Blackwood Distillers

[clanchief]

The pull out is surely no surprise.
It was pretty well telegraphed in an article in last weeks Shetland Times where Sonny Priest indicated that the building allocated to Blackwoods would make a fine premises for his Valhalla brewery business.

[trout]

Pray tell my good man "whit news?" ...

 

re: clanchief

 

Priest's beers go from strength to strength...

 

[...] Another exciting proposal is to establish both a distillery and a brewery on the site.

 

The current plan is for Blackwood Distillers to take over the former motor transport depot, across the road from the main camp entrance, with Valhalla building a new brewery on the site of the old power station, soon to be demolished, inside the main compound.

 

Full article can be read here

 

 

Other references:

Scotsman, 7th June 2006 - Something new is brewing in Shetland

BBC, 27th April 2006 - Ex-base whisky idea is dram fine

Shetland Times, 14th April 2006 - Ex-RAF man drafts Unst master plan

[clanchief]

I don't have the paper here, but in the article, Sonny is quoted as saying that the buildings allocated to Blackwoods would be ideal for his business

[Flaming Mo]

Hmmmm, well given that Blackwoods were going to have a purpose built and in my view attractive distillery building in nesting...they're maybe having second thoughts about moving to a motor transport depot! I reckon image/marketability will play a great deal in their decision!?

 

Speaking of Blackwoods, it seems that they use the Shetland image to sell their product, put are they actually using shetland products at the moment i.e. ingredients and water??........ Delboy's bottled water springs to mind in only fools & horses!

[breeksy]

Chances are Blackwoods has had enough money through their Shetland connections now to not bother. After all, all products seem to be in production (and probably making profit) without a manufacturing base here....

[Ghostrider]

If Blackwoods pull out of Unst, it will be proof to a lot of people, of what they have privately believed for a long time, that Blackwood's are all talk and no action. Milking the name and location for all it's worth as a marketing tool without making even so much as a token committment to the name or location in bricks and mortar.

 

Blackwoods, for all intents and purposes have a "virtual" Shetland Distillery, and the way things are looking anything more than that seems highly unlikely to every come to fruition. Maybe that's par for the course in this day and age, given the amount of "virtual" facilities which abound. It would be nice if they would admit it though, if it is the case, instead of perpetrating the idea of a conventional distillery which now seems more and more likely to only ever exist in myth and legend.

[Styles]

They are ment to be going back to the origional site at Nesting. But how long till anything appears there?

 

They do seem to use the Shetland name for marketing and give the impression it is a Shetland product. But there products to me do seem to be quality products so I guess at the same time it helps the Shetland brand.

[Wheesht]

Hat, eat, whisky, Shetland, my, ever.

 

You do the phrase.

[Ghostrider]

They are ment to be going back to the origional site at Nesting. But how long till anything appears there?

 

They do seem to use the Shetland name for marketing and give the impression it is a Shetland product. But there products to me do seem to be quality products so I guess at the same time it helps the Shetland brand.

 

My personal opinion, as I'm no lawyer, thank god, is that if the company had any less tangible connection with Shetland, they would be treading a very thin line as regards the terms of the Trade Decriptions Act in using the name.

 

I suppose in the bigger picture you can see the advanatge of them in a "there is no such thing as bad publicity" kinda way, but it rather leaves a certain sourness on the tongue that they are using "us" for personal finiancial gain, without having put forth anything much of anything to earn themselves that right.

[Infiltrator]

My personal opinion, as I'm no lawyer, thank god, is that if the company had any less tangible connection with Shetland, they would be treading a very thin line as regards the terms of the Trade Decriptions Act in using the name.

 

Unlike the knitwear industry, everywhere you go there's 'Shetland' wool jumpers that've never seen Shetland

 

I think folk should look to Frank Strang to see why Blackwoods have gone back to their original plans for Nesting. It was his plans to turn Unst into a haven for rich tourists that tempted Blackwoods to Unst - pipe dreams for the community of Unst and I think Blackwoods were drawn into the dream.

 

As for no tangible link, Shetland water and Botanicals in the Gin and Shetland Cream in the Jago. Both products have huge markets and have done wonders for the whole image of Shetland by putting it on the map for lots of folk.

 

Wtf are locals so determined to see outsiders fail?

 

p.s. Blackwoods have never received a single penny of support from the council - what about all the local entrepreneurs that have milked the charitable trust and gone bust #cough# salmon #cough#

[crofter]

Surely another case of Whisky-A-Go-Go?

[breeksy]

p.s. Blackwoods have never received a single penny of support from the council - what about all the local entrepreneurs that have milked the charitable trust and gone bust #cough# salmon #cough#

 

Is that right? Did they not take up the SIC's offer of £100,000 for marketing? What about the Shetland Development Trust's £300,000 stake? Does that not count as council money?

 

I don't think people want to see it fail, as such. I think people are maybe a little cynical about south businesses coming in to get a share of Shetland's wealth and nothing materialising.

 

This distillery has been on the go for years now, and there is still not sign of it...

[shetlander]

On one hand I'm inclined to agree that this is another in a long line of unfulfilled Blackwoods promises - on the other I accept that their decision to locate in Unst has to make good business sense. Its a shame that the folk of Unst were lulled into a false sense of hope before the fine details were sorted out although I daresay many folk were sceptical about Blackwoods initial optimism at being able to set up shop and start production so soon.

 

Notwithstanding the fact that they have already gone through the costly and lengthy process of gaining planning permission for the Catfirth site, its just goes to show that despite the package of measures put together in an attempt to attract new businesses to Unst in the wake of the RAF withdrawal, the Mainland has proven to be a more attractive commercial option in this instance. I too imagine that bringing visitors and prospective customers to a brand spanking new purpose built distillery will do them more favours from a marketing perspective (and imagine the cost of altering the existing RAF buildings to suit their needs was one of the biggest cost factors) but it would have been good to see consideration given to building the new distillery in Unst as an alternative to pulling out of the isle altogether. Most of their product is going to be exported from Shetland after all and I can't imagine that the extra distance between Unst and Catfirth would make a huge difference to their profit margins in a global sense.

 

Whilst the creation of new jobs anywhere in Shetland has to be welcomed (and a distillery somewhere in Shetland - if indeed it ever does happen - is better than none at all) it seems that too few are going to where they are most needed. The Sand Salmon Factory moving to Scalloway and plans to build a new abattoir in Lerwick (of course) are other recent examples. Nobody can be forced to take advantage of public sector freebies but perhaps there is a case for more financial incentives to be made available to positively discriminate areas like Unst over the Mainland when new businesses plan to set up in Shetland.

 

On a lighter note it was heartening to read in last weeks paper about Sonny Priest's plans for the future and of his obvious enthusiasm about his business. Lets hope things work out for him and that he is given as much support as possible to find suitable premises to expand - either at the camp or elsewhere in Unst.

[trout]

Wtf are locals so determined to see outsiders fail?

 

p.s. Blackwoods have never received a single penny of support from the council - what about all the local entrepreneurs that have milked the charitable trust and gone bust #cough# salmon #cough#

 

I think it's harsh to presume "locals" want to see the business venture fail. I would "presume" that nobody want's to see anyone fail - rather that folk are just questioning something that has been rumbling on since 2002 odd.

 

Shetland Times, 14th April 2006 - Ex-RAF man drafts Unst master plan

Ms Whitfield, who denied rumours in December that Blackwood was considering a move to Unst, said moving the proposed whisky distillery from the Shetland Mainland to the island would save the public purse around £400,000 in previously allocated grant money.

 

Shetland Enterprise approved the grant to help with construction costs a couple of years ago. But the grant is no longer needed because a building to house the distillery is already in place in Unst.

 

shetland news June 2004

Public funding agencies have demonstrated their support for the venture with £1.5 million. Shetland Enterprise and its parent body Highlands and Islands Enterprise are pumping £1.1 million into the distillery. Shetland Development Trust is taking a £300,000 equity stake in the business, while the council has pledged £100,000 for marketing.

 

 

Shetland News on September 20th 2003

PLANS to build Scotland’s most northerly whisky distillery gathered steam yesterday (Thursday) when the local enterprise company agreed to invest half a million pounds into the venture.

 

Blackwood Distillers Ltd said the public investment was “the key” to raising the rest of the cash which will see the £3.8 million distillery go up at Catfirth, next year.

 

[...]

 

Blackwood first approached Shetland Enterprise for assistance last year with their ambitious plan to build a modern single malt whisky distillery, at the former naval air station, at Catfirth. The plans include a 900 square metre warehouse for maturing the whisky, and a visitor centre, with a shop and a café.

 

[...]

 

The Shetland Enterprise investment of £491,000 paves the way for a further £635,000 to be raised from the European Commission. This comes in addition to £300,000 being offered by Shetland Development Trust and a further £100,000 from Shetland Islands Council for marketing the product.

 

However the public funds will only be released if the company can raise the rest of the capital, almost £2.5 million, from private sources. Speaking from Edinburgh yesterday Ms Whitfield said she had already raised a third of the private capital she needed, and had lined up a string of private investors who she was confident would put up the additional money.

 

Blackwoods Press Release Nov 2002 - shetlandwhiskey.com

The Shetland Islands will be seeing the opening of its first ever distillery, in Spring 2003, courtesy of a £5 million venture by Blackwood Distillers Ltd.

[Infiltrator]

p.s. Blackwoods have never received a single penny of support from the council - what about all the local entrepreneurs that have milked the charitable trust and gone bust #cough# salmon #cough#

 

Is that right? Did they not take up the SIC's offer of £100,000 for marketing? What about the Shetland Development Trust's £300,000 stake? Does that not count as council money?

 

The clue was in the word 'received', yes money has been offered/allocated (see below) but only if they can raise the majority of the cash themselves privately.

 

Like I said, if there's something to worry about with all this I suggest you have a good look at what's happening at Saxa Vord.