Compass Box, the Scotch whisky blender and bottler, is weighing up expansion in Europe and Asia after securing a new lending facility.

The company, set up in 2000, has landed £35m ($45.4m) of support from Santander.

In a joint statement, Compass Box and Santander said the "asset-backed lending package" would help the whisky supplier "continue its upward growth trajectory".

Just Drinks has asked Compass Box for details of its recent financial results and for further comment on its plans for the funds.

In the statement, the partners said the deal would help Compass Box "focus on the procurement of quality casks and whisky" and support its expansion overseas.

At present, Compass Box sells in the UK, the US, China, Japan, France and Germany. The company is looking to expand further in Europe and in Asia. It is also eyeing the travel-retail market.

Two years ago, drinks-focused investor Caelum Capital - set up by ex-Diageo executive Manish Rungta - acquired what is described as a "significant majority shareholding" in the business.

When the deal was announced, Caelum Capital said its backing would help "strengthen the balance sheet of the company, acquire inventory and build production facilities".

At the time of the investment, former Bacardi executive Maurice Doyle was brought in as CEO to work with founder John Glaser.

Bacardi had bought an unspecified minority stake in Compass Box in 2015 but exited at the time of the Caelum Capital deal.

On the Santander deal, CFO Phillip Blundell said: "We can't wait for the next chapter of bringing more innovation to the whisky sector and to more markets."

"Scotch whisky business Compass Box in overseas push" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand.