Ardgowan Distillery has named Laura Davies as its new distillery manager.
With more than a decade in the whisky industry, Davies is known for her expertise in distillery operations and business growth.
She joins Ardgowan following a successful tenure at The Welsh Whisky Company, where she was pivotal in growing the business’s turnover from £10m to £23m over seven years while overseeing operations across three production sites and visitor centres.
Davies honed her skills under the late Dr Jim Swan, known as the ‘Einstein of Whisky,’ whose mentorship equipped her with invaluable expertise in whisky production and maturation techniques.
Beyond her role in distillation, her extensive experience spans compliance, continuous improvement strategies, and new product development, having commissioned three major production sites and scaling operations from 90,000 litres of pure alcohol (LPA) per annum to over one million LPA per annum.
The appointment comes as the distillery prepares to commence operations in spring 2025, following the recent delivery of Ardgowan’s state-of-the-art copper stills.
Laura Davies commented: “Ardgowan is at such an exciting point in its journey. Joining at a moment when we are building the distillery and operational team from the ground up is something special. I look forward to applying all that I have learned to help Ardgowan craft an exceptional single malt that will resonate with whisky lovers worldwide.”
