The Foundry Vault

The challenge

The Foundry Vault was managing its cask inventory on spreadsheets. As the warehouse grew, so did the amount of data and the risk that came with it. Manual entry was slow, inconsistent, and hard to maintain at scale.

Compliance demands were also increasing. WOWGR reform placed greater pressure on data integrity and timely reporting to HMRC. At the same time, cask owners and brokers needed confidence in provenance, ownership, and location. Paper certificates were no longer enough.

Deliveries added another layer of complexity. Data arrived from distilleries in different formats and often only in part, which created delays and extra reconciliation work.

The solution

Proof 8 was brought in to support the warehouse operation from intake onwards. When a cask arrives, it is processed in the system and assigned a unique Digital Deed that records origin, ownership, ABV, location, and movement history.

If a cask comes from a distillery already using Proof 8, the team can scan it in and transfer the associated data automatically. Warehouse staff and office teams can then use the same system to log movements, prepare HMRC reports, and manage ownership changes.

Ownership transfers are now handled digitally. When a cask is sold, the Digital Deed is transferred to the new owner and the previous certificate is invalidated. That gives the warehouse a clearer and more dependable ownership record.

The outcome

Work that previously took days of manual reconciliation now takes less than an hour. When a lorry arrives, cask data can be logged and made available in 30 to 60 minutes.

Reporting for HMRC is now far faster, with a clear digital audit trail behind it. That gives warehouse teams, cask owners, and managing agents greater confidence in the data.

The Foundry Vault has also moved away from its old paper certificate process. Cask owners can see their assets in real time, and the warehouse has a stronger handle on ownership records, helping reduce queries and build trust.