16 October, 2007 – Diageo announced it has been given approval to build a £40 million whisky distillery in Scotland.
It will be the first major distillery in the country for more than three decades, the company says.
Local authority chiefs from Moray Council have given Diageo the green light to build the new plant at Roseisle, next to its existing malting unit.
The new site is due to open in 2009, producing single malt spirits, with the first mature whisky scheduled to be available in 2012. A company statement sent to FLEXNEWS said the new distillery would “help meet anticipated long-term demand for the company’s brands in growing markets like Brazil, Russia, India, China and Mexico”.
The investment will create around 25 jobs and Diageo said it hopes the plant will be both water and fossil fuel neutral.
The drinks outfit said the investment forms part of its £100 million expansion drive in Scotland announced earlier this year, with £80 million to be spent on expanding distilling capacity and £20 million on packaging.
Diageo, which has 29 plants and employs 4,000 people in Scotland, said its latest addition “comes at a time of sustained growth" in the business.