co.uk domain name.
5. Copyright in Website Content
The Company holds the copyright in the content of its e-commerce website hosted at https://verdantspirits.co.uk/, professionally designed by design, development and marketing agency Blue2.
6. Social Media Accounts
The Company operated an Instagram account (currently inoperative), as well as a Facebook page (c1.9k followers), Twitter account (c920 followers), LinkedIn (c190 followers).
7. Customer/subscribed data
The Company holds customer data spanning its c9 years in operation, both in terms of contact details for key stockists/trade buyers and general customer data of purchasers via the e-commerce website. The Company website also featured a data capture/newsletter subscription prompt, and the Company also holds a database of prospective customers/subscribers.
8. Supplier Data
The Company holds details of key ingredient/bottle/packaging suppliers.
9. Organisational knowledge
The Company holds organisational knowledge regarding the day-to-day running of the business, including recipe formulations, distillation techniques, blending/batch creation data, proprietary product/packaging designs, pricing data and marketing materials.
10. Labelling stock
The Company invested in considerable stocks of packaging, including labels bearing the Company’s name and address.
Sale Process
Further company information will be provided by Henderson Loggie LLP following the return of a signed confidentiality agreement.
Any offer must be sent to the Liquidator Shona Campbell at Henderson Loggie LLP, in writing to kirstin.drummond@hlca.co.uk by 5.00pm GMT on Wednesday 27 September 2023.
Any party must be capable of completing by 5.00pm GMT on Wednesday 4 October 2023.
Key Terms & Conditions
Any purchaser acknowledges that the Liquidator offers for sale only what right, title and interest (if any) the Company possesses in the assets. Such sale will be without any warranties, expressed or implied. The Liquidator has not verified the information provided, and purchasers are deemed to have carried out their own due diligence.
VAT, if applicable, at 20% will be added to the price.
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