Ex-SWA director joins Board of £2m ‘stock exchange’ for maturing Scotch

LONDON, 19 April 2016 – WhiskyInvestDirect, the online marketplace enabling investors to buy and sell Scotch whisky as it matures and gains value in the barrel, has appointed former Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) director Campbell Evans to its board.

WhiskyInvestDirect launched in September last year. In its first six months, investors using the platform bought more than £2  illion of maturing Scotch, holding it in the same bonded warehouses as major distillers use to care for the maturing whisky they own.

The SWA is the 100-year old trade body representing the £4.5-billion Scotch whisky industry. Campbell Evans stood down as Director of International Affairs last year, having joined as Head of Media Relations in 1991.

He joins WhiskyInvestDirect CEO Rupert Patrick (formerly at Ian Macleod Distillers, Beam and then Diageo), co-founder Paul Tustain (head of world-leading gold and silver exchange BullionVault) and Rob Procter (representing preference shareholders after last year’s £1.55m crowd funding via Angels Den) on the Board of this innovative and fast-growing company.

Rupert Patrick said:

“Campbell is a highly respected member of the Scotch whisky industry, and I am delighted that he has agreed to join our Board. The breadth and depth of Campbell’s knowledge and contacts will be a major advantage to WhiskyInvestDirect as we build upon our successful launch.”

Campbell Evans said:

“WhiskyInvestDirect provides an exciting opportunity for individuals looking to diversify their investments. For the industry it provides a new and different platform to trade spirit. I am delighted to join at this early stage and help assist establish whiskyInvestDirect as a vehicle for investment and trade. “

WhiskyInvestDirect’s online platform acts like a stock exchange for maturing Scotch. Today it offers 10 single malts and two grain whiskies, all of them key constituents of major blended brands. Users can trade as little as 1 litre of pure alcohol at a time, currently costing between £1.40 for young grain to £4.20 for 3-year old malt.

Blended whisky accounts for 9 bottles in every 10 sold worldwide by the Scotch industry each year.

Industry data for 2006-2015 show that Scotch whisky sold in the barrel at 8 years old had appreciated by 10.7% per annum on average from its price at filling, net of storage costs.

Notes

About WhiskyInvestDirect

WhiskyInvestDirect is the online market for buying and selling Scotch whisky as it matures in barrel – a compelling new asset class for investors large and small, showing better than 7% annual appreciation after storage costs and inflation over the last decade. Accounting for 25% of UK food and drink exports by value, sales of Scotch whisky overseas equal 35 bottles per
second. WhiskyInvestDirect supports this centuries-old business by providing cash-flow to distillers, and by introducing for the first time an electronic exchange where brand-owners can then source a range of high-quality single malts and grain whiskies.
Coupled with CEO Rupert Patrick’s 24-year industry experience, WhiskyInvestDirect is launched by and employs the proven trading and custody I.T. of BullionVault – the world’s largest online market for physical gold and silver, and winner of two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.

About Campbell Evans
Campbell Evans has 25 years of experience in the Scotch whisky industry, building and maintaining close relationships with member companies of trade body the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). He served first as Head of Media Relations, as Director for Government, Consumer Affairs and Communications, and finally as International Affairs Director. Elected in 2006 as Vice-President of Brussels trade body the European Spirits Organisation (CEPS) by its international membership, he has also been a member of several UK government working groups across a variety of departments including the Home Office, DEFRA and
UKTI. Before joining the SWA in 1991, Campbell Evans spent twelve years in retail banking.

About Rupert Patrick
A liveryman and former committee member of the Worshipful Company of Distillers, Rupert Patrick began his whisky career at medium-sized private firm Ian Macleod Distillers in 1991,leading brand-building and exports before moving to Beam (now part of Suntory) in 2004. There he managed duty-free sales of major Scotch brands Teacher’s and Laphroaig, becoming Managing Director Emerging Markets. Joining Diageo PLC in 2012 he led New Business in Africa, managing new market sales of existing whisky brands such as Johnnie Walker, White Horse and Vat 69 worth $100m per year, until moving to launch whiskyInvestDirect in 2015

For more information, visit https://www.whiskyinvestdirect.com/

Royal Salute and a study in porcelain

Art Basel HK is the backdrop for the total Porcelain Dinner experience by Royal Salute

Hong Kong. March 2016. Royal Salute, the time honoured British whisky and pinnacle of the blender’s art, launches a celebration of the alchemical origins of whisky and porcelain at the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences with an ‘eternal life’ banquet prepared by Uwe Opocenskyis, executive chef at the MandarinOriental.

Created by Royal Salute’s Global Brand Director Vadim Grigorian, the complete porcelain dining experience is served on porcelain tables resembling altars or medieval alchemist workbenches carved with mystical symbols. The food is served on plates inspired by the imaginative astrologer and philosopher, John Dee’s famous obsidian mirror, through which he is said to have spoken with angels. Cutlery and tableware are also fashioned from porcelain to complete the experience.

This bespoke porcelain has been specially made in Dehua, the home of white porcelain, in a process overseen by famous porcelain expert Peter Ting and the feast will be eaten with cutlery designed by Gabriele Pezzini. The evening is inspired by the life of John Dee – court alchemist to Queen Elizabeth I and the man who orchestrated the coronation that began her glorious reign.

 Vadim Grigorian commented: “Royal Salute was created to celebrate the monarchy and the coronation of Elizabeth II, it is served in a porcelain flagon and is rooted in the notion of time – we are the only blend whose youngest whisky is 21 years old. It was natural for Royal Salute to take inspiration from Dee and his striving for perpetual life when we set out to explore the alchemical origins of both whisky and porcelain.” 

The menu is comprised of dishes cooked from superfoods recommended by futurist and director of engineering at Google – Ray Kurzweil– whose ‘Immortality Diet’ qualifies him as a modern day alchemist.

Over the past year, as part of a brand repositioning, the time-honoured blend has invested in forward thinking collaborations with leading British designers and artists, including Studio Mackereth and Jack Badger on a Neolithic Bar, cutting edge leatherworker Bill Amberg and experiential artist Marcos Lutyens.

The porcelain dinner will tour the UK, Russia and the US. For further information about Royal Salute, please visit http://www.royalsalute.com/.

NOTES

About Royal Salute

Royal Salute is a careful blend of malt and grain whiskies – with its youngest blend matured for a minimum of 21 years. Created to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the 21 gun salute that honoured her, the brand is steeped in tradition and proud of its royal lineage, but is firmly engaged in the modern world by constantly pushing the art of blending into new, creative and ambitious forms. Royal Salute is deeply involved in polo – the world’s oldest

surviving team sport and a game that’s expanding in the modern era. The brand sponsors more than 15 international tournaments from the UK and the USA through Argentina and China to Korea.

www.royalsalute.com

About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, the world’s co-leader in wines and spirits. Chivas Brothers’ award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered Scotch whisky brands including Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury whisky and the No.1 Scotch whisky in China; Ballantine’s, Europe’s No.1 Scotch whisky; The Glenlivet, the world’s No.1 single malt whisky; and Royal Salute, the world’s only exclusively prestige Scotch whisky range. The portfolio also includes two of the world’s leading English gins – Beefeater, the world’s most awarded premium gin, and Plymouth gin – plus a selection of highly acclaimed single malt whiskies, including Aberlour, Longmorn, Scapa, Strathisla and Tormore. The range is completed by a collection of blended Scotch whiskies operating in many of the world’s key whisky markets which includes 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport Scotch.

www.chivasspirit.com

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival appoints two new volunteer directors to board

Two new faces have joined the board of volunteers behind the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, helping to ensure that the 17^th edition of the event later this month will be one of the best on record.

Industry stalwart Linda Mellis – who spent four decades with drinks giant Diageo before her retirement – has become a director of the Festival, along with Speyside Cooperage visitor centre manager Gill Reid.

Both women have been responsible for delivering first class visitor experiences in their careers, and plan to use their skills and expertise to benefit the Festival and its many thousands of guests from home and abroad.

The curtain rises on the annual Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival on April 28, signalling the start of five days packed full of whisky, music, food and fun at locations throughout the region.

Although the Festival is managed by one full-time member of staff, the volunteer board of directors is responsible for ensuring its continued growth and position as one of the leading events of its kind in the world.

James Campbell, chairman of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, believes that Linda and Gill will be excellent additions to the board due to their vast knowledge of the whisky industry and customer service fields.

He adds, “The Festival aims to marry the opportunity to appreciate and learn more about our local whisky industry with a first-class visitor experience. Both Linda and Gill will be instrumental in helping to guide us as we move forward and grow the Festival in future years.

“Many of our visitors are quite staggered to learn that the driving force behind the Festival are volunteers who willingly give up their time to help because they feel so passionate about whisky and what the Speyside region has to offer.

“It’s through their vision – and the sterling efforts of our festival manager Pery Zakeri in turning the vision into a reality – that the Festival has evolved into the leading event that it is today.

“As we prepare to raise a glass in toast to another successful Festival, I would like to thank all of our volunteer directors, past and present, for their outstanding commitment to making the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival an event like no other.”

Linda worked for Diageo for 43 years, having started out as a typist before moving up the ranks. Before her retirement earlier this year, she was responsible for managing brand support malt distilling and marketing the distillery visitor centres and brand homes.

A long-standing supporter of the Festival since its inception in the late 1990s, she was recognised by the organisers for her commitment when they named her Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Ambassador of the Year last year.

Gill has been the manager of Speyside Cooperage Visitor Centre – a five-star attraction welcoming around 22,000 people annually – for two years. She has been responsible for raising the bar on the visitor experience by developing a 4-D extra-sensory film presentation and mini-cinema on site.

Prior to taking up the post, she was a partner in her family business – one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of oak barrel garden products. She was responsible for developing the firm’s export market and is a previous winner of UK Trade & Investment’s Young Exporter of the Year.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival programme comprises almost 500 different events including distillery tours and tastings, outdoor activities, arts and crafts, food, music and comedy.

Tickets for events in the 2016 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival programme are available to buy at www.spiritofspeyside.com/. The Festival is also active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter and on Instagram.

Picture caption: Linda Mellis (left) and Gill Reid who have joined the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival board of directors.

Notes to editors

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking. Visitors travelling to and from festival events can take advantage of a range of transport options. Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund Programme 2014 to 2020. The Scottish Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme.

Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design

2016 will shine a spotlight on Scotland’s achievements in innovation, architecture and design through a wide-ranging, variety of new and existing activity.

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design will run from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016 and will build on the momentum generated by the 2015 Year of Food and Drink as well as previous years including Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.

Through a series of exciting events and activity, the year will showcase Scotland’s position as an “innovation nation”, its outstanding built heritage, and its thriving, internationally acclaimed fashion, textiles and design sector.

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, supported by partners including Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Architecture + Design Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.

Whisky Month 2016

• May is Whisky Month in Scotland, inviting visitors and locals to sample Scotland’s national drink and explore the subtle blend of stories and provenance behind our vast array of marvellous malts.
• In 2016, Whisky Month will also celebrate the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, turning the spotlight on other related areas, such as the famous feats of engineering and innovation in today’s whisky industry as well as the distinct architecture of many of Scotland’s wonderful distilleries.
• To encourage even more visitors to sample Scotland’s whisky a series of eBooks are available. Each book focuses on one of the country’s five distinctive whisky-producing regions in Scotland – Campbeltown, Islay, Speyside, Lowland and Highland.  VisitScotland’s The Land of Whisky guides can be downloaded at visitscotland.com/see-do/food-drink/whisky/distilleries
• Find out more and search for events, recipes and trails at visitscotland.com/see-do/food-drink/whisky/whisky-month and join the conversation using #WhiskyMonth

Hibiki Japanese Harmony, Hakushu 18 Years Old and Hakushu 12 Years Old Win a Double Gold Medal at “San Francisco World Spirits Competition”

Hibiki Japanese Harmony, Hakushu 12 Years Old and Hakushu 18 Years Old from Suntory Spirits Limited won a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SWSC), an international spirits competition held in the United States.
Winning these prizes is highly significant, as it further cements Suntory’s reputation for the high quality of our malt whisky and unblended grain whisky as well as our excellent blending techniques.
From Beam Suntory’s spirits portfolio, Knob Creek, Laphroaig 10 Year Old and so on also won Double Gold Medal awards.

●About the “San Francisco World Spirits Competition”
Now in its sixteenth year, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is the global spirits competition in the United States. Panels of judges include restaurants, buyers for large purveyors and journalists who assess the entries and select the winners of Double Gold Medal, Gold Medal, Silver Medal and Bronze Medal awards in each category.

●About Hibiki Japanese Harmony
Inspired by the riches and subtleties of Japan’s 24 seasons of the traditional Japanese calendar and mastered by Suntory’s Art of Blending, Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a meticulous blend of the finest select whiskies from the House of Suntory Whisky. This distinguished blend creates a luminous harmony of flavors and aromas and a taste of mild and deep.

●About Hakushu 18 Years Old
This single malt whisky is made from carefully selected malt whiskies aged over 18 years from the mountain forest distillery “Hakushu”. This is characterized by a rich and deep aroma reminiscent of ripened fruits. With a brilliant harmony of complex richness, sweetness and woodiness, the gently smoky scent of the Hakushu brand echoes pleasantly through you.

●About Hakushu 12 Years Old
This single malt whisky is made from carefully selected malt whiskies aged over 12 years from the mountain forest distillery “Hakushu”. A distinctive flavor with fresh and green aroma, gentle smokiness followed by fruity and crisp aftertaste.

World’s malt whisky capital prepares to party as curtain rises on Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

Set against rolling hills and surrounded by lush countryside, Dufftown would appear – on the face of it – to be just another picture-perfect little town in the heart of Speyside’s whisky country.

But this unassuming little community with a population of only 1,600 is actually a powerhouse of Scotch whisky production – and is globally renowned as the malt whisky capital of the world.

If that wasn’t enough of a claim to fame, for five days every year Dufftown also becomes the epicentre of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival – an event that draws thousands of whisky lovers from home and abroad.

There are over 500 different events at this year’s Festival, which kicks off on Thursday (April 28), and dozens of them will be taking place in Dufftown. From whisky tasting and whisky WAGs to barrel racing and ceilidh dancing, the town offers a programme of events like no other in the Festival.

Festival manager Pery Zakeri says, “The ingenuity of event providers in Dufftown never ceases to amaze me. Just when you think they’ve done everything possible, they’ll come up with something completely new.

“The really great thing is how the community gets behind the event, and that’s important to us as a Festival because it all helps to give visitors such an authentic experience.

“They can come and meet the people who actually produce the whisky they drink, and then visit towns and villages and meet the locals for whom whisky is not just a product – it’s their lifeblood.”

Dufftown is renowned as the malt whisky capital because there is nowhere else with such a high concentration of distilleries: there is a saying that Rome was built on seven hills, but Dufftown stands on seven stills.

Whisky is produced in such significant volumes within its catchment that it’s believed the town raises more revenue for the Treasury per head of population than any other part of the UK.

There have been nine different distilleries operating out of Dufftown at various points in its history, but not all of them are still running. Even those who are not aficionados will have heard of globally renowned brands like Glenfiddich and The Balvenie, but there is also Mortlach, Parkmore, Glendullan, Convalmore, Dufftown, Pittyvaich and Kininvie.

Visitors will be able to see these distilleries in a walk organised by local tour guide Michelle Myron. But, being Dufftown, this isn’t just an ordinary walk – Whisky and WAGS is a 6km hike around the village for women-only during which they will taste drams from the distilleries paired with exquisite chocolates from Iain Burnett Highland Chocolatiers.

There are still some places available on the walk, which takes place on Saturday and sets out at 4pm.

“Dufftown is always a very special place to visit at any time of the year, but there is always a fantastic buzz during the Festival. We have some great events lined up, and lots going on that will bring both local people and visitors together,” says Michelle.

Festival-goers will also have the chance to sample specially created whisky ice cream at the Balvenie Street Ice Cream Shop, enjoy live music and a ceilidh on board the Keith-Dufftown Railway Line, learn how to blend whisky at Glenfiddich, and even snag some genuine whisky memorabilia at a pop-up shop organised by Speyside Rotary Club.

There will be a carnival atmosphere on Sunday, May 1 as the Dufftown Whisky Street Festival takes place throughout the afternoon. There’s live music, a 10K race between the distilleries, the chance to take part in barrel racing and sample a range of whisky cocktails and cupcakes.

Mike Lord is owner of The Whisky Shop Dufftown – a veritable Aladdin’s cave of whisky which many visitors make a pilgrimage to during the Festival. He is one of the Festival’s most prolific event providers, and has been responsible for introducing some of the most unusual events to the programme.

He’s masterminded competitions where visitors find the best whisky to pair with bacon rolls and haggis, organised bus tours to distilleries that only open to the public during the Festival and also stages numerous special events and tastings at his shop.

Mike says, “Dufftown is the beating heart of the malt whisky industry, producing something like 40 million litres of pure alcohol per year. Over 10% of the industry’s capacity is in our town – that’s the same amount of alcohol as in over 140 million bottles of whisky.

“Breathing in all that angelic air is probably why each year we come up with so many different events from the norm for The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. Whether it’s finding the best malt to go with a bacon a roll or an in-depth tasting on the influence of different woods on the maturation of whisky we have it all. We try and make whisky fun and informative for everyone.

“Some other whisky retailers have told me my shop is in the middle of nowhere but all that The Malt Whisky Capital of the World has to offer is only an hour from the airports in Aberdeen and Inverness.

“Those other shops don’t get a still man from Glenrothes popping in to buy some beer, the head of distilling for Chivas Brothers dropping by in for a chat, Diageo’s key production guy for Speyside wanting an opinion on flanged stills or the visitor centre manager for Glenfarclas dropping off some stock. These are all local people: visitors can meet them in my shop, in our restaurants, in our pubs and our shops.”

As one of the world’s biggest festivals celebrating of Scotland’s national drink, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival features a packed programme of almost 500 events, with music, crafts, and food themes running alongside a wide range of distillery tours and tastings.

Tickets for all events in the 2016 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival programme, including The Glenlivet Over the Decades, are available to buy now at www.spiritofspeyside.com/. The Festival is also active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter and on Instagram.

Picture caption: Mike Lord of The Whisky Shop Dufftown is one of the Spirit of Speyside Festival’s most prolific event providers.

Notes to editors

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking. Visitors travelling to and from festival events can take advantage of a range of transport options. Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund Programme 2014 to 2020. The Scottish Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme.

Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design

2016 will shine a spotlight on Scotland’s achievements in innovation, architecture and design through a wide-ranging, variety of new and existing activity.

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design will run from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016 and will build on the momentum generated by the 2015 Year of Food and Drink as well as previous years including Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.

Through a series of exciting events and activity, the year will showcase Scotland’s position as an “innovation nation”, its outstanding built heritage, and its thriving, internationally acclaimed fashion, textiles and design sector.

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, supported by partners including Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Architecture + Design Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate

Whisky Month 2016

• May is Whisky Month in Scotland, inviting visitors and locals to sample Scotland’s national drink and explore the subtle blend of stories and provenance behind our vast array of marvellous malts.
• In 2016, Whisky Month will also celebrate the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, turning the spotlight on other related areas, such as the famous feats of engineering and innovation in today’s whisky industry as well as the distinct architecture of many of Scotland’s wonderful distilleries.
• To encourage even more visitors to sample Scotland’s whisky a series of eBooks are available. Each book focuses on one of the country’s five distinctive whisky-producing regions in Scotland – Campbeltown, Islay, Speyside, Lowland and Highland.  VisitScotland’s The Land of Whisky guides can be downloaded at visitscotland.com/see-do/food-drink/whisky/distilleries
• Find out more and search for events, recipes and trails at visitscotland.com/see-do/food-drink/whisky/whisky-month and join the conversation using #WhiskyMonth

STUDENTS GRADUATE FROM SCHEME FOCUSED ON TACKLING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE CAPITAL

2016 London Diageo Learning for Life hospitality and bartending students graduate following a six week training course

Young unemployed Londoners complete bartending qualification

15^th April 2016, London: Last night the 2016 cohort of students from the London Learning for Life Hospitality and Bartending Course celebrated the completion of the course with a graduation ceremony at Diageo’s Global HQ in Park Royal, London. The scheme aims to help those from disadvantaged backgrounds who are struggling to find a job find their way back into the jobs market.

The young people were joined by friends and family, charity training partner Springboard, placement providers and Diageo staff to celebrate their achievement.

Over the last six weeks the students have taken part in the course which has already transformed the lives of over 100,000 people in 35 countries worldwide. The course prepared the young people for work in the hospitality industry with a mix of technical and vocational qualifications, industry visits and soft skills development (for example CV writing and confidence building). This was followed by a two week work placement in a London pub or bar, organised by Springboard through their business partners, and then a guaranteed interview with a local employer.

The Diageo Learning for Life programme is delivered in partnership with the Springboard Charity. Springboard helps young people achieve their potential, nurtures unemployed individuals into work and helps alleviate poverty by supporting people into sustainable employment in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry.

At the graduation ceremony, students talked about their experiences of the course, as well as their aspirations for the future. Graduates include:

Baljinder Jagdev, 28, Ealing

Juggling job hunting with being a full time mum is no mean feat and Baljinder has had to tackle both since leaving her last job as a recruiter. Despite an impressive CV and a degree in law, she had struggled to get back on the career ladder.

Although Bal had never considered working in the drinks industry, she came into the programme with an open mind. The fact she could gain six new qualifications was a big part of the programme’s appeal to her.

Thanks to the skills she has gained from Learning for Life, Bal plans to follow her dream and set up her own bar with her business partner. She’s already been accepted onto the Prince’s Trust enterprise programme to begin setting up her own company over the course of the next year.

Bal is due to finish her placement with Gather & Gather, a catering services at BBC Studios.

Bal said: “Learning for Life has helped me to turn my life around. The process of signing-on was a hugely disheartening experience, especially when you’re used to having your own money and freedom. One of the best things about doing the Diageo programme is that it has restored my sense of purpose. You’re thrown into an intense learning environment from day one and surrounded by enthusiastic people, so you can’t help but look forward to going to work.

“The programme has helped me develop into a calmer and humbler person. Now I want to use my positive experience to help others improve their lives.”

Shane Quest, 23, Hammersmith

Shane lives on his own and although he has worked previously as a cashier, he longs to find a more inspiring job. Despite being highly motivated, Shane’s dyslexia has made it difficult to show his full potential when filling out job applications.

Determined to try his hand at something different, with the help of the job centre, Shane put himself forward for the Learning for Life programme.

Shane has shown a real talent when it comes to cocktail making. From understanding how to strike the perfect balance between flavours, sugars and garnishes, to providing top quality customer service, Shane’s ability has shone through.

Having gone into the programme with no prior experience, Shane completes his placement at the London Cocktail Club full of confidence and well equipped to pour the perfect pint and create his own high quality cocktails.

Shane said: “Having spent most of my time in retail, I was ready to have a go at something new and the Diageo programme has allowed me to do that. Not many 23 year olds can say they’ve created their own cocktail.

“Taking part in the programme has been a huge confidence boost. I was surprised to see the level of people, organisation and expertise that goes into running a successful bar and even more surprised that I excelled in that environment.”

Konrad Toney, 18, Shepherd’s Bush

At 18 years old Konrad is one of the youngest of the graduates. With limited work experience, Konrad has found it hard to secure a job. He spent some time in a part time role at Queens Park Rangers FC, but now has his sights on something more challenging.

During the programme he has been overwhelmed by the supportive nature of his peers and found the business side of things fascinating. He has learnt how to make advanced cocktails and understand the ingredients that go into them. He has also improved his CV and developed his experience, making him better positioned to be considered for future roles.

Konrad completed his placement at Babylon bar at Kensington Roof Gardens and is looking into taking up a vocational course in hospitality so he can apply all he’s learnt over the recent months.

Konrad said: “Learning for Life has given me the confidence, skills and experience that I need for the world of work. As a result I’m considering taking what I’ve learnt a step further and applying to do a course in hospitality or business at college.

“The nature of the programme means you’re constantly learning on the job and the networking opportunities help you meet some of the most exciting characters in the industry.”

Andrew Cowan, Country Director of Diageo GB said:

“For many young Londoners, searching for a job can be a daunting prospect. However, exciting opportunities within the hospitality industry are ripe for the taking for any individual with the right talent and drive.

“Now for the second year, I couldn’t be happier that Diageo is playing a role in providing Londoners with the skills and confidence needed to make a success within the vibrant hospitality industry we are so passionate about.

 “From becoming a master cocktail maker to starting their own bar, who knows what these students will go on to achieve!”

Anne Pierce, MBE, Chief Executive Officer of Springboard said:

“Springboard is pleased to partner with the Diageo Learning for Life programme and of our key role in delivering the programme not only in London, but throughout Scotland and also in Runcorn.  Over 600 graduates have participated on 55 courses to date, with 71% going into sustained employment.  The course offers great opportunities to young unemployed people by providing them with key employability skills, on-the-job work experience, industry qualifications and on-going support and mentoring. 90% of graduates say the course increased their self-confidence and motivation to work.

“As a result of Springboard’s support the graduates have developed their hospitality skills and knowledge and can all be extremely proud of their achievements. The skills they have developed will open doors to amazing opportunities with many of the hospitality business partners we work with and it’s great to see the positive transformation in these young adults.’’

NOTES 

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories.  These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world.  The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO).  For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com/.  Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

About The Springboard Charity

The Springboard Charity helps young, unemployed and disadvantaged people improve their prospects in life through a career in hospitality, leisure and tourism.

Springboard provides a range of opportunities for sustainable employment, or vibrant careers in hospitality, leisure and tourism through;

• Free specialist careers information
• Taster work experience opportunities
• Development programmes to help maximise the chances of obtaining sustainable employment
• Pre-employment and mentoring programmes
• Educational teaching resources, information, support and student activities to teachers in schools and colleges

Springboard equips people with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve their potential.

Springboard also works closely with the industry to help attract more talent and address skills shortages. In doing so, it has the support of over 180 different industry establishments and suppliers.

For more information about Springboard, visit: www.springboard.uk.net/

Reawaken the Spirit of Outlander at The Scotch Whisky Experience

As the second series of Outlander hits TV screens, Edinburgh’s five-star visitor attraction, The Scotch Whisky Experience, has launched a unique package to awaken the spirit of times gone by.

The new Outlander Whisky Tasting has been created in response to interest from visitors from across the world about Scotland’s hidden past, with a focus on the country’s ‘ghost distilleries’.

This exclusive tasting is hosted by a Master of the Quaich in the World’s Largest Collection of Scotch Whisky, which comprises 3,384 bottles and gives a snapshot of the drink’s long and illustrious past.

Julie Trevisan Hunter, Master of the Quaich at The Scotch Whisky Experience, explains: “Some of Scotland’s most famous distilleries have been closed and dismantled over the years, but their spirit and character remain in bottlings which lay unopened, until now. This tasting offers whisky lovers the one-off opportunity to travel back in time and experience some rare and unusual whiskies, which are now part of the drink’s extensive 500-year history.

“Whether as a toast at clan gatherings, or a dram by the fire, Scotch Whisky has maintained its presence in Scotland’s cultural and historic landscape for centuries and its flavour truly captures the spirit of our country. We hope that our new Outlander Whisky Tasting will help awaken the spirit of time gone by and allow our visitors to experience a small slice of the country’s past.”

Whiskies included in the tasting are: The Cally 40 year old; Port Ellen; Brora 35 Year Old; and Ghosted Reserve Blend. The experience is available for between two and twelve guests and is accompanied by an exclusive price tag of £485 per person.

Located at the top of Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile, The Scotch Whisky Experience has been educating visitors about Scotland’s national drink for more than a quarter of a century, with more than 300,000 people passing through its doors each year.

For more information, log-on to www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk or call 0131 220 0441.

ENDS

You can find The Scotch Whisky Experience both on Twitter and Facebook.

Meeting of two spirited souls – Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival brings together giants of the whisky industry

What do you get when you take the master distiller behind the world’s best-selling single malt, one of the whisky industry’s most respected writers, a collection of drams drawn from casks laid down over 40 years ago, and a room full of people passionate about our national drink?

No one actually knows. But that’s the real beauty behind one of the most eagerly anticipated talk and taste events on the bill of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival later this month.

A meeting of two great whisky minds will take place when Alan Winchester, master distiller of The Glenlivet, and whisky expert Dave Broom team up to share their favourite drams from the iconic distillery.

Dave explains, “Every whisky has its own story and we’ve had great fun choosing the whisky that we will taste and share at this event. But in terms of planning, that’s as far as it goes.

“Anything could – and probably will – happen. You can do a tasting in a very formulised way, where you reach a conclusion in a slow and steady fashion, and that’s a very valid approach to some tastings.

“But for one such as this we didn’t want to over-prepare for fear that we might lose a degree of spontaneity. We want there to be unpredictable elements, and for the whisky to dictate how we get from point A to point B.”

During the tasting on April 30, audience members will be able to sample drams from casks laid down as long ago as 1959: a time long before Alan – who has been in the industry for over 40 years – had started on his career.

The sorcerer, who conjures up truly magical drams with the basic ingredients of barley, water and malt, was once an apprentice who started out at the age of 16 as a summer tour guide at Glenfarclas.

Within a just matter of weeks he knew whisky was the industry he wanted to work in. He was taken on as a distillery trainee at the end of his first season as a guide, and has worked with the amber nectar ever since.

Over the years he has been involved in every aspect of the trade mastering the complex skills needed to work as a mashman, brewer and stillman – and always bringing enthusiasm to every job he has tackled along the way.

Until his appointment as master distiller of The Glenlivet four years ago, Alan has worked at many distilleries during his long career, almost all on Speyside – an area recognised all over the world as a byword for the only the finest Scotch malt whisky.

He’s been a staunch supporter of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, right back to the early days in the 1990s when it was little more than an idea on paper. The Festival, which takes place from April 28 to May 2, is now in its 17^th year and comprises almost 500 events.

“The Festival has really worked to raise the profile of Scotch whisky over the years. People can come to the area and see that whisky plays a very important role in communities – and to meet the folk who actually make it on their own doorstep is an added bonus,” says Alan.

“I’ve done a lot of different events with Dave over the years – on top of mountains and on the edge of lochs – so this will be something a bit more laid back than what we are used to and we’re looking forward to sharing the different cask styles.

“I really enjoy taking part in events like this because it means I get to meet with and talk to whisky drinkers – the people who go out and buy The Glenlivet.

“I’ll be sharing stories from my own career, but also about the history and heritage of distilling and how we have seen this fantastic evolution over the past 50 years that has led to an increased variety within each distillery’s range.

“We’re delighted to be able to share with the audience drams from every decade since the 1950s.”

Alan takes his role as master distiller seriously: he knows the buck stops with him and he is personally responsible for every single centilitre of product – potentially some 10.5m litres of alcohol a year – that runs through The Glenlivet’s stills.

And it’s quite a responsibility. The Glenlivet, founded in 1824 by George Smith, is regarded as the dram that started it all as the first legal distillery in the parish. Others soon followed suit, and now the industry is worth billions to the UK economy.

Guests at The Glenlivet Over the Decades will be able to learn why its drams are regarded as the best in the world, in addition to being the biggest selling with over one million cases enjoyed in 2015.

However, more than that, the relaxed chat and storytelling from two of the most charismatic figures in the whisky industry will be just as enjoyable as the drams.

Dave also has a long history in the whisky industry, spanning back to a time when, as a student, he worked on the Black & White bottling line. He’s worked behind bars, on the counter in spirit shops and even an Australian vineyard.

He’s written no less than 12 books on whisky, penned innumerable columns for a host of international publications and regularly hosts tasting events.

Dave is also the man behind scotchwhisky.com – a website launched last year that has quickly become a bible to the trade and a fantastic source of education and entertainment to whisky lovers around the globe.

“I never turn down an opportunity to do an event with Alan because the man knows a ridiculous amount of things about whisky. I’m there because I’m regarded as the expert, but the reality is that I will be learning just as much as everyone else in the room,” says Dave.

“Alan never ceases to amaze me with his stories, which are as enlightening as they are entertaining. I think events like this are proof, to me at least, that you can never actually stop learning when it comes to whisky.

“They are also what makes the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival so great. It is an amazing experience for visitors to meet people like Alan who are so passionate and proud of what they do – it’s literally an opportunity to learn from the master.

“Speyside is a large and diverse area and in the very early years of the Festival only a handful of distilleries were participating. Now the Festival is covering a much wider area and it’s heartening to see that it’s no longer just people going around a distillery and tasting whisky at the end of a tour.

“The Festival is now showing that Speyside is a living and working landscape and that the whisky is very much a part of people’s lives rather than just a product.”

As one of the world’s biggest festivals celebrating of Scotland’s national drink, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival features a packed programme of almost 500 events, with music, crafts, and food themes running alongside a wide range of distillery tours and tastings.

Tickets for all events in the 2016 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival programme, including The Glenlivet Over the Decades, are available to buy now at www.spiritofspeyside.com/. The Festival is also active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter and on Instagram.

Picture caption:

Dave Broom (left) and Alan Winchester will come together in a meeting of great whisky minds for The Glenlivet Over the Decades at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

Notes

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking. Visitors travelling to and from festival events can take advantage of a range of transport options. Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund Programme 2014 to 2020. The Scottish Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme.

Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design

2016 will shine a spotlight on Scotland’s achievements in innovation, architecture and design through a wide-ranging, variety of new and existing activity.

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design will run from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016 and will build on the momentum generated by the 2015 Year of Food and Drink as well as previous years including Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.

Through a series of exciting events and activity, the year will showcase Scotland’s position as an “innovation nation”, its outstanding built heritage, and its thriving, internationally acclaimed fashion, textiles and design sector.

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, supported by partners including Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Architecture + Design Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate

Whisky Month 2016

• May is Whisky Month in Scotland, inviting visitors and locals to sample Scotland’s national drink and explore the subtle blend of stories and provenance behind our vast array of marvellous malts.
• In 2016, Whisky Month will also celebrate the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, turning the spotlight on other related areas, such as the famous feats of engineering and innovation in today’s whisky industry as well as the distinct architecture of many of Scotland’s wonderful distilleries.
• To encourage even more visitors to sample Scotland’s whisky a series of eBooks are available. Each book focuses on one of the country’s five distinctive whisky-producing regions in Scotland – Campbeltown, Islay, Speyside, Lowland and Highland. VisitScotland’s The Land of Whisky guides can be downloaded at visitscotland.com/see-do/food-drink/whisky/distilleries
• Find out more and search for events, recipes and trails at visitscotland.com/see-do/food-drink/whisky/whisky-month and join the conversation using #WhiskyMonth

WHAT’S THE COST OF SURFING THE INTERNET? ‘EARTH MODE’ BROWSER PLUG-IN HELPS USERS UNDERSTAND THEIR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Johnnie Walker® partners with Earth Day Network to plant trees to offset users’ carbon footprint

19 April 2016: You might not realise it but the amount of time you spend and what you do online takes its toll on the environment.

Research* suggests that the average online user consumes 130 kgs of carbon a year – the equivalent to driving 740 km in a car –  which could be offset by planting four trees.

A new plug-in for Google’s Chrome browser launched ahead of Earth Day on Friday (22 April) will help educate people about how much energy they consume online by calculating their digital carbon footprint and, as a result, inspire them to think about their everyday energy efficiency.

The new Chrome plug-in comes from Johnnie Walker®, makers of the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky, who are partnering with Earth Day Network to urge people to take a small but progressive step towards helping the environment.

Earth Day Network is a global movement that aims to inspire, challenge ideas, ignite passion, and motivate people to take action on environmental issues.

By measuring online usage over four weeks, the plug-in calculates the user’s annual consumption of energy.  To offset it, Johnnie Walker will plant up to 75,000 trees as part of Earth Day Network’s Canopy Project, which has planted more than three million trees since 2011 in areas in need of reforestation, such as in East Africa.

Michael Thornton, Chief Executive of Carbon Analytics, which helps businesses manage their environmental impact, has worked with Johnnie Walker on the development of Earth Mode and says it is sometimes difficult for people to understand how using the internet creates a carbon footprint.

He said: “Each time that you use a website or search the internet it requires a lot of energy to provide the data.  Cumulatively across the world, this creates a large carbon footprint. The Earth Mode plug-in is an easy-to-use calculator that is a helpful tool for understanding that footprint.  Individuals will be able to see their carbon usage displayed as the equivalent of everyday activities such as using a microwave, driving a car or taking a flight.”

Guy Escolme, Johnnie Walker global brand director, said: “We believe that everyone wants their tomorrow to be better than today and Earth Mode gives people the opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment.  It is just one environmentally-friendly act but we hope it will educate and inspire users around the world to take other small actions to help Earth Day achieve its goal of reaching three billion ‘Acts of Green’.

“Johnnie Walker is proud that our parent company Diageo has reduced its carbon emissions by 33% over eight years and one of the ways they have done that is to make its 35,000 employees across the world aware of the energy they use every day. Diageo aims to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2020.”

Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network said: “Carbon footprints seem like a foreign concept to far too many of us, perhaps especially those of us in urban environments or not living along a coastline. But we should all be aware of what our energy needs and consumption are doing to our shared global environment.”

“The more readily-available the information on our carbon footprint becomes, the more in contact with it in real-time we are, the more of an impact it will have. No more out-of-sight-out-of-mind. Now, like tracking the battery life on our cell phones, we will know what our computer usage is costing. And it will be eye-opening.”

The Johnnie Walker Earth Mode plug-in is available from the Chrome Store for PC and Mac users. Once installed, users click on the Johnnie Walker ‘Striding Man’ icon to reveal a drop-down window that displays real-time online energy usage, and shows how many trees will be planted to offset their annual carbon footprint.

To download the plug-in, click here

For more information on using the plug-in visit: https://youtu.be/9f3Da6WJuKI

www.facebook.com/JohnnieWalker

@Johnniewalker_

#earthmode #billionactsofgreen 

Enjoy Johnnie Walker responsibly.

Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. 

Image captions: 

IMAGE: EARTH MODE is a new plug-in from Johnnie Walker® for Earth Day 

Notes

*Research conducted by Carbon Analytics concludes that an average internet user consumes 130kgs of carbon a year. Using sources provided by Earth Day Network, we estimated that the average tree consumes 34kgs of carbon a year, therefore requiring the planting of four trees per person to offset their annual online carbon consumption average of 130kg. 

About Johnnie Walker

Johnnie Walker is the world’s number one Scotch whisky brand, enjoyed by people in over 180 countries around the world. Since the time of its founder, John Walker, those who blend its whiskies have pursued flavour and quality above else.

Six generations of skilled Master Blenders have pioneered and crafted bold new flavours that have transformed a small Scottish grocery store business, founded in 1820, into an international whisky business selling stylish, authentic, and iconic blends.

Today’s range of award-winning whiskies includes Johnnie Walker Red Label®, Black Label®, Double Black™, Green Label™, Gold Label Reserve™, Platinum Label™ and Blue Label™. Together they account for nearly 19 million cases sold annually (IWSR, 2014), making Johnnie Walker the most popular Scotch whisky in the world.

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

The Johnnie Walker, Keep Walking, Red Label, Black Label, Double Black, Green Label, Gold Label Reserve, Platinum Label and Blue Label words and associated logos are trademarks © John Walker & Sons 2016.

About Earth Day Network:

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. Growing out of the first Earth Day, Earth Day Network (EDN) works with tens of thousands of partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than one billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. For more information, visit www.earthday.org.

About Earth Mode:

Earth Mode is a new plug-in for Google’s Chrome browser which is available to PC and laptop users only. It is available for download from Monday 18 April – 16 May 2016.  

Earth Mode Calculation Approach:

Carbon Analytics arrived at an algorithm for converting online energy usage into carbon by taking a cross section of measurable variances into consideration: country power mix, browsing device, local network use and data throughput.

First they estimated the energy impact of a users’ activity by:

• User device and network time of use
• Data usage and processing throughput

Then they took the overall energy used and looked at the location of the user to calculate their carbon footprint.  Location is one of the key factors because where you live affects how much energy is required to provide the online data.

So essentially the formula is based on:

• Energy impact = time of use + data throughput
• Carbon footprint = energy x location factors

About Michael Thornton:

Michael Thornton is Founder and CEO of Carbon Analytics, an award-winning London based environmental impact assessment firm whose mission is to bring environmental impact data quickly, affordably and accurately to the world’s businesses. Carbon Analytics is committed to removing the barriers to environmental management, and to guide as many companies as possible on their journey to building great, sustainable businesses.

Get baking with the Great Whisky Cake Off at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

The popularity of the Great British Bake Off has taken the UK by storm, inspiring an entirely new generation to get in the kitchen and create their own edible masterpieces. The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival allows visitors to channel their inner Mary Berry by baking a cake which contains Speyside’s most famous export – a few dashes of single malt whisky.

Entrants to Grantown’s Whisky Cake Off are being asked to don their aprons and produce delicious baked treats which feature the amber nectar as an ingredient. The event takes place at the Grantown YMCA Community Centre on Sunday May 1, and non-bakers have the opportunity to judge the selection of homebakes on offer.

Festival manager Pery Zakeri feels that the variety of foodie events available during the Festival will help broaden people’s perceptions when it comes to serving whisky with culinary treats.

She says, “Grantown’s Whisky Cake Off is a really fun way to experiment with whisky, as it allows you to understand which ingredients and flavours complement certain single malts.

“We’re very proud of the wide range of food-related events available throughout the Festival, as each one is so different and will appeal to a large variety of people.

“You would never normally associate whisky with baking, but that is the beauty of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival – it allows people to see the full potential of single malts and the huge selection of food you can enjoy them with.

“Speyside single malts are so diverse, meaning that anyone can enjoy a good dram if they find the right one for them. Due to the abundance of different flavours and notes available our beloved drink can be paired with a whole host of different food.”

The Whisky Cake Off is one of many unusual events, as foodies are treated to an abundance of food-related activities throughout the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, which takes place from April 28 to May 2 in Scotland’s most prolific whisky producing region.

In what can be described as the perfect pairing between Scotland’s national drink and a much-loved sweet treat, the Balvenie Street Ice Cream Shop in Dufftown is offering tastings of its five different whisky ice creams, which are created especially for the Festival. The tastings could be considered as an ideal introduction to the water of life – especially if visitors are attending the Festival with someone who has never tried whisky before. Those wishing to take part in the tastings don’t need to worry about booking a slot, as the ice creams are available throughout the Festival for £3.

The picturesque Gordon Castle, situated near Fochabers is offering another event which will certainly appeal to those with a sweet tooth; traditional afternoon tea in their Walled Garden restaurant comes with a variety of scones, cakes and sandwiches alongside whisky truffles and a bottle of their handcrafted whisky cask cider. Afternoon tea takes place from 3-5pm on May 1.

For those looking to try something a bit more savoury, Gordon & MacPhail is hosting a whisky and cheese tasting on April 29. The maturation of cheese to develop flavour is very similar to the aging process of whisky, meaning that that the two go together extremely well. This event allows whisky fans to pair their drams with a variety of different cheeses in order to create the perfect match. The tasting is on Friday April 29 from 10am – 12pm, at Gordon & MacPhail’s retail shop in Elgin.

But there are dozens of other whisky and food events on the Festival programme, which includes almost 500 different activities. There’s the chance to watch legendary food and whisky writer Martine Nouet at work in cookery demonstrations, whisky lunches and dinners at restaurants, hotels and community halls across the Speyside region, and sample a wide range of whisky flavoured foods at Aberlour delicatessen The Spey Larder. Strathisla Distillery will also be hosting a Desert Island Drams event where whisky writers match their favourite dram with six sweet and savoury tapas style dishes.

As one of the world’s biggest festivals celebrating of Scotland’s national drink, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival features a packed programme of almost 500 events, with music, crafts, and food themes running alongside a wide range of distillery tours and tastings.

Tickets for all events in the 2016 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival programme, including foodie events, are available to buy now at www.spiritofspeyside.com/. The Festival is also active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter and on Instagram.

Notes

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking. Visitors travelling to and from festival events can take advantage of a range of transport options. Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund Programme 2014 to 2020. The Scottish Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme.

Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design  

2016 will shine a spotlight on Scotland’s achievements in innovation, architecture and design through a wide-ranging, variety of new and existing activity.

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design will run from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016 and will build on the momentum generated by the 2015 Year of Food and Drink as well as previous years including Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.

Through a series of exciting events and activity, the year will showcase Scotland’s position as an “innovation nation”, its outstanding built heritage, and its thriving, internationally acclaimed fashion, textiles and design sector.

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, supported by partners including Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Architecture + Design Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.