William Grant & Sons raises £100K for drinks industry charities

Spirits company William Grant & Sons has raised just over £100,000 through a charity auction to help those in the hospitality sector hit by Covid-19.

The #STANDFIRST Charity Auction was hosted online over a 10-day period, with bidders from around the world vying for 300 items in the catalogue of exclusive "money can't (normally) buy" lots.

Among the lots that went under the hammer were a one-off The Balvenie Morgan four-seater Roadster and accompanying trip to the Morgan factory, a trip to the Glenfiddich Distillery, a session with malt master David C. Stewart at The Balvenie Blending Lab, a weekend in Iceland - home of Reyka Vodka - and a visit to the Hendrick's Gin Palace in Scotland.

The money raised will go to The Drinks Trust and The BEN Scotland, which support the hospitality industry and have played a vital part in helping the sector's venues and staff through the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Ross Carter, CEO of The Drinks Trust, said: "The level of support that William Grant & Sons has shown towards The Drinks Trust's work through Covid-19 has been second to none. This is a very significant sum of money and will help support numerous people in need of help in this difficult time."

Chris Gardner, CEO at The BEN Scotland, added: "We want to thank all the brands involved in donating such fantastic items to this auction and are overwhelmed by the amount of money that has been raised."

10 August 2020 - Bethany Whymark