Eden Mill: Investor takes majority stake in Fife gin distiller

Whisky and gin company, Eden Mill, is embarking on the development of a carbon neutral single malt whisky distillery in St Andrews.

Now, Edinburgh-based specialist consumer brand investor Inverleith LLP has secured a majority stake in the company which was established in 2012.

Future distillation will be at its new distillery which has the ambition to be one of the world’s first climate positive distilleries, based on the University of St Andrews Eden Campus - a site dedicated to zero-carbon and sustainable businesses and research firms.

Paul Miller, managing director and founder, said the business had “found the right partner” to drive it forward.

He said: “This is a really exciting moment for Eden Mill St Andrews.

“Having secured Inverleith LLP as the majority investor into the business, we will be able to realise our distillery ambition and unlock the potential of Eden Mill St Andrews as a premium craft gin and premium single malt scotch whisky here in the UK and overseas.

“We have been looking for an investor who shares our passion for the Eden Mill opportunity, who understands the uniqueness of the opportunity and is aligned to our vision.

“With their consumer strategic brand and commercial expertise, I am confident that we have found the right partner to drive and support the next and most significant stage of our journey.”

Following the majority investment by Inverleith LLP, Mr Miller will lead the business as managing director, supported by a new senior executive leadership team and a newly formed board of directors, which is in the process of being established.

Paul Skipworth, Inverleith LLP managing partner, Paul Skipworth, said the company has “one of the most exciting futures within premium gin and whisky.”He added: “As a team, we have a long heritage in the development of premium spirits, both operationally and as investors, and we believe we will be a strong partner for Paul Miller and the wider Een Mill team over the coming years.

“We admire the work that Eden Mill has done to date in developing high quality, great tasting gins and scotch whiskies and we look forward to helping the brand and its products achieve international success.’

Eden Mill, which employs 59 people, has produced a range of gins which draw inspiration from the local St Andrews and which experiment with techniques including cask ageing.

It prides itself on the flavour profile and quality of its gins.

The company recently won the Product Development Team of the Year at the Scottish Gin Awards, with its Forager Gin, Golden Lore and Rosa Rosa gins picking up medals and its Distiller’s Choice Amarone Red Wine Cask Aged Gin securing a Gold medal.

In 2018, it launched its first limited edition single malt, a whisky with a marriage of spirit matured in American and French virgin oak quarter casks and ex Pedro-Ximénez sherry casks and bottle 001 sold at auction for £7,100 which set a new record for a first release from a new distillery.

The investment will see the company push forward with its distillery build with a targeted opening of the new distillery in late 2022.

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