Eden Mill has unveiled ambitious plans to create a new distillery and brewery just metres from its current headquarters in Fife.
The £4million expansion project in Guardbridge will see historic former paper mill buildings refurbished to become Eden Mill’s new home – allowing them to increase production of gin, beer and whisky, create more innovative and pioneering products, and retain space for further expansion.
Sitting within the University of St Andrews’ new Eden Campus, the development will further cement Eden Mill’s status as one of Scotland’s fastest growing brands.
Included in the plans submitted to Fife Council are several visitor areas, with a café/bar, visitor’s centre, shop, presentation room and a VIP tasting area on the top floor of the distillery offering views over the university campus and estuary.
Eden Mill is already listed as the number one tourist destination in Fife on TripAdvisor and at peak times is fully booked weeks in advance. The new facility will enable Eden Mill to double the number of tourists taking distillery tours from 25,000 to 50,000 a year.
Paul Miller, co-founder of Eden Mill, said: “With ambitions to grow the business, it’s the right time for Eden Mill to move forward with plans for a new distillery and brewery. We have always been pioneering, and this expansion can open the door to new product development and continued success.
“To stay competitive, the spirits industry in Scotland needs to embrace new ideas and experimentation while respecting its heritage and traditions, particularly with whisky. At this new site, Eden Mill will be in the perfect position to invest in new products and lead the way with innovation.
“We firmly believe that this development will greatly benefit the local area and the wider Scottish economy, which is always what we have set out to achieve as a business.”
Subject to planning approval, the new site will allow Eden Mill to invest in product development, increase output of beers and spirits, and attract more tourists to Fife by doubling capacity for distillery tours on the site.
Pending approval of the application, Eden Mill aims to be on site by summer 2018 with the buildings operational by autumn 2018.
Once complete, Eden Mill will become one of the first tenants within the University of St Andrews’ Eden Campus. Eden Mill, together with other innovative companies working alongside the academic community of St Andrews, will be helping the University to grow a sustainable local economic model fit for the 21st century. The Campus is currently home to a biomass Energy Centre, a key part of the University’s drive to become the UK’s first energy carbon neutral university.