Achi news desk-
On a peninsula at the eastern end of the mainland is Orkney Distillery Deerness. Founded in 2016 by husband-and-wife team Stuart and Adelle Brown, it is known for its award-winning Sea Glass Gin.
But now the family company is venturing out to create a new island whisky, made using Scottish barley and specialist grains grown locally from Orkney.
The existing building in Deerness will be extended to include a new cafe, visitor center and a larger retail store enabling visitors to see the production process. Additional buildings will include whiskey brewing and distilling equipment and whiskey casks.
Open this summer, after an £820,000 development, Brown’s is making a big push towards becoming net zero.
The plans include using spent grain from the distillery and food waste to generate electricity to provide power, heat and hot water.
The couple also hope to produce animal feed from the draught, the waste grain, which will reduce waste from the whiskey production cycle and complete the sustainability loop for ‘grain to glass’ whiskey production.
A grant of £246,000 towards the project, from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, will contribute to the construction work and the cost of equipment for the cafe and distillery including mash tuns and copper whiskey stills.
‘We are very proud to be starting this development, which would not have been possible without the support of HIE,’ said Stuart.
‘Building on our success with the production of gin and vodka is an important step on our journey, allowing us to increase sales nationally and internationally while creating employment in the islands, attracting more visitors and having a greener footprint.’
Graeme Harrison, area manager for the HIE team in Orkney, said: ‘Whisky and gin production is a key part of our food and drink sector in Orkney. It provides valuable employment and contributes to community resilience.
‘The development will help grow the business to a size where it can have a sustainable future.
‘Orkney continues to experience steady growth in bulk tourism and this will be a valuable addition to our range of visitor attractions, particularly outside Kirkwall, so we are delighted to support this initiative.’
Read more Whiskey news here.
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