The Harwick based distillery, is owned by The Three Stills Company, which was founded in 2013 by Tim Carton, John Fordyce, Tony Roberts and George Tait, with the aim of capitalising on the growth of Scotch Whisky and the explosion in demand for Scottish gin.
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| Borders Distillery Founders: George Tait, Tony Roberts, John Fordyce and Tim Carton |
All four of the company founders, having all worked at one time or the other at William Grant & Sons, and having spent much of their professional lives in the drinks sector, they knew there was an opportunity to be had in building a new distillery and the opportunity lay in the Scottish Borders.
In November 2015, The Three Stills Company announced that it had reached its £10m fundraising target to be able to realise its vision for The Borders Distillery and work started a year later on the 1.3-hectare site overlooking the River Teviot in Hawick.
The site houses two large sheds, dating from 1888, and a Tudor Cotswold building, which was constructed by Hawick Urban Electric Company in 1903. The Three Stills Company, took the decision to preserve as many of the buildings’ historical features as possible.
The distillery is equipped with two wash stills, two spirit stills and a specially commissioned Carter Head still, all manufactured by Forsyths of Rothes. Operating at full capacity, The Borders Distillery can produce up to two million litres of pure alcohol.
The distillery also has a visitor centre and shop located on the ground floor, as well as an entertaining/meeting space on the first floor.
Commenting on the news, Tim Carton, Co-Founder of The Three Stills Company, said: “It was five years ago that we came together to create a business plan that would spearhead the resurrection of an industry that had been lost to this region for generations. This is a seminal moment for our business. In addition to being the first Scotch whisky distillery to exist and operate in the Scottish Borders since 1837, we are now in a position to contribute to the growth of this fine industry. Scotch whisky is again experiencing exciting times with growth fuelled by new and more mature markets.”
Due to Scotch whisky industry regulations, it will be at least three years before the first Borders Distillery single malt whisky will be released. The Three Stills Company, already has two brands in market: Clan Fraser, a blended Scotch whisky and Lower East Side, a blended malt Scotch whisky.
Posted by Steve Rush