Macdonald Henderson advises on acquisition of UK’s northernmost brewery

Macdonald Henderson has advised Viking Mead Ltd on its acquisition of the UK’s northernmost brewery, Valhalla Brewery, situated on the isle of Unst, Shetland.

Founder, Sonny Priest, has sold the business after 20 years of producing local ale.

Alistair Morgan founded Viking Mead Ltd in 2017, and the company produces Skald, a refreshing, ‘session-strength’ mead at around five per cent. Mead is a remarkably simple drink, utilising only water, honey and yeast to create alcohol, and yet capable of great complexity.

The name Skald, is that of Norse storyteller poets who would captivate the mead-halls with the tales and sagas of gods and heroes.

The acquisition will allow Viking Mead to continue to make the Valhalla signature line of ales in addition to the mead.

Mr Morgan said: “This is a great opportunity for us to expand the Viking Mead business and at the same time keep alive the excellent range of ales produced by Valhalla over the past 20 years. The dedication and passion that has been put into the business is clear to see and we are looking forward to taking it forward to the next stage of the journey.”

He added: “Macdonald Henderson are a pleasure to work with. The team has a wealth of knowledge and experience and right from the start I was reassured by their enthusiasm and genuine desire to make sure the whole process went as smoothly as possible for us.”

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