A new state-of-the-art whisky bottling facility has opened on the site of the former Dewar’s in Perth.
Auld Bond Bottlers has opened its new facility on Auld Bond Road after a six-figure investment.
The business has been set up by Vikki Bruce, of travel and whisky firm McLean and Bruce, and her business partner John Thompson.
John said: “I grew up in Errol and I spent my young life in the farming industry.
“I started my own business which I took up to £20 million turnover then sold the majority to a private equity firm in Norway.
“When I pulled out three years ago, I invested in land. I concluded it would be a good idea to put in a bonded warehouse and some services in the whisky industry.”
‘White glove service’ at Auld Bond Bottlers
John said Auld Bond was set up to spot a gap in the whisky industry. He said there was a “lack of services” in the bottling side of the industry.
John adds: “The area of the market we’re looking for is single cask business, either from collectors and investors, which has grown massively in the past couple of years, or private bottling companies.
“We commenced trading in June and we’ve gradually began to pick up more customers.
Operations manager Stuart McMillan joined Auld Bond about a year ago as they progressed plans for a bottling facility in the Perthshire area.
He said the business is not like a typical bottling facility.
He said: “As a rule, bottling facilities are not where you would usually take VIP clients to show them round – they tend to be quite industrial.
“We’ve tried to put in place an atmosphere that oozes quality. We want people to know we care about their whisky as much as they do.
“We offer a slightly more white-glove service.”
Whisky casks a ‘serious investment’
Stuart said that while the business is based around bottling casks for private clients, it also operates a “whisky concierge” service.
He adds: “We’re one of a few bottlers that has its own movement guarantee. We can arrange transport from anywhere in the UK.
“These casks are serious investments for our customers.
“When they arrive here, I do a risk assessment, photograph the cask and take a sample. It sounds basic but that is an extra in comparison to other bottling houses.”
The business has already attracted some high-profile clients in the months since it launched. But Stuart insists they treat every cask the same.
“Our key ethos is that every cask gets the same treatment, whether you’ve got a £500,000 cask or one worth £10,000. That’s really important because that makes us different to our competitors.
“We’re pleased with where the business has got to in a relatively short period of time.”
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