William Chase (entrepreneur) explained

William Chase
Birth Place:Herefordshire, West Midlands, England
Nationality:British
Occupation:Entrepreneur
Years Active:1980–present
Children:James Chase, Harry Chase, Austin Chase, Thomas Chase

William Chase (born in Herefordshire, UK) is a British entrepreneur. He is the founder of the Tyrrells Potato Chips brand and Chase Distillery, Ltd. that produces Chase Vodka and Williams Gin and more recently Willy's Probiotic Live Foods that produces fermented foods and drinks.

Early life

Chase grew up on his family's farm, Tyrrells Court, near Dilwyn in Herefordshire.[1] Having purchased the farm from his father at the age of 20 with a bank loan of £200,000, a poor potato harvest and high interest rates forced him to declare bankruptcy in 1992.[2] He then re-established his business and began trading in potatoes to generate additional income.[3]

Tyrrells

In 2002, Chase launched Tyrrells: a crisp brand made from potato varieties grown on his farm, including Lady Rosetta and Golden Wonder.[4] Chase initially favoured upmarket outlets such as Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges and Harrods, and independent retailers over mass-market sellers,[5] notably by forcing Tesco to cease stocking the product in 2006.[6] Turnover reached £14 million by 2008,[2] when he sold a majority stake in the firm to investment company Langholm Capital for £30 million.[4]

Chase Distillery

Chase invested the proceeds from the sale of equity in Tyrrells to found the Chase Distillery, Ltd. in 2008.[7] Initially, the distillery focused exclusively on producing high-quality potato vodka from potatoes grown on site. The construction of an exceptionally tall 70 ft rectification column enabled Chase Vodka to be distilled up to 119 times.[4] Chase Vodka sales totalled £140,000 in the first year and the brand quickly achieved success on the export market.[8] Chase gradually developed and brought new products to market including fruit liqueurs (notably Chase Elderflower Liqueur) and flavoured vodkas (e.g. Chase Marmalade Vodka and Chase Smoked English Oak Vodka).

Chase Distillery is also responsible for the production of Williams Gin, which uses Chase Vodka as its base spirit. The alcohol is then infused with botanicals using a traditional carter head style still[9] to create a range of products including Williams Elegant Gin, Williams Sloe and Mulberry Gin, Chase Eureka Citrus Gin and Williams Seville Orange Gin.

Selladore En Provence (formerly Williams Chase Wines)

, the Chase Distillery forms part of the Williams Chase brand. Maison Williams Chase wines are cultivated at the Château Saint Jean de villecroze (previously called Château saint jean de villecroze in the French Provence region.[10]

Willy's ACV - Organic Probiotic Live Foods

In 2014, William Chase launched Willy's ACV.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Will's Story . 16 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140528030909/http://williamschase.co.uk/pages/our-story . May 28, 2014 . en.
  2. News: The potato farmer who swapped bankruptcy for making millions. Smale. Will. 8 February 2016. BBC. 26 May 2016.
  3. News: Fame & Fortune:Tyrrells Crisps founder William Chase. Wall. Emma. 3 July 2016. The Daily Telegraph. 26 May 2016.
  4. News: The family behind the Tyrrells crisps brand has found a new use for its potatoes – artisan vodka. Huix. Anna. 11 June 2010. The Independent. 26 May 2016.
  5. News: How I created the world's best vodka from my potato farm in Herefordshire. Miller. Rachel. The Marketing Donut. 26 May 2016.
  6. News: Crunch time for Tesco in row with crisp maker. Milmo. Dan. 18 September 2006. The Guardian. 26 May 2016.
  7. News: Tyrrells crisp firm makes a packet in £100m sale. Neate. Rupert. 1 August 2013. The Guardian. 26 May 2016.
  8. News: William Chase: From posh crisps to best potato vodka. Arnott. Sarah. 6 January 2011. The Independent. 26 May 2016.
  9. News: Williams Chase Gin: The Distillery Tour. Williams. Rebecca. 25 February 2014. HuffPost. 26 May 2016.
  10. News: Chase to make biodynamic wine and vermouth in Provence. Kearns. Emily. 16 May 2013. Harpers. 26 May 2016.