Paul Currie appointed as chairman of Ardgowan Distillery

Ardgowan Distillery has named Paul Currie as its new chairman ahead of its £20 million ‘cathedral of whisky’ becoming operational later this year. With 30 years’ experience in the whisky industry, Currie has been a founding member of independent distilleries including the Isle of Arran distillers and The Lakes Distillery.

Commenting on his appointment, Currie shares: “From the cutting-edge technologies helping the distillery reach its sustainability goals to the commitment to quality made through Ardgowan’s investment in its unique Infinity casks, everything to date has been planned to the highest standard.

“With construction now underway on site, it is a pivotal time to be joining the team. I am particularly looking forward to supporting the development of the Clan Ardgowan programme which allows whisky lovers from all over the world to become part of Ardgowan Distillery’s journey. I am also enthusiastic about bringing my knowledge and experience to the team to help Ardgowan to become a leading single malt brand.”

Ardgowan Distillery CEO Martin McAdam adds: “As a start-up distillery it is so important for us to be able to attract great people. With Paul’s experiences from both Isle of Arran and The Lakes Distillery, he is someone who has built distillery businesses from the ground up and it is a real pleasure to bring him on board as our chairman.”

Currie’s appointment follows that of Ardogan Distillery’s sales and marketing director David Keir, a founding director of the GlenAllachie Distillers with over 25 years’ industry experience.

The distillery has partnered with Heriot Watt University and engineers Briggs of Burton to develop technology to capture and repurpose the CO2 in its fermentation process and is implementing heat recovery and heat storage as part of its whisky-making process. Once completed, it will have capacity to produce up to one million litres of whisky per year.

22 January 2024 - Lucy Schofield