Cooper King Distillery, based near York, has to date produced around 1,000 litres of sanitiser for the public, A&E departments, ICU units and mountain rescue organisations across the country.
The business was forced to move quickly after seeing its customer base diminish overnight, but is now busier than ever.
Mr Jaume said: “For us it made sense to do it, because we’re not just focussed on our environmental responsibilities – the entire distillery runs on 100 per cent green energy and we plant woodland for every bottle of gin sold - but our social responsibilities too.
“The demand for sanitiser has been huge, and we feel proud knowing we are doing our bit to support the NHS and health organisations during these turbulent times.”
Cooper King Distillery turned to the University’s SparkFund in its early years, as it looked to scale up its operations.
Funding provided by the University, through the European Regional Development Fund, helped the distillery buy a second vacuum gin still.
The move enabled the company to develop new products without having to halt production of its current range – a move which Mr Jaume said was pivotal in helping the business grow.
He said: “Bringing a second vacuum still into operation has allowed us to considerably expand our research and development capability, without impacting production of our core range of products.
“We have some exciting trial distillations lined up, including fresh lemongrass which was grown here on site, and produce from Tommy Bank’s Michelin-starred restaurant, the Black Swan at Oldstead, whom we regularly collaborate with.”
SparkFund is an innovation support and grants programme delivered by the University of Hull, with funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
It can help SMEs move their business forward through Innovation and Research and Development.
Pauline Mitchell, programme manager at SparkFund, said: “We are very pleased to be able to support Cooper King in their effort to support key sectors in fighting the Coronavirus and shortage of hand sanitiser.
“It’s the mark of a great company when they are able to adapt their thinking and processes so quickly to help in the National response.”
You can find out more about Cooper King by visiting its website.