Scottish gin producer set up by friends taps into new international markets
A SCOTTISH gin producer has hailed expanding into international markets, with plans for further growth in 2021.
Based in Perth and Kinross and inspired by the song The Gael by Dougie Maclean, The Gael Spirits Company was launched by industry veteran Nigel Large in 2019 in partnership with his wife Beverley and friends Jamie Maclean and Tanya Brown.
Mr Large said he identified a gap in the market for a premium Scottish gin distilled with malted barley and worked with Strathleven distillery in Dumbarton to launch The Gael Signature Scottish Gin.
It contains 100 per cent malted barley as a base,with a blend of botanicals and Scottish heather and recently won bronze in the International Wine & Spirit Competition.
Following a bespoke package of support from Scotland’s national business advisory service, Business Gateway, the firm has recently started exporting into Denmark, with plans to target France and Canada in 2021.
Business Gateway provided support as the firm finalised its business plans and growth strategy, including a strategy planning workshop covering sales projections, marketing strategy, product development and routes to funding.
The adviser also signposted the team towards further support from Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International, who were able to assist with potential obstacles.
Mr Large said: “Scotland has a phenomenal reputation for gin production, and our product is steeped in this heritage, from the name of our business to the fact that all production is based here.
“Looking forward, while Covid-19 has disrupted our plans, we remain on track to achieve our growth objectives in 2021 and continue our expansion into key global markets, with the potential of taking on more employees further down the line.”
Andrew Webster, adviser at Business Gateway, said the firm “has a fantastic story to tell”.