Edinburgh-based distillery company Muckle Brig Ltd has announced the appointment of two noted drinks industry leaders to its board of directors.
Now sitting at the head of the board as chairman of Muckle Brig is Fraser Thornton, who became MD of Distell International in 2016, and was subsequently its chairman between 2021 and 2023.
Since then, Thornton has served as CEO at Scottish Golf, non-executive director at Campari UK, and chairman of Rangers Football Club.
Also bringing considerable experience is Johna Penman, who joins Muckle Brig as a non-executive director on the board.
Penman has held a number of senior positions in marketing across the Scotch Whisky industry, including head of brands at Edrington-Beam Suntory UK, UK marketing director at Ian MacLeod Distillers, and most recently as global head of marketing at Bladnoch Distillery.
These appointments come just as the company strengthens distribution of its premium organic gin, Lind & Lime, which will now be managed by Amber Beverages UK.
Muckle Brig was founded by life-long friends Ian Stirling and Paddy Fletcher in 2014, and now operates two distilleries in Scotland’s capital city.
Its Lind & Lime Gin Distillery opened in 2018, and all production, from distillation to bottling, packing and shipping, occurs onsite on Coburg St in Leith.
The brand is distributed to 25 markets worldwide and 24 international airports. The company also blends, bottles and distributes a range of single grain, single cask whiskies and wines.
Muckle Brig followed Lind & Lime with the creation of the Port of Leith Distillery, touted as the tallest single malt whisky distillery in the world, which successfully added itself to Edinburgh’s tourist trail on opening in 2023, and welcomed over 100,000 visitors through its tours and restaurant in 2024.
Fletcher said: “We’ve been fortunate to be given the space by our investor base to find the right appointments for the board, and with Fraser and Johna we’ve found exactly the range of expertise we require to seize the opportunities in front of us.”
Last week, the company announced that Amber Beverages UK will take over distribution of its gin in the UK, which currently includes listings at Sainsbury’s, Majestic Wines and John Lewis.
Stirling described the move as a key step-change in the company’s evolution: “As a start-up player in this global industry, there comes a point where appointing a third-party to grow distribution in our home market is the right step to take.
“In ABUK, we have a partner with a fantastic track-record in scaling brands, and a team that brings fantastic depth of experience and passion for our gin.”
