More than 50 local jobs are to be created in preparation for the new Port of Leith Distillery opening this summer.
Muckle Brig, the company behind the project – which is the UK’s first vertical distillery and is expected to become a major tourist attraction – will fill 53 new positions in 2023, both at Port of Leith and at the nearby Lind & Lime gin distillery. These will add to the existing 18-strong team across both sites, with new roles in hospitality and tourism, digital marketing, production, business development and finance.
This local recruitment drive forms part of co-founders Ian Stirling and Paddy Fletcher’s ongoing investment in the area, which began in 2018 when they launched their first gin from a tiny industrial unit. Their Lind & Lime brand then got its own distillery in May 2022, powered by 100% green electricity, and after a hugely successful crowd-funding exercise, the £12million nine-storey Port of Leith whisky distillery is nearing completion.
Once open, it will offer tours and tastings, as well as a top floor mezzanine bar with panoramic views of Leith and wider Edinburgh.
Mr Stirling said: “It was a love for spirits and a love for Leith that formed our foundations back in 2018. Since then, we’ve opened our new Lind & Lime facility on Coburg Street and are now preparing to open the UK’s first vertical distillery, right in the heart of the historic port.
“Local investment and local employment have always been a key focus of ours. We’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with a host of excellent local talent so far and are looking forward to welcoming some new faces to help us make history down by the shore.”
