Following the closing bids for the online auction of exclusive and limited edition items, the Standfast charity auction from William Grant & Sons raised £100,409 for those in the hospitality industry impacted by covid-19.
Assembled from the archives of Hendrick’s Gin, Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Monkey Shoulder, Sailor Jerry, Tullamore D.E.W., Grant’s, Drambuie, Ailsa Bay and Reyka Vodka, the extensive catalogue of items ranged from rare and aged liquids, unforgettable virtual and in-person experiences, to bartending essentials that every cocktail fan should have.
The Balvenie Roadster
Hosted online by Whisky.Auction over a 10 day period, bidders from around the globe raised over £100,000 at the special auction.
The highlight of the Standfast auction was a one-off, handcrafted The Balvenie Morgan four-seater Roadster which was sold for £31,500 and an accompanying trip to the Morgan factory.
Other top bids include a trip to the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown and a weekend in Iceland – the home of Reyka Vodka - which raised nearly £10,000 collectively for the cause.
The 300-item strong auction included lots such as the first ever opportunity for the curious to visit the Hendrick’s Gin Palace in Scotland and meet master distiller Leslie Gracie proving popular with bidders, fetching a £6,000 winning bid.
Quirky items including a raffle prize of an at-home cocktail party with the Monkey Shoulder mixer truck, as well as getting shoulder to shoulder with malt master David C. Stewart MBE at The Balvenie Blending Lab all sold to high demand.
An Eastwood Airline Tremolectric Electric Guitar with Sailor Jerry tattoo graphic also proved to be popular over the 10 day lot accumulating multiple watchers, bidders and bids, before raising £850.
Bidders were also keen to secure exclusive drinking experiences in Edinburgh and London – which went for around £500 each in the charity auction.
With all money raised going to The Drinks Trust and The BEN Scotland, significant financial, vocational and mental health support will be provided to hospitality workers who continue to be impacted by 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 COVID19 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. This, added to the significant donations made by William Grant & Sons in recent months have been humbling.
"Thank you to all the William Grant & Sons team and to all the successful bidders of the #STANDFAST Charity Auction.”
Chris Gardner, CEO The BEN in 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.
"This donation enables us to continue helping the hospitality industry in Scotland.”
Sarah Berardi, Hendrick's Gin Brand Ambassador
The Standfast charity auction is the latest fund raising effort from the wider campaign, which has seen William Grant & Sons UK support the On Trade via donations to emergency funds through The Drinks Trust and The BEN Scotland.
The campaign has also rewarded creativity and passions at home with its Difford’s Guide ‘Bartenders @ Home’ initiative, as well as supplying millions of litres of ethanol for hand sanitiser production.
Total funds donated to The Drinks Trust and The Ben Scotland to date through the Standfast campaign exceed £260,000.
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