A Drink With… Mark Thomson, Glenfiddich

The newly appointed brand ambassador for William Grant and Sons’ popular Scotch whisky, Glenfiddich, talks familial ties, future plans and the benefits of healthy competition

Mark Thomson, Glenfiddich’s new UK brand ambassador waxes lyrical about healthy competition and “exit strategies” for nights out

You’ve been an independent whisky consultant for many years. What made you choose to join William Grant and Glenfiddich?

I have worked with numerous brands over the years and I have always had my favourites. There are very few brands I would have given up my independence for, but there is something special about Glenfiddich. My granddad introduced me to the brand years ago; he passed away recently at the age of 106. So this is a whisky which has always been around at my family events. It’s much more than a brand – it’s a whisky that really connects with people.

What will be your main priorities as UK brand ambassador for Glenfiddich?

I really want to focus on the new expressions. It’s about reeducating consumers because people tend to focus on the 12 Year Old, but I want to show bartenders in particular that if they stock the 12 Year Old, they should also stock the 15 Year Old. Also, William Grant are really aiming to be seen as a much more modern whisky, without detracting from its family values.

What do you think Glenfiddich will be concentrating on over the next few years?

Glenfiddich have some of the oldest Scotch whisky in Scotland, so I think the brand will be really showcasing its age statements, which have so far been underplayed. Now other distilleries are struggling for old liquid, we are in a healthy position, and we need to communicate this to consumers.

 Despite having such a wealth of old stocks, will Glenfiddich consider playing more in the no-age-statement category?

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the category, there are some great ageless whiskies out there, but I would be very surprised if Glenfiddich pursued this any more in the domestic market. Having such old stocks sets us apart from other companies and I don’t think this is a focus for our team. But consumers are constantly hungry to discover something different, and there is a market out there for no-age-statements. So if we do bring another out in the near future, I know it will be the right decision for the company, and not a kneejerk reaction.

Chivas Brothers’ The Glenlivet has recently announced it has reached 1m case sales – is Glenfiddich threatened by this?

It shows a very good sign in the industry that whisky is, in general, on the up. But increasing capacity doesn’t keep you up there if you haven’t got the quality whisky to back it up. It’s all healthy competition. The everyday consumer doesn’t really have an idea of volumes, so saying that we have sold a million cases is quite arbitrary. We can get caught up in the figures but it’s about keeping our customers loyal at the same time as reaching out to new ones.

What’s been the most important thing you’ve learned in the industry?

You’ve got to learn who the trouble makers are and know when to say “I’m going home”. Kicking around with guys like Grant Neave, or anyone from the Monkey

Shoulder team, is always going to be a messy night, so have an exit plan and stick to it!