Ardbeg appoints two committee chairs
For the first time since its committee launch in 2000, Ardbeg Distillery has appointed two co-chairs, Bryony McNiven and Gillian Macdonald.
The first pair of chairs in the committee’s 25-year history aim to bring Ardbeg’s fans even closer to the distillery’s whisky making.
McNiven, visitor centre planner of Ardbeg and Islay native, and the distillery’s master blender, Macdonald, will take over as chair of the Ardbeg Committee from Jackie Thomson.
Thomson has served as Ardbeg’s distillery manager for 27 years and chair of the committee for the past four years. She has also led the annual Ardbeg Day celebration at Fèis Ìle.
Reflecting on her time at Ardbeg, Thomson said: “My mind is a-buzz with so many fantastic memories. From the outlandish costumes I’ve donned for Ardbeg Day to the musical extravaganzas we have hosted.
“We’ve survived power cuts, madcap experiments and a global pandemic. We have welcomed wedding parties, film crews and many committee members who have made the pilgrimage to Islay. It’s been a peaty privilege to get to know them all.”
Thomson welcomed the new co-chairs: “I couldn’t think of two better women to pass the baton to. Bryony has worked alongside me as Ardbeg’s visitor centre planner for the past seven years. And Gillian is Ardbeg’s master blender, no less. Together, they have a shared knowledge of Ardbeg, the whisky, and Ardbeg, the place, which is quite unique.”
The committee was established in 2000 to protect the future of Ardbeg, which had nearly faced extinction just a few years earlier. Today, the committee boasts more than 200,000 members from more than 130 countries, all dedicated to ensuring that “the doors of Ardbeg never close again.”
New co-chairs
Friends and colleagues who once worked together in Ardbeg’s whisky creation team, Macdonald and McNiven have ambitious plans to continue Thomson’s work and further incorporate the committee’s views into Ardbeg’s whisky-making process.
Macdonald said: “It goes without saying that Jackie will be sorely missed by our committee and by all at Ardbeg. Hers are big boots to fill, but Bryony and I will do our best as co-chairs – perhaps by wearing one each.
“In my role as Ardbeg’s master blender, some of my favourite moments have been creating committee releases and letting them loose on the people whose opinion really matters. I’ve always loved meeting and talking to the Ardbeg faithful, then going back to the lab with their fiery passion ringing in my ears. As chair, I’m excited to bring the fans and the drams even closer together.”
McNiven is following in her father’s footsteps, who worked at Ardbeg for 35 years. She added: “I’ve lived and breathed Ardbeg all my life, being the daughter of a stillman.
“For a while, I was based in Sweden as an Ardbeg brand ambassador, before working alongside Gillian in the whisky creation team. But the distillery is where my heart is, so now I’m back on Islay, where my job in the visitor centre is to make Ardbeg the most welcoming distillery on earth.
“As committee chair, I can’t wait to pick up where Jackie has left off – sharing good drams, spreading the Ardbeg love and having fun.”
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