The working still and tasting glasses inside The Salford Distillery

Our story

Independent spirits from Salford

Built on history. Made for what comes next.

The Salford Distillery

A simple idea, built properly

The Salford Distillery started with a simple idea: create exceptional spirits with a genuine connection to the place they came from.

In 2018, we set out to make a rum that felt different. Something with character, quality and a story that could only come from Salford.

What started with £6,000 and our first 200 bottles has grown into an award-winning independent distillery, producing rum and gin enjoyed across the UK and beyond.

We're still a small team, but we've always believed that the size of a business doesn't define what it can achieve. We're putting the time in, we care about the details and work with great people, and we're building something much bigger than we ever expected.

UK's Best Spiced Rum Good Housekeeping 2023
20,000+ Distillery visitors
3× winner Travellers' Choice Award
National retailers Selfridges, Waitrose, Morrisons & Booths
World Duty Free Available to travellers
Canada & Asia Enjoyed internationally
Ships in the historic Manchester Ship Canal Salford Docks

Why Salford?

A story that was already here

From the beginning, we knew we wanted to create something that belonged somewhere.

So we started by looking at the place right in front of us.

The more we researched Salford's history, the more we realised there was already a story here worth telling.

The docks, the mills, the factories and the people who worked in them helped shape Britain's story. Salford was once one of the country's busiest ports, connecting the city to the wider world and bringing in goods including Caribbean rum, spices and tropical fruits.

That history gave us the foundation for what we make today.

We didn't create a story for the bottle. The story was already here. We simply wanted to build something that reflected it properly.

The more we've learned about Salford, the more proud we've become of the place we call home. It influences the spirits we make, the people we work with and the stories we tell.

We didn't create a story for the bottle. The story was already here.

Tommy and James selling their first bottles at a local market 2017

Where it all started

A challenge over a drink

It started with a night out. It was 2017. We were out with our other halves, and the conversation turned to gin. Craft gin was everywhere. Every bar, every shelf. And we were bored of it. Where was the equivalent for rum? Nobody seemed to be doing it. So we were challenged to stop moaning and make some ourselves.

So we did.

Our first bottle was inspired by Salford's history and featured a hand-drawn map of the old dockyards by Manchester artist Dave Draws.

That partnership helped shape what Salford Distillery looks like today and set the tone for how we approach everything we do. Working with talented people, telling genuine stories and creating things with a real connection to the place we call home.

So we did.

A member of the Salford Distillery team making spirits by hand 2018—22

Building from the ground up

No overnight success

We started with £6,000 and 200 bottles, building Salford Rum alongside our full-time jobs for five years.

We sold at markets in the rain, delivered orders ourselves around Salford and Greater Manchester, and developed our recipes one batch at a time.

Every bottle had our name on it, so every detail mattered.

Winning the Rising Star Award at the Salford Business Awards in 2019 was the first moment we realised people believed in what we were building.

Then came Covid.

Like many independent businesses, we had to adapt. We kept going, kept improving and eventually reached the point where we needed somewhere of our own.

Today, we're still an independent distillery run by a small, dedicated team. That hasn't held us back. It's helped define how we work.

We know every bottle that leaves the distillery represents us. Every partnership, every product and every decision gets the same care and attention it did at the beginning.

Every bottle had our name on it, so every detail mattered.

The working still and tasting space inside The Salford Distillery 2022

The distillery

A home beneath the arches

The Dirty Old Town Distillery opened at Arch 33, Viaduct Street, tucked beneath the railway arches in Salford.

It gave us somewhere to make our spirits, but also somewhere for people to come in, see what we do and understand the story behind the bottles.

Since opening, we've welcomed more than 20,000 people through the doors for rum and gin tours, tastings and events, and we've been lucky enough to win TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice Award three times.

In August 2025, we refurbished the space, adding a mezzanine floor, dedicated bar and tasting area upstairs, while keeping production at the heart of the building.

For the first time, we could welcome people through the week as well as at weekends, giving more people the chance to experience the distillery properly.

Production remains at the heart of the building.

Visit the distillery
The Salford Distillery rum and gin range 2023—26

Spirits that stand on their own

The liquid always comes first

The story behind our spirits matters, but the liquid always comes first.

In 2023, our Original Spiced Rum was awarded the UK's Best Spiced Rum by Good Housekeeping, scoring 87/100 in a blind tasting against 34 other brands.

Our first ever gin, Salford Original Dry, was awarded Gold in the London Dry category at The Gin Masters 2026, judged purely on taste by an independent panel of drinks experts.

Awards are great, but ultimately they matter because they prove what we believe: a great story needs a great product behind it.

A great story needs a great product behind it.

Explore our spirits
Cocktails being served at The Salford Distillery 2025—26

The next chapter

Growing without losing what matters

In early 2025, we opened a crowdfunding round and invited people to become part of the journey.

The response genuinely overwhelmed us. 149 investors helped us raise almost £300,000, reaching our target within the first hour.

That support has helped us grow while staying true to what got us here in the first place.

Since then, we've launched Salford Gin, introduced our first ready-to-drink range, created the Manchester Explorer Edition in partnership with Manchester Airport Duty Free, and evolved from The Salford Rum Company into The Salford Distillery.

The name changed because what we were making had grown.

Rum tells the story of Salford's docks. Gin lets us explore more of the city's history, its mills, factories and the people who built them.

Different spirits. Same city. Same approach.

Across the UK and beyond

Where you'll find us

Today you'll find Salford Distillery in retailers including Selfridges, Waitrose, Morrisons and Booths, available through World Duty Free, and enjoyed internationally in markets including Canada and Hong Kong.

Selfridges
Waitrose
Morrisons
Booths
World Duty Free
Guests enjoying a Salford Distillery tasting experience

Our city

Culture and community

Salford isn't just where we make our spirits. It's the place that shaped the business we've built.

That's why we work with local artists, collaborate with independent businesses, welcome thousands of visitors through our doors and take the time to understand the stories behind the city we call home.

You can read more about our work in the community here.

Culture and Community page

From the founders

We've built a distillery we're proud of, a team we couldn't do without and a city that has been behind us from the start.

We don't take any of that for granted.

We started with an idea and 200 bottles. The fact that we're still here, still making rum and gin we're proud of, and still building something that feels true to where we came from means a lot.

Thank you to everyone who's been part of the journey so far.

Tommy & JamesFounders, The Salford Distillery

Work with us

Interested in stocking Salford Distillery rum or gin?

Discover our trade range and speak to the team about becoming a stockist.

Visit our Trade page