Distillery with poor food hygiene score sponsors ‘poshest festival’

The Henley Distillery was slapped with a two-out-of-five food hygiene rating after an inspection by environmental health inspectors in January this year.

Although inspectors deemed the hygienic food handling and management of food safety ‘generally satisfactory’, they deemed the cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building needing necessary improvement.

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The Henley Distillery (Image: The Henley Distillery)

This includes having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control to enable good food hygiene.

The company is no stranger to poor food hygiene ratings, given a one-out-of-five food hygiene rating in 2024, and another one in 2025.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail in 2024 the founder and master distiller Jacob Wilson said the low score was unfair and he was shocked by the rating.

He said: ““Unfortunately due to the diverse nature of businesses in South Oxfordshire, they do not have specialists in each field to run their audits which meant our auditor had never even set foot in a distillery before visiting us.”

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Henley Festival (Image: Garry Jones)

The Henley Distillery at Hampstead Farm was opened in 2021 and produces gin and rum in the historic barn in the countryside.

Henley Festival, which is also sponsored by champagne brand Moet and Chandon, is currently taking place, kicking off on Wednesday, July 8 and finishing on Sunday, July 12.

Recognised with awards such as the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group’s SME Business of the Year, the business is a popular tourist attraction with distillery experiences available.

The Henley Distillery has been approached for comment.