ART The Artisanal Spirits Company Plc

TIDMART

RNS Number : 1803U

Artisanal Spirits Company PLC (The)

21 November 2023

21 November 2023

The Artisanal Spirits Company plc

("The Artisanal Spirits Company", "ASC", "the Company" or "the Group")

Grant of Options

The Artisanal Spirits Company (AIM: ART), the owner of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), the leading curator and provider of premium single cask Scotch malt whisky and other spirits for sale primarily online to a discerning global membership, announces that on 21 November 2023, it awarded options over new ordinary shares of 0.25 pence each in the Group ("Ordinary Shares") to certain employees and directors of the Group under the Artisanal Spirits Company plc Long Term Incentive Plan. This includes awards to William McCarter and Chris Leggat as set out below.

 
 Name              Title                  Number of Options   Exercise Price 
                                           Granted 
 William (Billy)   Chief Financial         55,250             GBP0.0025 
  McCarter          Officer 
                  ---------------------  ------------------  --------------- 
 Chris Leggat      Business Development   10,000              GBP0.0025 
                    Director 
                  ---------------------  ------------------  --------------- 
 

These options have been granted in line with the Group's Remuneration Policy and are in the form of nominal cost share options each exercisable at the nominal value of an Ordinary Share of 0.25p ("Nil-Cost Awards") and vest after three years, subject to continued employment with the Group and achievement of performance related vesting criteria relating to the share price of the Company, the achievement of revenue targets and the achievement of EBITDA targets.

Following the grant of these options, Billy McCarter is now interested in a total of 106,650 share options in the Group, and Chris Leggat is now interested in a total of 10,000 share options in the Group.

Following this grant there are a total of 4,260,143 share options granted over unissued Ordinary Shares granted to directors and employees, representing 6.04% of the Group's current ordinary share capital of 70,559,774 Ordinary Shares.

The below notifications made in accordance with the requirements of the UK Market Abuse Regulation provide further detail:

 
 1    Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities 
       / person closely associated 
 a)   Name                             William McCarter 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 2.   Reason for the Notification 
     -------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Position/status                  Chief Financial Officer 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 b)   Initial notification/Amendment   Initial notification 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 3.   Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, 
       auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor 
     -------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Name                             The Artisanal Spirits Company plc 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 b)   LEI                              213800KX7VF2YZQW1892 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 4.   Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated 
       for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of 
       transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where 
       transactions have been conducted 
     -------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Description of                   Options over Ordinary Shares of 
       the Financial                    0.25 pence each 
       instrument, type 
       of instrument 
      Identification                   GB00BNXM3P96 
       code 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 b)   Nature of the                    Grant of a conditional award under 
       transaction                      the Artisanal Spirits Company plc 
                                        2021 Long-Term Incentive Plan 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 c)   Price(s) and volume(s)            Price(s)     Volume(s) 
                                         nil pence    55,250 
                                                     ---------- 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 d)   Aggregated information: 
        *    Aggregated volume           N/A - single transaction 
 
 
        *    Price 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 e)   Date of the transaction          21 November 2023 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 f)   Place of the transaction         Outside a trading venue 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 
 
 1    Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities 
       / person closely associated 
 a)   Name                             Chris Leggat 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 2.   Reason for the Notification 
     -------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Position/status                  Business Development Director 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 b)   Initial notification/Amendment   Initial notification 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 3.   Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, 
       auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor 
     -------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Name                             The Artisanal Spirits Company plc 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 b)   LEI                              213800KX7VF2YZQW1892 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 4.   Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated 
       for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of 
       transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where 
       transactions have been conducted 
     -------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Description of                   Options over Ordinary Shares of 
       the Financial                    0.25 pence each 
       instrument, type 
       of instrument 
      Identification                   GB00BNXM3P96 
       code 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 b)   Nature of the                    Grant of a conditional award under 
       transaction                      the Artisanal Spirits Company plc 
                                        2021 Long-Term Incentive Plan 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 c)   Price(s) and volume(s)            Price(s)     Volume(s) 
                                         nil pence    10,000 
                                                     ---------- 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 d)   Aggregated information: 
        *    Aggregated volume           N/A - single transaction 
 
 
        *    Price 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 e)   Date of the transaction          21 November 2023 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 f)   Place of the transaction         Outside a trading venue 
     -------------------------------  ----------------------------------- 
 

For further enquiries:

 
 The Artisanal Spirits Company plc           via Instinctif PR 
  Andrew Dane, Chief Executive Officer 
  Bill McCarter, Interim Finance Director 
 Liberum Capital Limited - Nominated         Tel: +44 (0) 20 3100 
  Advisor and Broker                          2222 
  Edward Thomas 
  Dru Danford 
  Miquela Bezuidenhoudt 
 Instinctif Partners (Financial PR) 
  Justine Warren                               Tel: +44 (0) 20 7457 
  Matthew Smallwood                            2020 
  Joe Quinlan 
 

About The Artisanal Spirits Company

The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) are curators of the world's favourite, single-cask and limited-edition whisky.

Based in Edinburgh, ASC owns The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) which was established in 1983 and currently has a growing worldwide membership of over 39,000 paying members.

SMWS provides members with inspiring experiences, content and exclusive access to a vast and unique range of outstanding single cask Scotch malt whiskies and other craft spirits, with current stocks sourced from over 100 distilleries in 20 countries and expertly curated with diligence and care.

Since producing the Society's very first cask, we have created around 10,000 different whisky releases, producing a constant flow of unique and exciting one-of-a-kind whiskies.

With proven e-commerce reach and new brands like J.G. Thomson, ASC is building a portfolio of limited-edition and small-batch spirits brands for a global movement of discerning consumers - delivering c.GBP22 million in annual revenues with over 80% of revenue generated online and over 65% from outside the UK, with a growing presence in the key global whisky markets including UK, China, USA and Europe.

ASC has a pioneering business model, a substantial and growing addressable market presenting a long-term global growth opportunity and a strong and resilient business primed to deliver growth.

, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy Policy.

END

DSHBUBDBUGDDGXB

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 21, 2023 10:06 ET (15:06 GMT)