Lendus.

Cask Storage Finance

Spread the cost of cask storage and racking from £5,000 to £200,000+ with flexible finance options. HP, lease, or refinance, compare rates from 40+ lenders.

Can you finance a cask storage?

Yes, cask storages are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £5,000 to £200,000, and most deals are written over 12–84 months with a deposit of around 10–20%. Decisions typically take 24–48 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

200+ UK lenders
2-minute application
No credit check to apply
FCA-regulated brokers

Typical Cost

£5k – £200k

Approval Speed

24–48 hours

Same-day for < £40k

Rates From

5.2% APR

What would a cask storage cost per month?

£40,000
10%
60 months
9%
£0

Your estimate

Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.

Pre-filled with a typical cask storage price. Indicative only, not a quote.

Compare cask storage finance rates from 200+ lenders

Check Eligibility

Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate
From 5.6% APR
Term
12–84 months
Deposit
10–20%
Ownership
Yours at the end
Best for
Distilleries wanting to own the racking outright

Finance Lease

Rate
From 5.2% APR
Term
12–84 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for
Tax-efficient, claim the lease payments against profit

Operating Lease

Rate
From 5.9% APR
Term
24–60 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return at end
Best for
Expand warehouse capacity as cask stock grows

Representative example

On a purchase price of £40,000: a 10% deposit of £4,000, then 48 monthly payments of £844 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £44,512, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.

What buyers actually specify

Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.

Machine or specification Guide price Type
250-Cask Rack System £6,000 – £14,000 Palletised Racking
1,000-Cask Rack System £20,000 – £45,000 Palletised / Dunnage Racking
3,000-Cask Warehouse Racking £55,000 – £120,000 Production Warehouse Racking
6,000-Cask Warehouse Racking £130,000 – £190,000 Production Warehouse Racking

Ready to compare cask storage finance? 2 minutes, no credit check.

Check Eligibility

Tax benefits

Cask storage racking qualifies for capital allowances, so most of the purchase cost can be set against taxable profits well within the Annual Investment Allowance most brewing and distilling businesses have available in a given year. Hire purchase lets you claim allowances as the owner from day one. Finance lease and operating lease payments are typically deductible in full as a trading expense, which suits businesses that would rather smooth the deduction over the term than take it all upfront. Speak to your accountant about which structure suits your current tax position.

Market context

Spirit that needs to mature in cask before it can be sold as whisky creates a multi-year gap between paying for the still, the casks and the spirit that fills them, and having stock ready to sell, which is why cask storage and racking is usually financed as part of the same growth plan as the still itself rather than treated as a separate, later decision. Maturing stock has to sit within HMRC-approved bonded premises, so racking is normally installed as part of an approved warehouse fit-out rather than bought as standalone shelving. A distillery expanding its warehouse typically does so because cask stock has outgrown existing racking, and steel racking systems are durable enough that a reasonable used market exists alongside new installations.

Bad credit?

Several of our 200+ lenders specialise in businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options exist. Checking your options here does not affect your credit score, because we do not run a credit search to match you. A lender will run their own checks only if you decide to apply.

Compare rates from 200+ lenders, takes 2 minutes.

Check Eligibility

Frequently asked questions

Why does cask storage need HMRC approval?
Maturing spirit is stored under duty suspension, meaning duty has not yet been paid on it, so it has to sit within HMRC-approved bonded premises with the layout and security HMRC requires, rather than in any warehouse space a distillery happens to have. When planning a warehouse fit-out or expansion, factor in that the racking, layout and premises need to be part of what HMRC approves, not just the still itself.
How does cask maturation affect my finance planning?
Because spirit intended as whisky needs a minimum period in cask before it can be sold as whisky, a distillery going down that route needs to fund several years of production, cask cost and warehouse rent or racking before the corresponding sales revenue arrives. Financing the racking and warehouse fit-out separately from the still and the casks themselves can help spread this cost rather than concentrating it all in one upfront outlay during the years before stock is ready to sell.
Can I finance both racking and a warehouse fit-out together?
Yes, racking, fire suppression, security and other warehouse fit-out costs required for HMRC-approved bonded storage can typically be combined into a single finance facility, since they are usually specified and installed together as one project. Combining them into one agreement is usually more straightforward than financing racking on its own and the wider building works separately.
Can I finance used racking?
Yes, steel cask racking is durable and a reasonable used market exists, particularly palletised systems that can be reconfigured for a different warehouse layout. Dunnage-style racking, built directly into a warehouse structure, is less commonly resold since it is more specific to the building it was installed in. An independent inspection is normally required to confirm the racking’s condition and load rating.
What deposit do I need for cask storage racking?
Hire purchase typically asks for a 10 to 20% deposit. Finance lease and operating lease usually require none. Because a warehouse expansion is often planned well in advance of needing the capacity, some distilleries use finance to install racking ahead of cask stock arriving, spreading the cost across the years before that capacity is actually filled.

Related equipment finance

More brewing & distilling finance

See how lenders treat brewing & distilling assets

Guides and resources

Ready to finance your cask storage?

Compare rates from 200+ lenders. No credit check.

Check Eligibility →
Check Eligibility, 2 min, no credit check