She hired a team lead by women to construct the first net-zero whiskey distillery in the UK, keeping women and sustainability at the center of her vision.
The Nc’nean distillery in the Highlands required four years of arduous labor, fundraising, and real construction. It took an additional three years to manufacture the distillery’s first bottle.
Her desire of converting one of the farm’s historic buildings into a distillery began when she was inspired by her parent’s property.
She discovered the distillery sector was still quite conventional and that nobody was discussing sustainability after visiting a number of distilleries.
The 41-year-old Annabel tells the Money team, “No one seemed to be thinking very creatively about the spirit.”
“I simply believed that it was necessary and that, as time goes on, people will want more sustainable products, which they already do. Even yet, at the time, everyone believed I was insane.”
“I didn’t have a time machine”—the drawn-out initial procedure
The mother-of-two claims that getting the firm off the ground was a “long, slow process” once she made the decision to take the risk, particularly while balancing her family’s financial requirements with daycare.
