The company first appeared in 1807, founded in London by Ralph Dodds, but was later disbanded. The modern-day TLDC was founded in 2011 and ran in London's Bermondsey and Battersea before entering administration in 2020. It was acquired by Gleann Mòr Spirits in 2023. It is now expected to return with McKay at the helm.

 

Until new spirit is distilled and matured, McKay will use remaining stocks of single malt from TLBC's active years, as well as drawing a blending from casks acquired from other English whisky producers. 

 

In a company statement, TLDC shared: "We are delighted to welcome Matt to the Gleann Mòr family. He is the perfect person to lead the revitalisation of The London Distillery Company, bringing with him outstanding knowledge of the whisky industry, and English whisky in particular. Gleann Mòr has grown significantly over the last few years, and the rebirth of TLDC is an important and exciting part of our ambitious next chapter."

 

The appointment will see McKay depart his roles as director of marketing and communications at Bimber Distillery and director of whisky creation at Dunphail Distillery. The distilleries changed leadership in February 2024 when founder Dariusz Plazewski was arrested and subsequently relinquished all responsibilities at the Bimber and Dunphail distilleries, passing leadership to Bimber co-founder Ewelina Chruszczyk and McKay.

 

Reflecting on his appointment, McKay said: "This is not just a role for me, it’s a deep-seated passion, and I therefore could not be prouder to be leading a renewed TLDC. Whilst the company has waxed and waned many times since it was first established by Ralph Dodd in 1807, alongside the highly talented Gleann Mòr Spirits team, I am greatly looking forward to inspiring enthusiasts around the world to discover and appreciate both the past and the bright new future of TLDC."

 

Alongside leading TLDC, McKay will provide support for wider Gleann Mòr operations, including on its independent bottling whisky series Rare Find. 

 

For more information about the London Distillery Company, visit londondistillery.co.uk.