A mother and daughter trio have stepped onto the Edinburgh and Midlothian distillery scene, and they are telling everyone to “watch this space.”
Mother, Kate Armstrong, and daughters Isobel and Imogen Armstrong have taken over a sustainable garden and gin distillery in Hillend, just south of Edinburgh’s city bypass.
The Armstrongs took over the Secret Garden Distillery over the summer, and they are now settling into their new home and their new roles together.
“Lots of parents don’t have the opportunity to get to know their children in a workplace setting and this is an amazing experience for me to see how working together has helped us all problem solve, while bringing a unique approach to the business, enjoying time together,” Kate said.
When the trio saw the distillery go up for sale, they knew they wanted to take the plunge. For Isobel, owning a distillery was a lifelong dream.
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“Owning and managing a craft distillery has always been my dream, so when we saw the Secret Garden and distillery business was up for sale, it was an opportunity not to be missed,” Isobel said.
“We all visited the Garden and fell in love with space and the story. We could instantly see how special it was and what we could add to it.”
The Secret Garden Distillery is the first experience in the drinks industry for all three women, but they have told Edinburgh to “watch this space.”
So far, the Armstrong trio have found there are more women in the distillery and drinks industry than they expected. Kate said the trio have found a really supportive community of women they’re learning from in a positive way.
“Women working in the drinks industry - particularly those we’ve come into contact with in and around Edinburgh - have been very friendly, welcoming and supportive. We’ve enjoyed getting to know the small community of women in the industry, which has been really welcoming, and we have already created close connections with other owners and distillers,” Kate said.
“We were really inspired after attending a talk by Carmen from 58 and Co (a distillery in London) and Imogen and Isobel were inspired by her profile as a successful industry role model. There is so much from which we can learn in a really positive way.”
The biggest barrier, they say, is bringing true sustainability to the business. For Imogen, the ultimate goal is for the distillery to become carbon negative.
“As we took over a business, there is obviously considerable existing infrastructure. Building true sustainability into an existing business is inevitably harder than starting
from scratch, but the team is innovating and changing as it finds its way,” Imogen said.
“Of course it’s a challenge, but we’d have it no other way – in the current climate emergency we believe every business has to do all it can to bring improvement to their sustainable impact.”
In addition to their new roles, the women are settling into their new home on the Secret Garden property. For the first time in many years, the mother and daughter trio have found themselves living under the same roof as housemates. However, they have said they are privileged to spend such unique time together.
The Armstrongs all grew up on the Isle of Arran, and mother Kate still splits her time between Edinburgh and the island.
Prior to owning the Secret Garden Distillery, Imogen was working in property in Edinburgh, and Isobel was busy creating her distillery business plan after graduating with two degrees.
“In many ways the Secret Garden Distillery has been a secret for a bit too long,” the women said.
“So now we want to engage with consumers and create greater appreciation for our luxury product, as well as engage with more local bars on our home turf."
The Secret Garden Distillery was originally built on a derelict plot of land in Midlothian near Edinburgh’s Straiton retail park. Hamish Martin built the distillery up from the ground in 2012 with the goal of creating a sustainable garden and gin distillery.
The Armstrongs say Hamish stepped away from the business this summer after a short handover period.
The women say that The Secret Garden Distillery produces the finest quality gins, using 100% natural products.
“The Secret Garden itself is home to a wide range of hand harvested botanicals which have been used in some products and inspired the flavours of others. We plan to expand the range of home-grown botanicals, launch new products, while also maintaining the focus on nature and quality for which the business has been known,” they said.
For more information about the distillery, visit the website here.
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