Enola Meade, 27, a swimming teacher from Warrington, has invested £96,000 into rare whisky casks as a long-term alternative investment – and she doesn’t even like whisky
For most folk, stashing away £96,000 would mark the first milestone towards buying a home. But for 27-year-old Enola Meade, a swimming teacher from Warrington, that money has been put to work in a much more unusual way. While many of her peers were fixated on saving for a house deposit, Enola has adopted a different strategy for securing her future.
Following advice from a friend of her father’s, she opted to invest in the whisky market. But she isn’t doing this because she’s a fan of the drink. In fact, Enola admits she isn’t even a whisky fan. “I once tasted a small dram in winter,” says Enola. “For me, it’s not about the taste. It’s just about watching the value go up.”
The 27-year-old began saving at a young age, putting away birthday and pocket money whenever possible, while her parents contributed £25 a month into a savings bond, on her behalf. Once she began working as a school swimming teacher, she committed to saving an additional £1,000 from her wages every single month. By the age of 21, she had already saved an impressive £20,000.
When looking for where to put her money, she quickly grew frustrated with traditional banking options. “I started looking into savings accounts with high interest rates and ISAs, but banks are always lowering the amount of interest they pay. I wanted my money to work as hard as I do,” she explains.
“I looked at silver and gold but the value goes up and down all the time and it’s not the most reliable investment,” she said. “I wanted something long-term that I could leave for 10 to 20 years, then reap the benefits.
“It was a work colleague of my dad’s who suggested whisky. The more I looked into it, the more I thought it made sense. It’s one of the only things you can just leave alone and its value will go up. It’s not going to drop.”
At first, Enola purchased one £12,000 cask and two £4,000 casks with her £20,000. She’s since expanded her portfolio and now owns a total of 18 casks, acquired through Hackstons, a whisky cask investment firm.
“I never expected any of this to happen, I’ve surprised myself and everyone who knows about it,” she says, acknowledging her journey hasn’t followed a traditional route.
Still living with her parents rent-free, she has no intention of leaving her role as a swimming teacher, saying: “I absolutely love my job and wouldn’t change it for the world.”
If anything, her investments have provided her with a unique sense of career freedom. “I don’t need a big money job because of my whisky investment,” she explains. “I know I will have a comfortable future.”
Her approach is focused on the long term. Enola hopes the value will go up by eight to 12 per cent a year so, even at eight per cent, the value of her 18 casks in 10 years should be around £207,000 – an increase of £111,000. In 20 years, they would be worth over £447,000.
While she says she might eventually buy a home, she is happy with her situation for now. “One day I will, but right now I’m very lucky to live with my parents. It’s been amazing to have them on this journey with me,” she says.
For those considering similar investments, Enola offers some simple advice: “These are long-term investments and something I’ll be doing all my life. I would encourage more people to look at whisky as an investment. You don’t have to like the taste.”