Aber Falls Distillery, Halewood Artisanal Spirits-owned Welsh whisky producer, has partnered with a local farm to make use of its leftover malted barley. Once used in the whisky-making process, the barley is transported 500 yards to Pentre Aber Farm, where it feeds 400 cattle.

 

Head distiller Sam Foster said: “With the farm as a neighbour we’re happy to offer them the used barley and they come along with a tractor and trailer and collect it every day free of charge and it’s then mixed with other feeds to make healthy and nutritious food for the herd.

 

“It’s a win-win for both of us. We get rid of a waste product that we’d otherwise have to pay to have taken away and the farmer gets free feed for his cows.”

 

The partnership with Pentre Aber Farm sits alongside Aber Falls’ other environmental initiatives, such as using a borehole on its site to draw water straight from the Aber Falls, and using solar panels to power its visitor centre.

 

The distillery’s work has drawn attention from the Net Zero North Wales Network. Ashley Rogers, chief executive of North Wales Business Council, which runs the network, commented: “What Aber Falls and Pentre Aber Farm are doing here, using the resources we have within our own businesses and working with local partners to make the best use of them, is an amazing example of the circular economy in action.

 

“This working together and sharing ideas is at the heart of how North Wales will get to Net Zero. Aber Falls is a real trailblazer, not just in terms of making wonderful Welsh whisky but also in the innovative ways they are using to operate in such an environmentally friendly way.

 

“You can’t get much greener than feeding the malted barley to cows just 500 yards away.”