CHASE Distillery is set to be taken over by a global drinks brand in a deal which should grow the Herefordshire brand.

Drinks firm Diageo has reached a deal to buy Chase Distillery, the owner of Chase GB Gin, founded in 2008 by entrepreneur William Chase.

Chase has put Herefordshire on the map with its flavoured gins, which include Pink Grapefruit and Pomelo, Seville Marmalade and Rhubarb and Bramley Apple Gin.

Bosses at both companies are excited by the move, which should be completed in early 2021, and hope it will mean the brand goes further.

Dayalan Nayager, managing director at Diageo in Great Britain, said: "We are thrilled to be bringing such a quintessentially British portfolio of high quality, crafted brands into our family.

"We are excited about the growth opportunity within the premium plus segment and are very much looking forward to working with the Chase team to build on the portfolio's considerable potential."

Diageo already own big-name brands including Captain Morgan's rum, Smirnoff Cocktails and Bailey's, and Chase's chairman said the firm sees the potential of the distillery, based in Preston Wynne near Hereford.

William Chase, founder and chairman, said: "It's inspiring to have Diageo invest in Chase Distillery's future.

"They believe in the potential of our field to bottle spirits and will build on our mission to develop our sustainable distillery in Herefordshire."

A spokesperson for Diageo added: "Sustainability and a relentless focus on quality are at the heart of everything the Chase Distillery does.

"The spirits portfolio is distilled from scratch using British-grown potatoes, apples and all-natural botanicals on the Chase Farm in Herefordshire.

"The steam energy used to run the distillery is produced on site from a biomass boiler powered by prunings from the apple orchard, with potato waste used as fertiliser to feed the farm's cattle.

The takeover is still subject to regulatory clearances.