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News
William Grant reveals 2019 recipient of Ian Murray Scholarship
Scottish spirits group William Grant & Sons has named The Whisky Shop’s Kat Keough-Jack as the sixth recipient of the Ian Murray Spirited Solutions Scholarship.
Kat Keough-Jack is the social media manager for The Whisky Shop in Dufftown, Scotland
In February this year, William Grant & Sons launched the sixth Ian Murray Spirited Solutions Scholarship, which seeks to award young people in the spirits off-trade.
The annual scholarship programme was launched in 2014 to honour the family-owned company’s late prestige retail manager Ian Murray.
Keough-Jack, from The Whisky Shop in Dufftown, Scotland, will embark on a 12-month educational programme, which includes WSET Level 2 training, a presentation skills course and a distillery visit.
Keough-Jack joined The Whisky Shop in 2014 as a sales assistant at 18 years of age. She has since been promoted to the role of social media manager at the company.
The scholarship is open to off-trade spirits retailers in the UK between the ages of 18 and 30. It offers the winner the chance to further their knowledge of the spirits industry, with a particular focus on malt whisky.
“William Grant & Sons contacted us with the news and I burst out crying, I was so happy to have been selected,” said Keough-Jack.
“I am really excited to get started with the scholarship and can’t wait to expand my knowledge and gain more valuable experience in the drinks industry, something I have been passionate about for the last five years.
“I hope to use the award to host whisky tastings in and around Dufftown, and I’m really looking forward to visiting the William Grant & Sons distillery.”
The 10 shortlisted applicants were selected by Murray’s colleagues and members of the Grant family, before the final winner was chosen by Murray’s family.
Great-great-granddaughter of founder William Grant, Kirsten Grant Meikle, said: “We are delighted to award the 2019 Ian Murray Scholarship to Kat Keough. There were a number of applicants who were well-deserving, but in the end, Kat was the stand-out candidate.
“We congratulate her and wish Kat the best of luck in her continued career in whisky.”