Launch a brewery, distillery, winery, or cidery in the UK
Food, Drink & HospitalityStartingUpdated 3 November 2026
To make beer, cider, wine or spirits for sale you need approval from HMRC to produce alcohol, registration with your council as a food business and, if you sell to customers on site, a premises licence. If you sell to pubs, shops or wholesalers for resale, you also need HMRC approval as an alcohol wholesaler.
Most breweries and distilleries operate as limited companies for liability protection and investment purposes. Decide on your structure before starting any registrations.
Apply at least 45 working days before you intend to start production. You will need your Unique Taxpayer Reference, a plan of your premises showing your equipment, and an estimate of how much alcohol you will produce in the next 12 months. HMRC may visit your premises before deciding.
The law requires food handlers to be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene to suit their work, and HACCP staff to be adequately trained, but it does not require certificates.
Implement comprehensive allergen management systems, including labelling, cross-contamination prevention, and staff training. Essential for all food and drink manufacturers.
Label your drinks
On pre-packed drinks over 1.2% ABV, show the name of the drink, the net quantity, the alcoholic strength as a percentage by volume, and the name and address of the business responsible for the label. The name, quantity and strength must appear in the same field of vision. Print mandatory information with an x-height of at least 1.2mm, or 0.9mm if the largest surface of the pack is under 80cm squared. Show a best before date, except on wine and on drinks of 10% ABV or more, which carry a lot number instead.
Contact your local council's licensing department to apply for a premises licence. You'll need to advertise your application and address the four licensing objectives.
Your Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) needs a personal licence. This requires completing an accredited qualification (Level 2 award) and applying to the licensing authority.
Get approval to sell to other businesses
If you sell alcohol to pubs, shops, wholesalers or other businesses for them to resell, you need approval under the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme (AWRS). Breweries, spirit producers, wine producers and cider producers all fall within it, although a cider producer charged a nil rate of duty under Small Producer Relief does not. Apply to HMRC at least 45 days before you start these sales, and wait for approval before you trade.
Brewery and distillery premises must meet food hygiene standards, provide adequate space for equipment and storage, and comply with planning use classes. Consider environmental factors like drainage, noise, and odour.
Contact your water company to apply for trade effluent consent. Do this before installing brewing equipment so you understand discharge limits and costs.
Start with the insurance the law requires: if you employ anyone, you must have employers' liability insurance with at least £5 million cover, and business vehicles need motor insurance.
Register for Self Assessment as a sole trader or for Corporation Tax as a limited company. Register for VAT once your taxable turnover goes over £90,000 in a 12-month period.
Use the Manage your Alcohol Duty service to submit each return and get the reference you need to pay.
Keep production records and a duty account
Keep records of the materials and quantities you use, your processes (fermentations, additions, drawing off, bottling and packaging), the quantity and strength of products you produce, receive, send out, lose or destroy, your samples, imports, exports and receipts, and every stock-take with any discrepancy it finds. Keep an Alcohol Duty account summarising the duty due each month. Keep business records for 6 years, and get HMRC's agreement before destroying any that are younger.
Every employer in Great Britain must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of its employees, and must not put other people at risk.