Whisky brand in trademark row over ‘Glenfiddich’ company name

Former Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace has faced a trademark dispute after naming a business “Glenfiddich Consulting Ltd”, sharing its title with the well-known Scottish whisky.

The BBC reports that Glenfiddich’s owner, William Grant & Sons, lodged a case with the High Court claiming the company breached its trademark and intellectual property rights. Sir Ben, who served as Wyre and Preston North MP from 2005 to 2024, set up the business ahead of stepping down from Parliament.

The consultancy, registered to an accountancy firm in Garstang, is listed on Companies House as specialising in “foreign affairs”. Sir Ben told the BBC he believed the case was “no longer going ahead”, although the distiller has not commented publicly.

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Sir Ben previously said he used the codename “Glenfiddich” during text exchanges with Ukraine’s foreign minister following Russia’s invasion in 2022 – a reference to the Scottish whisky brand, which halted exports to Russia that year.

According to court records, the claim was filed in late January, but it remains unclear whether proceedings will continue.