Diageo's Scotch warehouse complex on schedule

Diageo delivered the first Scotch whisky casks to its new warehousing complex in Fife last week.

Two of the 64,500 sq.ft. warehouses at the 545 acre Cluny Bond development at Begg Farm near Kirkcaldy have been completed on schedule this week in addition to the site’s office and gatehouse developments, with the remaining buildings due for completion over the coming months. The complex will include 46 warehousing units - each of which will store up to 60,000 casks.

The investment at Cluny is part of Diageo’s ongoing development of its business in Scotland. Last year, the company announced that it will be investing £1 billion over the next five years in increasing Scotch whisky production to meet growing global demand for its brands.

The new Cluny Bond complex will be a crucial part of the investment, creating warehousing capacity to store the additional maturing spirit required to meet that demand for major brands including the world’s leading Scotch whisky Johnnie Walker.

With more than £200 million already invested in Fife in recent years, Diageo’s operations director for warehouse and blending, Harry Fox, said the Cluny Bond would be a welcome addition to the company’s operations in the area: “We have already seen significant investment and expansion projects completed at our Cameronbridge Distillery and Leven packaging plant and this new development reinforces our commitment not only to this area, but to our business in Scotland as a whole,” he added.

“This is a massive site with superb links to the road network and we have worked closely with Fife Council and neighbours throughout the development.

“Over the next few months we will be transporting thousands of casks of Scotch whisky for storage here, where they will be locked away and left to mature before making their way to the 180 countries around the world where the demand for Diageo’s brands is growing on a daily basis.

“Diageo has more than 1,200 people working for the company in Fife and the new team at Cluny Bond share their commitment to continue to ensure the area plays a key role in the Scotch whisky success story.”

In addition to the two completed warehouses, a further five will be operational in Spring 2014 with others being completed throughout 2014. Diageo has also recently invested at its Blackgrange facility in Clackmannanshie bringing the overall investment in warehousing to £180 million.

11 November 2013 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor