A 100% community-owned whisky distillery? What a dram fine idea?
The new Glen Wyvis Distillery in Dingwall has just opened and as well as being 100% community-owned, it’s powered by 100% renewables-based energy. The distillery has 3 150 backers who contributed variable amounts after two crowd-funding campaigns.
http://www.insider.co.uk/news/historic-day-100-community-owned-11610460
This is particularly good news given that, at the last count, only 29 out of 102 distilleries were owned by firms based in Scotland and of those only three are big sellers – Macallan, Highland Park and Glenfiddich. Almost as many are owned by London-based firms like Diageo with brands like Talisker and Lagavulin. France’s Pernod Ricard have 13!
See this on the distillery’s environmental credentials:
‘At the distillery, all energy will be produced using the renewable technologies – hydro, wind and solar – that are already used by The Flying Farmer on the farm. An advanced heating system will be powered by chip biomass. This follows extensive research and a study that was part-funded by Highland and Islands Enterprise to prove the most economical and environmental heating system for the distillery. The preferred option, the chip biomass heating system, will be used for the production process and will benefit from the current Renewable Heat Incentive over a period of 20 years. A separate report is available that details the full findings of the study.
Environmental benefits: Minimise carbon emissions:
- From 15,000KWh (year 1) to a maximum of 67,000 KWH of non-thermal energy will be provided by on-site renewables
- The thermal energy used for distilling will be produced by biomass on-site
- Some 100,000kW of clean green energy is already exported from the site and would be available’
https://glenwyvis.com/invest/downloads/glenwyvis-share-offer-document.pdf
I wish I’d know about this when they were crowdfunding. My husband used to work in quality control in Hillside distillery before Diageo took them over and he would have loved to invest in Glenwyvis.
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Just seen that they still need investment! I’ll let him know.
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Yes, think I might do too.
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No comments on my oh so clever headline? I was in Buddhist heaven when I thought of it. Oh come on!
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Nevermind!
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Thanks. Let’s see if I can get the Pixies into one. Where is my mind says Kez?
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Hi John – the headline is excellently witty.
Since the topic is to do with business ventures etc hopefully I’m not ‘off topic’ with this snippet. It is just too wonderful a piece of news not to try and share it widely on St. Andrew’s Night. (See below – from beeb Business site):
Daily Mail owner DMGT’s shares plunge
Shares in Daily Mail publisher DMGT have sunk by 23% to hit a near five-year low, after it warned of a tough year ahead.
It came after full-year profit at the firm, which also publishes the Metro free paper, dropped 13% to £226m.
DMGT said it may be “adversely affected by recent disposals and challenging conditions” in some sectors next year.
They also warned that advertising market conditions were “likely to remain volatile”.
Taking into account these write-offs, the group posted a loss of £112m in the year to 30 September.
Hurrah, Hurrah – the Daily Mail Group posted a loss – A LOSS – of £112M!!!
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Thanks Ludo. It’s also a bit sad too?
Brilliant news about the Daily Mal. Readership?
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I see what you did there Prof…another good news story, hopefullly as you say the start of a shift away from corporate multinational dominance of a product that’s the envy of the world!
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Thanks. Did you get there in the end leaving a wee silvery trail?
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My secret critical friend CMCS has reminded me that Grants are family-owned in Scotland. They make the Glenfiddich and big-selling blends. I think the Guardian piece may be about malts only?
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