A BOUTIQUE distiller has won an award from the Department for International Trade in recognition of its success in the export market.
Speyside Distillers, which operates a distillery in Kingussie, received the UK Board of Trade accolade following a record year for exports.
The firm, which employs 13 people at its Glasgow headquarters and distillery, saw its exports turnover increase by 13% last year, with overseas sales making up 95% of its £3.2 million turnover.
International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox presented the award at a meeting in Stirling Castle.
Speyside Distillers produces the SPEY and Beinn Dubh single malt Scotch whisky brands, and last year launched a new gin range, Byron’s Gin, partnering with The Botanical Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
The company focuses on the luxury market and in addition to its core brands, specialises in exclusive limited-edition bottlings, including a 20-year-old Beinn Dubh in 2016 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Thunder in the Glens rally, organised by the Dunedin chapter of the Harley Davidson Owners Group.
Speyside has gone from strength to strength since Harvey’s of Edinburgh bought it in 2012. It already had a solid foothold in the Far East whisky market, and over the past six years has focused on growing its presence in other international territories.
John Harvey McDonagh, Speyside Distillers CEO, said: “We are honoured to be recognised by the DIT Board of Trade for our export achievements. We may be small in terms of the size of our operation, but we pack a punch in international markets.
“We saw phenomenal growth overseas in 2017, with both SPEY and Beinn Dubh adding eight new markets in just 12 months.
“SPEY is now available in 34 countries, with the most successful currently being Taiwan where, despite a crowded marketplace for Scotch whisky, it is one of the best-selling malts.
“Historically, around 90% of SPEY sales have come from Taiwan, but with sales increasing in Europe, USA, UAE and the Baltics, this region now accounts for 70% of our export market. We anticipate a further reduction in this figure as sales continue to grow worldwide.”
The company’s managing director, Patricia Dillon, said the scale of production at Speyside Distillery, which lies at the foot of the Cairngorms, has meant the firm has had to take an innovative approach to supplying the market at home and abroad.
“We will never have the scale of production that the major international drinks producers have, but this is one of our unique selling points and we don’t want that to change,” she said.
“We produce just 13,200 litres of alcohol per week, which allows us to focus on exclusivity. We are renowned for creating an exceptional product which, although available worldwide, is sold by strict allocation, creating a high level of demand.
“It is synonymous with luxury and quality – drinkers the world over recognise it as a dram which has been made using traditional time-honoured techniques by craftsmen with decades of experience in the industry.
“The fact that we are one of the last remaining independent distillers also means that we have a great deal of flexibility with our product, with capability to focus on exclusive bottlings, including many rare expressions from our archives, that are produced in extremely limited quantities,” she added.
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