InchDairnie Distillery plans job cuts
Fife-based InchDairnie Distillery is undergoing a restructuring of its workforce due to the decline in global demand for whisky.
The Scottish distillery, which has 27 employees according to its LinkedIn page, was founded in 2015 by industry veteran Ian Palmer.
At the end of last year, the distillery announced plans to double its whisky production, from two million to 4m-litres of alcohol per year.
Palmer confirmed in a statement to The Spirits Business that the distillery is undergoing a redundancy process “due to a slowdown in the international demand for whisky”.
He said: “We have decided to start a process to consider potential redundancies across the business, in order to adapt to the current market conditions we find ourselves in, which represent the new normal for our company.
“As we are in the middle of this process, and to be fair to our employees, we don’t intend to comment further at this time, however, the structural changes will ensure we and our brands are set up for continued success for the future”.
Palmer did not disclose how many jobs are at risk.
In May this year, the distillery joined forces with MacDuff International to create a new combined company known as InchDairnie Whisky Limited.
Addressing the decision to unify the two company’s, managing director (commercial) Graham Glen said at the time that it was the “natural next step in our journey”.
“We believe that working as one business, with one team and one clear vision, sets us up for long-term success across all areas of our operation,” he added. “While the MacDuff name will be retired from active use, it will forever remain a proud part of the group’s legacy that we look forward to building upon in this next chapter.”
The distillery also released its first single malts in May this year, under the KinGlassie brand. InchDairnie has previously launched a Scottish pot still whisky and a rye expression.
December 2025 will mark the distillery’s 10th anniversary.
The news that InchDairnie is reviewing its workforce follows a number of production pauses throughout the whisky industry this year, with Scottish distilleries such as Rosebank, Glenglassaugh and Isle of Harris also cutting staff.
Scotch is feeling the crunch both at home and also in its most valuable export market, the US, where the strain of tariffs is said to be costing the sector £4 million (US$5.4m) per week.
Scotch exports fell by 3.7% in value in 2024, according to statistics from the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). The stats reflect a ‘challenging trading environment’ for the Scotch industry, which has seen more than 1,000 job losses this year.
Ahead of November’s autumn budget, the SWA warned that the government cannot “tax our way to growth”.
The SWA’s chief executive, Mark Kent, urged the UK government to “redouble its efforts to back Scotch producers to the hilt, as promised by the prime minister”.
Trade bodies have also written to chancellor Rachel Reeves stressing the need for a multi-year duty freeze on spirits.
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