ABOUT:

What was the inspiration behind starting your distillery?

Spirits, beer & wine has been a hobby for over 25 years and a career break for Stu resulted in building the distillery, turning a hobby into a business, we never looked back.

We are now over 5 years old and the first new distillery on Orkney in over 130 years.

What was your career and interests until the point of deciding to start a spirits business or work for one?

Stuart was a Project Director in the mining / oil & gas sector designing and constructing multi-million capital projects all over the world and Adelle a Pharmacist.

We made a good combination for starting a spirits business, that combined with our flare for adventure and love of quality produce has resulted in Deerness Distillery becoming a multi-award wining distillery.

What are your views on the future of the spirits industry and it's current state?

I think consumers love buying into the story behind the drinks producers now days (rather than just purchasing mass produced products) which is why we have seen a huge interest in craft beer, spirits, wines and soft drinks in the last few years. 

What plans does the distillery have for the future?

We already produce vodka, gin, liqueurs and are expanding our range in 2021/22 with a craft whisky, which will be grains grown, malted, mashed, distilled and casked on site (Grain to glass whisky!!)

We also plan to expand our vodka range and each year bring out a special gin with all botanicals grown in our polytunnels on site.

What do you find the most challenging in your day to day role?

The most challenging part of the job is keeping the distilling stock up to date with the five different products we produce and anticipating orders coming in.

What are your views on sustainability?

We try and grow as much of the botanicals on site to keep the business sustainable and environmentally friendly carrying out all aspects of the process production on site, labelling, bottle filling, etc.

This ensures we are self sufficient and sustainable, important as the distillery is based on an Island. We also work with other sustainable businesses

 Is there a spirit or variation, not in your portfolio, that you are really keen to create and why?

Well apart from the new whisky venture, we are keen to produce a craft vermouth, for great cocktails, so we are busy experimenting at the moment.

What is your favourite part of your job?

We love all aspects of my job.

If you could have any celebrity as an apprentice, who would it be and why?

It would be someone funny, a comedian like Kevin Bridges, as having fun at work is one of our company requirements, work safe, hard and have fun!!

What would your spirit animal be and why?

It would be a Robin, we love Robins.

They look good and are a sign of hope, renewal and rebirth.

If you have a time machine, would you travel to the future or back to the past. And why?

Stuart answered, I would head back to the past as have a real love of history and there are some events I would like to see for myself.

The future I think is going to be much more trying than the past.

How would you weigh an elephant without a weighing scale?

Measure the elephant to get a rough volumetric size applying its density, or if stuck ask google.

If you ran away to the circus, what act would you be?

Stuart has always loved the cannon ball and being shot out of the cannon appeals, so he would give that a go.

........ and finally

What would your first steps be in a zombie apocalypse?

Get in a boat.