Ellers Farm Distillery: Three Ridings Whisky, History and Visitor Guide
Ellers Farm Distillery is a modern North Yorkshire spirits producer whose whisky project brings three local businesses together. Under the Three Ridings name, it combines malting, brewing and distilling expertise rather than presenting whisky as the work of a still alone.
As checked on 26 October 2026, the First Release is advertised for pre-order, with dispatch expected in November. It is an announced whisky with published specifications, but this guide does not describe an advance order as a bottle already delivered to customers.
Ellers Farm Distillery at a glance
Key fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Location | Buttercrambe Road, Stamford Bridge, York YO41 1AR |
Founder | Chris Fraser |
Distillery completed | January 2022, according to the company |
Whisky name | Three Ridings |
Production partners | Ellers Farm, Theakston and Thomas Fawcett & Sons |
First Release | 57.9% ABV; 700ml; pre-order |
Expected dispatch | November 2026, subject to the producer's timetable |
Official sites | ellersfarmdistillery.com and threeridingswhisky.com |
Research checked 26 October 2026. Visitor access, release plans and bottle availability can change.
In this guide
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Ellers Farm history and the Three Ridings project
Founder Chris Fraser's early experiments involved cider made from garden apples. The company's history traces that interest back to 2014, before the development of the purpose-built distillery near Stamford Bridge.
Its timber-clad production building was completed in January 2022. Dutch Barn vodka followed in March, while the whisky collaboration with Theakston was announced in June that year. Those are different products and milestones: a vodka launch does not establish the release date of a mature whisky.
Three Yorkshire businesses behind one whisky
Three Ridings is built around three distinct contributions. Thomas Fawcett & Sons provides malting expertise from Castleford; Theakston brings brewing experience from Masham; Ellers Farm undertakes distillation and maturation.
The partnership is useful context when comparing this whisky with a distillery that prepares every stage of its wash on one site. The geographical story is shared across Yorkshire, not confined to the visitor-facing building near York.
Malt, brewery wash and oak maturation
Theakston's role is to create the fermented wash from which whisky spirit is distilled. The Three Ridings account emphasises fermentation and the contribution of brewing to flavour, while its malting partner selects and prepares the grain.
Ellers Farm then distils and matures the spirit. The whisky story describes extended fermentation and ex-bourbon American oak. These production choices explain the intended style, but they should not be stretched into unverified percentages or a precise age for the First Release.
The brand presents the project as Yorkshire-grown, malted, brewed, distilled and matured whisky. This is the producer's origin account, not an independent Whisky Clan environmental certification.
Whisky range and documented expressions
One first-release whisky is currently documented, with two presentation choices. The collector's edition should not automatically become a second liquid or a duplicate expression in a bottle library.
Three Ridings First Release
Bottle detail | Three Ridings First Release |
|---|---|
Identity and strength | 57.9% ABV; 700ml. Numbered inaugural single malt, offered for pre-order. The checked product page does not supply a numerical age statement. |
Maturation | The producer's whisky story describes ex-bourbon American oak maturation. |
Tasting-note context | Producer flavour notes, paraphrased: banana and buttery sweetness, with vanilla, pear and a peppery finish. These are not Whisky Clan tasting observations. |
First Release Collector's Edition
Bottle detail | First Release Collector's Edition |
|---|---|
Identity and strength | Also listed at 57.9% ABV. A presentation and membership option for the First Release, rather than proof of a separately distilled recipe. |
Maturation | Do not infer a different cask recipe merely from the collector's packaging. |
Tasting-note context | Check the exact package contents and membership terms with the producer. Current delivery estimates apply to the advertised pre-order. |
The first release and future editions
The important whisky milestone is the announcement of Three Ridings and its inaugural bottling. Its current product page is the appropriate place to check fulfilment timing; older launch announcements are not evidence that orders have already shipped.
Ellers Farm's wider spirits and corporate recognition should remain separate from awards for a named Three Ridings whisky. No independent Whisky Clan score is assigned to this pre-order.
Planning a visit to Ellers Farm
The distillery is near Stamford Bridge, east of York. The Evolution whisky programme advertises member experiences, but a membership benefit is not the same as unrestricted public access or a standing whisky-tour timetable.
Contact the operator for currently bookable visits, accessibility and whether an experience covers whisky, vodka or both. This guide does not assume a price or daily schedule where the current public information is incomplete.
Explore more Yorkshire and northern English whisky
Start with the three Yorkshire guides, then compare producers further afield in Durham and Derbyshire. These are regional reading links, not a claim that all five are nearby stops.
Test your whisky knowledge
Open the four-question Ellers Farm Distillery quiz
Help us improve this distillery guide
Visited the producer, found a dated release announcement or spotted a correction? Share the supporting details through our contribution form. Newsletter subscription is optional; submissions are reviewed before publication.
Frequently asked questions
Is Three Ridings First Release already being dispatched?
The product page checked on 26 October 2026 offers a pre-order and estimates dispatch in November 2026. Timings may change, so confirm directly with the producer.
Who makes Three Ridings whisky?
The project combines Thomas Fawcett & Sons' malting, Theakston's brewing and Ellers Farm's distillation and maturation.
What strength is the First Release?
The producer lists 57.9% ABV in a 700ml bottle. A numerical age statement is not supplied on the checked product page.
Is the Collector's Edition a different whisky?
It is presented as a collector's option for the First Release. Do not assume different spirit or maturation simply because packaging and membership benefits differ.
Sources and photograph credits
The following sources support the guide. Producer tasting descriptions are identified separately from independent Whisky Clan reviews. Checked 26 October 2026.
Ellers Farm Distillery, official exterior photograph of its timber-clad distillery.
Three Ridings / Ellers Farm, official First Release bottle and presentation image.
Photographs remain the work of their respective creators and rights holders. Credits identify their source; no open reuse licence is asserted.
About the author
 | Filip Janczak Storyteller, drinker and explorer of all things whisky. Read more about the person behind Whisky Clan and explore additional reviews and distillery guides. |
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