Save your cookie preferences

We use cookies to remember your site preferences, record your referrer and improve the performance of our site. For more information, see our cookie policy.

Please select an option below and 'Save' your preferences.

Save

You can update your cookie preferences at any time from the 'Cookies' link in the footer.

We use cookies (including third-party cookies such as Google) to remember your site preferences and to help us understand how visitors use our sites so we can improve them. To learn more, please see our privacy policy and our cookie policy.

To agree to our use of cookies, click 'Accept' or choose 'Options' to set your preferences by cookie type.

Options Accept

  • About us
  • About whisky
  • Audit
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Login
  • Login
  • Open account
  • BUY / SELL
  • Quick-buy packages
  • Live order board
  • Pre-order new stock
  • Charts
  • About us
  • About whisky
  • Audit
  • Help
  • Contact
  • BUY / SELL
    • Quick-buy packages
    • Live order board
    • Pre-order new stock
  • CHARTS
  • OPEN ACCOUNT

Scotch whisky industry operations – certainly not business as usual.

The UK Govt have made it clear, by allowing Off-Licenses to remain open, that the alcohol supply chain can be kept open. This would suggest that distilleries, bottling companies and distribution can continue to operate. The Scottish Parliament have not made it so clear. They have questioned whether alcohol is an ‘essential’ industry and have not made any direct statement about whether or not distilleries should close.

The Scotch Whisky Association’s view is that operations can stay open so long as they follow the strict guidelines about social distancing, public transport etc. However, it may not be these guidelines, or the Govt’s viewpoint, that dictate whether or not Scotch whisky distilleries continue to operate in the next few weeks. Rather, it may be the companies own considerations of its employees welfare. It may also be peer pressure and the fear of bad publicity that count more than what is approved or not by the authorities. How will the general public feel when large Scottish food companies shut down while distillers stay open? (Walker’s, the shortbread company, shut down production yesterday.) The industry’s reputation is potentially at risk.

We know that a small number of distillers are already closed and will remain so for a few weeks. We understand that some other services, such as cooperages and transport companies are operating a reduced level of service. And there is no question that some bottling companies have closed. The welfare of employees is the key priority.

Other distillers are continuing to operate, and some are adapting to supply neutral alcohol for the production of hand sanitisers. WhiskyInvestDirect has always stressed that the Scotch whisky industry takes a long-term approach to planning and forecasting. We have also made it clear that most distillers try to maintain roughly eight years’ worth of maturing inventory. This allows them to ride out the expected bumps along the way and be ready for disruption to demand or a production blip

What we don’t know just yet is the potential scale of the impact on the industry by Covid 19. We do know, for sure, it is certainly not business as usual. We will keep you updated.

  • About us
  • Cookies
  • Terms & conditions

©WhiskyInvestDirect Ltd 2021

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube