Orkney Distillery achieves five stars

An Orkney gin company which opened its premises to visitors just over a year ago is celebrating after having achieved its Five Star Quality Assurance award at its first grading visit.

The Orkney Distillery and Visitor Centre, situated on Kirkwall’s harbour front, is the home of Kirkjuvagr gin and received the award from VisitScotland.

In the short time it has been open, the small team has hosted thousands of people on distillery tours, developed and launched four new gins and hosted a number of events ranging from the St Magnus International Festival to an evening with the Consul General of Japan.

Lee Inkster, VisitScotland Industry Relationship Manager for Orkney, said: “I am thrilled that the team at Orkney Distilling have achieved the coveted Five Stars so quickly.

“Food and drink are a key part of the visitor experience and visitors spend around 20 per cent of their expenditure on both, so the distillery is a marvellous addition to Orkney’s visitor offering.

“Achieving this status demonstrates that Katie and her team have put in a tremendous effort to provide a very high level of service to their guests, and I would like to congratulate them for that.

“Gin and its associated distilleries are fast becoming a popular attraction for our visitors, keen to experience — and take away — an authentic and locally-produced drink.

“I hope their success is an inspiration to others to strive for a Five Star award, which helps to promote these beautiful islands.”

Katie Macleod, Operations Manager at Orkney Distillery, said: “We are extremely proud that we have achieved this Five Star award. We try and provide an exceptional experience for everyone visiting the distillery and this recognition is brilliant for the team.

“It will hopefully help people to find us and we look forward to welcoming more visitors over the coming year.”

The distillery, which employs 11 staff, also offers a coffee and gin bar, as well as a retail area and function space for events.