Fettercairn Distillery, together with Bairds Malt, lately launched the brand new Fettercairn 200 Membership, a long-term partnership with Scottish barley farmers all inside a 50 miles radius of the Highland distillery.
The companions all name the native Aberdeenshire farming neighborhood dwelling.
An announcement from Fettercairn notes that as of this summer time, members of the 200 Membership have dedicated to supplying the distillery with 100% of the barley required to provide Fettercairn Single Malt Whisky.
Fettercairn 200 Membership (picture by way of Fettercairn)
The distiller states that it will guarantee end-to-end transparency of the best high quality, regionally sourced barley.
The launch of the 200 Membership is the newest step in Fettercairn’s land administration imaginative and prescient for the following century, finally enabling the manufacturing of its personal single origin, single malt whisky.
In keeping with the push for larger transparency throughout the business, the Bairds Malt workforce is a part of the membership to assist nurture the connection between the distillery, the land and people that can outline the longer term for whisky made by Fettercairn.
The celebration of partnership additionally marks the reopening of the Fettercairn Distillery Customer Middle, following closure as a result of pandemic and upgrades made whereas it was closed.
The brand new customer heart upgrades embody an iconic new sculpture, Forest Move, made by environmental artist Rob Mulholland.
All the brand new developments comply with final yr’s unveiling of the Fettercairn Forest, which noticed greater than 13,000 sessile Quercus petraea and Quercus robur oak saplings planted subsequent to the distillery on the historic 8,500-acre Fasque Property.
That is work representing a wider dedication by distillery house owners Whyte & Mackay to develop a sustainable future for responsibly-sourced Scottish oak.
Stewart Walker, distillery supervisor at Fettercairn Distillery, mentioned, “We discuss being progressive and defying conference and the 200 Membership actually helps this dedication. Working with native farmers not solely helps our very important neighborhood, but in addition ensures the best high quality of regionally equipped barley is utilized in our distinctive distillation course of whereas actually cementing our relationship with the land. We’re delighted to be seeking to the longer term so positively and at this time is a landmark for the way forward for Fettercairn, we can not wait to welcome our companions and guests again to the distillery.”
Charlie Strang Metal operates Sluie Farm in Aberdeenshire, lower than 15 miles from Fettercairn. There, his household has been farming for 3 generations in beef in addition to wheat, oats and barley. He mentioned he believes the time is true for this new initiative.
“It’s actually essential to have the distillery utilizing Scottish barley from among the wonderful farms within the space, reasonably than taking it throughout the border or in a ship from elsewhere,” Metal mentioned. “We’re capable of farm to a really excessive commonplace in Scottish quality-assured crops, particularly as increasingly more individuals are on the lookout for native produce. Scottish whisky ought to use Scottish barley – it’s so simple as that for me and it’s nice to assist native individuals and enterprise.”
David Innes and his son Matthew farm 560 acres at Mains of Fordoun Farm rising spring barley, wheat and winter barley, oil seed rape and seed potatoes.
“We’re fairly proud that we’re supplying the distillery, it’s good to know that Fettercairn is utilizing grain coming from the fast space … true to its nature and the situation,” Innes mentioned. “We love the concept if you happen to give somebody a bottle of whisky, you possibly can inform them you helped develop the barley, the uncooked materials. A variety of the time farmers like us don’t actually know the place our barley finally ends up. This completes the circle in a extremely pleasing means and we all know we’re supporting the native economic system too.”
For extra data on Fettercairn and the 200 Membership, try www.fettercairnwhisky.com.
