Diageo’s Leven plant marks 50th anniversary of bottling iconic drinks

The Diageo Leven packaging plant in Fife marked 50 years of bottling many of the world’s most famous and popular spirits brands with a visit from Jenny Gilruth MSP for Glenrothes who toured the site and met employees.

Leven is Diageo’s largest packaging plant in the world, and responsible for producing brands such as Tanqueray, Gordon’s, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Johnnie Walker, Talisker and Lagavulin, which are then exported to 180 countries around the world.

Ms Gilruth met Neil Crichton the longest serving employee who has worked at the site for 40 years, Anrei Carlov and Lauren Ferguson who only started there last week, and Neve McDade a second-year electrical engineering apprentice

Stuart Galbraith, Diageo Leven site director, said: “We are proud of everything Diageo Leven has achieved in its 50 years of bottling some of the world’s most famous and popular brands, and we want to thank everyone who works at the site today and who has worked there over the past 50 years for all they have contributed to our success. We continue to build for the future development of the site and its environmental sustainability, and we look forward to the next 50 years and beyond for Diageo Leven.”

Ms Gilruth MSP, who is also Cabinet Secretary for education and skills, paid tribute to the workforce and company.

She said: “Diageo Leven is an important employer in my constituency and I was delighted to share in the celebration of this fantastic milestone. I wish everyone a happy anniversary and all the best for the future.”

Ms Gilruth was presented with a special 50th anniversary bottle of Tanqueray. Each worker is also receiving one of the bottles as a memento.

The first bottles were filled at Leven in September 1973 and has gone through a number of expansions over the years, including adding the state-of-the-art bottling hall three in 2012. More recently, it has invested in sustainability, completing construction of an 8000-panel solar array earlier this year.

Diageo Leven currently directly employs 590 people and supports a workforce of up to 1100 jobs including contractors and third parties.