Member Article

Cumbrian Whisky Distillery Wins Global Award

‘Going above and beyond what is expected’ is how The Lakes Distillery in Cumbria has been described by the Global Spirits Masters 2016 which awarded England’s newest and largest whisky distillery with the only ‘Master’ medal, the highest accolade, in this year’s Distillery Facilities category.

Judged by a panel of experts, The Masters Series 2016 is a collection of prestigious awards which recognise global innovation and excellence in the drinks industry. The Cumbrian distillery was selected as the only recipient of a Master award in the Facilities category of the inaugural Distillery Masters competition recognising the quality of its retail offering, food and beverage options along with other added value services available for visitors.

The awards have been designed to recognise the growing importance of tourism, creativity and technical merit within the spirits sector with each nominee assessed on four key subcategories comprising Consumer Experience, Distillery Facilities, Distillery Innovation and Green Initiatives. Overall, judges agreed the entry set a precedent for maximising the use of distillery facilities and named it a “destination distillery”.

The Lakes Distillery opened its doors in December 2014 and in just 12 months has also become one of Cumbria’s leading tourist attractions welcoming more than 70,000 visitors and being named as a ‘Top 50 Cumbrian Icon’. The acclaimed Bistro at The Lakes Distillery has also built up a tremendous reputation being popular with tourists and locals thanks to head chef Andrew Beaton, with renowned chef Terry Laybourne overseeing the venue’s development.

Paul Currie, founder and managing director of The Lakes Distillery, said of the award: “Whisky is traditionally a Scottish or Irish spirit however we’re working hard to put English whisky and English whisky distilleries firmly back on the global map. Awards such as these prove the world is taking notice of our country as a credible producer of top quality spirits. As a new distillery we also had the advantage of being able to design our facilities around our visitors’ requirements incorporating our unique Cumbrian spirit into each element of the build. We’re housed in a renovated Victorian model farm where we’ve carefully combined cutting-edge facilities with local tradition and the stunning backdrop of the Cumbrian fells.

“The Masters Series is one of the most acclaimed accolades in the spirit world and receiving an award such as this just one year after opening is a huge achievement for any venue and is a testament of the ongoing hard work from each member of our team.”

Head of international development at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), David Wrigley, is one of the Spirit Masters 2016 judges. He said of The Lakes Distillery’s medal: “This is a strong entry. It’s much more than just a distillery tour, it’s a destination. There’s very good use of the location and setting to offer further activities and experiences.”

Situated six miles north of Keswick, The Lakes Distillery has a range of facilities including an interactive tour to suit all ages which follows the journey of how the distillery’s world-class whisky, gin and vodka are made. The distillery also has a luxury gift shop with locally-sourced products while visitors are encouraged to enjoy the scenic walks to nearby Bassenthwaite Lake and the River Derwent which runs just 150 metres from the distillery and is the source of the water used in its spirit production.

The Bistro at The Distillery is an all-day dining facility offering lunch, afternoon tea and dinner using locally-sourced foods, traditional Cumbrian products and whisky-infused desserts. Menus are overseen by Michelin star chef Terry Laybourne.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by The Lakes Distillery .