The award-winning Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD) is set to return to its original site, having been closed for two years.

The distillery, which was the first in Oxford, opened in 2017 and traded for seven years from its site in a grade II-listed barn, in the suburb of Headington.

The historic distillery ceased operations in Oxford in 2024, when the company scaled up to its partner’s premises in Yorkshire, where it continued trading as The Yorkshire Distilling Company.

For the past few years, the team have been working to revive the distillery in the character barn, Cheney Park in South Park, which has stood empty since the company left. The directors have now announced the return of TOAD on its original site, with an opening date planned for June 2027.

In a statement, the company said: “We are delighted to announce that we have successfully re-acquired the original stills, Nautilus, Nemo, and the mighty Columns, along with all TOAD trademarks and intellectual property.

“This marks an exciting new chapter. TOAD carried nine years of established brand recognition as the first distillery in Oxford’s history, the UK’s first registered organic distillery, and the world’s first biodiverse distillery.”