Industry ‘titans’ join Struie Distillery board
Independent spirits producer The Thompson Brothers has appointed a group of industry experts to its newly formed board as its state-of-the-art distillery build draws near.
Last month, the Sutherland-based distiller, bottler and blender announced it was aiming to raise £1.8 million (US$2.33m) as part of a campaign to help fund the construction of Struie Distillery in Dornoch, Scotland. The campaign, hosted on Crowdcube, surpassed its goal within a few days of launching.
The ‘ambitious’ distillery project, which aims to be the world’s most energy-efficient distillery, seeks to redefine the future of whisky production while boosting the local economy and advancing sustainable industry practices.
Now, Phil and Simon Thompson have appointed Ryan Chetiyawardana (AKA Mr Lyan), Rebecca Jago, and Nick Ravenhall to the board to help deliver on the sustainability, business and strategic goals of the company across Struie Distillery and the wider group, Thompson Independent Traders Limited (TITL).
Chetiyawardana is a globally renowned figure in the hospitality industry, best known for revolutionising the cocktail scene through his innovative bar concepts, including Lyaness, which is currently the only bar in the world to have been awarded three Pins in the Pinnacle Guide.
Meanwhile, Jago is an accomplished business leader with extensive experience in the premium spirits industry, known for her strategic vision, brand-building expertise, and leadership in luxury markets. She commented: “Having admired the Thompson Brothers for several years, for their verve, spirit and dedication to quality and innovation and not least their wonderful creativity and sense of humour, it was a genuine honour to be asked to join the board of TITL as a director.
“As a proud member of a family business, what Phil and Simon are doing resonates very strongly with me, and I’m excited to be part of the future of this beautiful business and the development of the Struie Distillery.”
Ravenhall is an award-winning leader in the global spirits industry, and has made significant contributions to both Scotch whisky and British craft spirits. He said: “I’ve been a fanboy of Phil and Simon’s work for some time.
“What I love most about the boys is that they never lose sight of the most important variable in the Scotch whisky equation: their customer. They never lose sight of what the whisky promise needs to stand for – delicious liquid for a fair price – and that thinking flows through every element of their business. It is refreshing to work with people who understand that instinctively and I am really grateful to join them on the next step in their whisky-making journey.”
The brothers have also brought James Downing and John Duhigg on board. Both bring decades of experience in investment, business and directorship.
Phil Thompson added: “We have bold ambitions for the distillery but also the whole Thompson Brothers group of businesses. We know reaching those goals means bringing experts into the fold whose experience can complement our own.
“In Ryan, Nick and Rebecca, we have three truly legendary figures in the world of drinks, whose expertise will prove invaluable as we grow. Alongside them, John and Jim are business leaders with a track record of growing and running businesses across the world.
“By welcoming these five new members to our board, we have the people in place to support our future growth, not least when it comes to building on the success of the crowdfunding campaign.”
The crowdfunding campaign accounts for £1.8m of an overall raise of £5m for TITL. The group consists of Dornoch Castle Hotel, Dornoch Distillery Company Limited and Thompson Bros Independent bottling and blending, as well as the new Struie Distillery development.
The additional £3.2m will come from a combination of new and existing investors via a Series A fundraise.
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