Four Pillars to begin work on AU$6m expansion

Australian distillery Four Pillars will begin work on its AU$6 million (US$4.57m), 12-month redevelopment project next week.

From 8 February, the Yarra Valley-based distillery will start constructing its new home, which will sit adjacent to the current distillery in Healesville. The new address will be 2-6 Lilydale Road, Healesville, and is expected to be completed in December 2021.

The new building will be designed to ‘blend seamlessly’ with the current distillery and hospitality space, which is a re-purposed timber yard.

Once complete, the new building will feature hospitality facilities, production and bottling equipment, and a space for events. The project is being overseen by sustainable design firm Breathe Architecture.

The additional space will enable Four Pillars to increase its visitor capacity to more than 200,000 visitors a year. In 2019, the distillery welcomed 100,000 people. The development had been scheduled to begin in 2020 but was deferred because of Covid-19.

Cameron Mackenzie, Four Pillars co-founder, said: “When we began making Four Pillars, the Yarra Valley was always intended to be our home and when we found our original site, we couldn’t believe our luck.

“When the opportunity came to buy the land next door, we simply had no choice but to roll the dice and back our Yarra Valley dream to the hilt.

“Since we have re-opened over summer, the distillery has been busier than ever and too often, we have queues out of the front and  far too many people are turned away from sharing a drink with us. With this new home that shouldn’t, hopefully, be a problem any longer.”

When the build is finished, it will create around 30 new jobs in addition to the 60 employees already working for Four Pillars in Healesville.

Last year, Four Pillars added a gin infused with olive leaves and oil to its portfolio.

The company also secured its first major UK retail listing through British supermarket Waitrose.