Field-to-bottle distiller Arbikie has secured £2.6 million of funding to build a new visitor centre in Angus that will create up to 30 jobs.
Owned by brothers John, Iain and David Stirling, Airbikie is located on the family's 400-year-old farm that supplies about 90 per cent of the raw materials used to make its range of whisky, gin and vodkas. Following delays resulting from the pandemic, the new 1,000sq ft Arbikie Distilling Experience is expected to open in the spring of next year.
Its Nadar brand, first released in February 2020, claims to be the world's first climate-positive gin. It is said to have a negative carbon footprint of 1.54kg of CO2 per 700ml bottle.
Like many craft beverage makers, much of Arbikie's sales prior to Covid were through restaurants, bars and duty-free channels that were shut by lockdown restrictions. Director John Stirling said with the easing of restrictions, the business is now capitalising on growing interest in more sustianable alcoholic drinks.
"With the pandemic, our new Distilling Experience has been a long time in the works," he said. "But it’s given us the time to really focus on how we can show the public our field-to-bottle approach and why it’s so important.”
In addition to construction of the visitor centre, the financial backing from HSBC will also support ongoing whisky development through the purchase of casks and stock for its 18-year-old malt that will be sold from 2033.
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"It’s great to work with businesses like Arbikie that want to make significant changes in their sector," said John Robertson, HSBC's agricultural director for the north region.
"The distillery experience will be able to act as a tool to show both customers and other businesses how clever thinking and innovation can help to build a sustainable company that can flourish for years to come.”
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