Raised in Cumbria but rooted in Huddersfield through his family, he speaks about Yorkshire with real fondness. For him, it represents honesty, warmth and a sense of home. Away from screens, he is involved in projects that reflect what matters to him most, from encouraging open conversations around mental health to supporting organisations linked to the outdoors and community.

In this interview, he talks about resilience, family memories, the pull of Yorkshire landscapes and why a simple walk or a good ice cream can stay with you for life.

Matthew Haywood on Survivor, Yorkshire, and Life Beyond the Show

Survivor UK: Playing the Game and Winning Young

You became the youngest-ever winner of Survivor globally. What do you think were the key ingredients to your success on the show?
I think being the youngest contestant actually worked in my favour. I knew people might underestimate me, so I was always switched on and thinking one step ahead. I tried to build real and genuine connections, but also wasn’t afraid to make big moves when I needed to. At the end of the day, Survivor is a game, and I played it like one (don’t worry, I’m much nicer in real life!).

What was the biggest challenge you faced on the show, and what did you learn from it?
Definitely the lack of comfort. Thirty-five nights sleeping on bamboo… I don’t think I realised how much I actually value a bed and a pillow until that point! It really takes you back to basics and makes you appreciate the small stuff, like a proper brew and a warm shower.

Building a Community Online

You’ve grown a TikTok following to almost 250k in under 18 months. What’s been the secret to building such an engaged community?
Honestly, I just try to be myself. From the start, I’ve made the effort to reply to as many comments as possible. The people who follow me are the reason I get to do what I do, so I never take that for granted. I feel like I’ve built genuine friendships with a lot of my audience; they’re the reason I’m here.

How do you balance sharing personal experiences online while keeping some things private?
I always say social media is a highlight reel. People show what they want to show. I go through ups and downs like everyone else, but I like my content to feel fun and positive, something people can escape into. At the same time, I hope they know life’s not always perfect, and that’s okay too.

Yorkshire Roots and Outdoor Adventures

You’ve described yourself as “very Yorkshire.” What does that mean to you in everyday life?
Being Yorkshire to me means being honest, hard-working and wearing your heart on your sleeve. My dad, Steve, grew up in Huddersfield, so that’s been in me since I was a kid. I’ve got a season ticket for Huddersfield Town and try to make every home game I can. There’s nothing quite like the Yorkshire air; it just feels like home.

How has your upbringing shaped your passions for the outdoors and community?
I grew up in Cumbria but was always visiting family in the Yorkshire Dales, so I’ve had the best of both worlds. Both places are surrounded by amazing scenery. I love both the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, so being outdoors just feels natural to me. As a kid, playtime wasn’t screens or gadgets; it was exploring fields and climbing trees!

Are there any particular adventures or moments in Yorkshire that have left a lasting impression on you?
One that’s stuck with me is New Year’s Eve in Huddersfield when I was little. Me and my family went up to Castle Hill. You can see right across the town from up there. I remember we’d watched the film Nativity at the cinema earlier that day, and then went to watch the fireworks from the hill. It’s one of those little memories that’s just stayed with me.

Speaking Up About Mental Health

You’re passionate about mental health, particularly for young men. What inspired you to get involved?
It’s something that’s really close to my heart. In my area, I’ve seen firsthand how many young people are struggling, some taking their own lives, and I just felt like I had a duty to speak up. I’ve got a platform, and it would feel wrong not to use it for good. I always say I’d be a hypocrite to tell people to talk if I didn’t do it myself.

What’s one message you wish more young men and boys understood about mental health?
That talking doesn’t make you weak; it actually makes you stronger. There’s always someone who will listen, even if you don’t think there is. You’re never alone, no matter how much it might feel like it.

Partnerships and Projects That Matter

You work with organisations like Marie Curie, Andy’s Man Club, and YHA. How do you decide which projects and partnerships to get involved with?
I love working with brands and organisations that actually mean something to me. Anything around outdoors, travel, health or wellbeing, that’s where I feel most at home. With YHA, I showed how to do a weekend getaway for £30, and with AO, I actually took an air fryer abroad for a weekend, even took it on a zipwire, which was mad but hilarious! My dream partnership would honestly be with Huddersfield Town FC. That’d be the ultimate full-circle moment for me.

Is there a current project you’re especially proud of?
I’m due to run the London Marathon next year as part of Marie Curie’s official running squad, which I’m buzzing for. That’s something I’m really proud to be part of. I also loved my partnerships with YHA and AO; they were such fun projects, and getting to be on Saturday Mash-Up! on CBBC recently was amazing. I’ve always wanted to do kids’ TV, so hopefully that’s just the start.

Hidden Gems and Inspirations

What is it about Yorkshire, whether the scenery, the culture or the people, that inspires you the most?
You always know where you stand with Yorkshire folk. Straight-talking, but warm and genuine. My grandma Bernadette was exactly that. She passed away from cancer during the pandemic, and she’s a massive part of who I am. She had the best heart and taught me what real strength and love look like. Every time I go to watch Huddersfield Town, I think of her. Football was our thing.

Do you have a favourite hidden gem in Yorkshire that you think more people should know about?
Dixons Milk Ices in Huddersfield, absolute elite. I go every time I’m back. It’s an ice cream parlour and just perfect. I’ve got a proper sweet tooth, so it’s dangerous. Villa Farm Shop in Huddersfield is another favourite; their pies are amazing. And if I need some fresh air, a walk in the Yorkshire Dales always clears my head. I also love Harrogate, one of the best towns in the world if you ask me.

If you had to describe Yorkshire in three words, what would they be?
Honest. Beautiful. Home away from home. (I know that’s a few more than three words, but hope that’s okay).

You can follow Matthew on TikTok @MatthewHaywoodX to keep up with his adventures and everyday stories. He is also running the 2026 TCS London Marathon in support of Marie Curie, the UK’s leading end-of-life charity. If you’d like to support his fundraising, you can do so here.

Hi Tajinder, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Could you tell us a little about your career before your successful entrepreneurial ventures? 

My first job at age 16, which I loved, was working for Calvin Klein in a department store; it whet my fragrance appetite! After that, I worked in the fine fragrance department at House of Fraser. It wasn’t long before I was given the opportunity to become the first account manager for Fashion Fair Cosmetics, an organisation that was then, the only make-up provision for women of colour. I came from a large entrepreneurial family and knew that, ultimately, I would have my own business. However, I also wanted to learn as much as possible before starting it. 

At around age 22, I was completing a degree while working full-time. It was at L’Occitane that I found my passion for bath and body products and I became a national account manager after six months. Next, I went on my own to become a distributor. Eventually, I married and moved to Yorkshire. At that time, I worked for a fashion lifestyle brand, commuting to London from where we lived and was about to have my first child. I knew I had to make a decision. 

It was a risk, but a calculated one, in 2012, I started Urban Apothecary from my kitchen table. Before I even had a product in hand, I presented my plan to John Lewis and they bought me in. The brand was an immediate hit and we’ve gone from strength to strength ever since. 

What inspired you to launch Urban Apothecary and how does the way the business operates today, differ from your original idea

I often think back to those early days at home, surrounded by an abundance of aromatic botanicals spilling from apothecary-style bottles that I collected. Plus, I was always scribbling in my scent notebook, recording my olfactory moods and memories that later became candles, diffusers, room sprays, perfumes and body fragrances. Thus, the inspiration for launching my business was constantly around me. 

It might seem counter-intuitive, but I decided to launch my fragrance brand shortly after the birth of my first child. I would create, plan and even hold supplier meetings with the baby carrier on the table. This way, I had the best of both worlds, being with my newborn and growing the business I loved. By the time my son was out of the cot, my products were in 40 John Lewis stores and Bergdorf Goodman in New York. 

We no longer operate from my kitchen table! There’s a Leicestershire candle factory that I grew from scratch, training the artisans in hand-pouring the natural vegan candles myself, and a small head office team. My first candle collection had a different aesthetic from the one you see today; gradually, the design became more minimalist and closer to my style and preference. While the look has been refined, the original idea of combining my passion for perfume and aromas that stir the senses with an appreciation of stylish interior accessories remains.

What were your main challenges when launching and how did you overcome them?

Building a business comes with challenges and entrepreneurship often requires adapting to rapid change. You must expect obstacles, which can all be overcome if you hold your nerve, think outside the box and brainstorm solutions.

Hailing from an entrepreneurial family, at 16, I knew I would one day become my own boss. A career in the beauty industry was certainly not ‘the norm’ for Asian girls, so I knew I would have to work extra hard to achieve my dreams. My biggest challenge came very early in my career and required breaking the stereotype of what a beauty industry entrepreneur should look like. During my business journey, I became more and more visible, with press features and social media helping to increase my profile. I took every opportunity to share my brand story and with it my Asian heritage, so those following in my footsteps, or wishing to, could see it and therefore be it. I was setting myself up as an example of what can be achieved if you set your mind to it.

When I first started Urban Apothecary, I didn’t set out to be in manufacturing. This happened only after our candle manufacturer let me down at the busiest time of year. Then, I sat down and discussed the situation with my dad. Being an entrepreneur himself and having met and overcome so many different challenges over the years, I knew he could help me find a solution. He said…you know what, we can do this ourselves, it’s just a process which we need to understand, so let’s start our own factory. Overnight, we purchased a wax melting tank and took on our first factory space. My dad was 63 at the time and retired, but he didn’t hesitate to step up to help me and in doing so, he became our production manager. To this day, ten years later, he’s still running the Leicestershire candle factory alongside my mum, and he loves it!

No matter how much you plan, there will always be a curve ball. Losing space with a significant retailer was disappointing, frustrating and concerning at the same time when it happened…but it forced a brand refresh, improving the business and increasing sales. Knowing I needed to stop and re-evaluate the business, plus, as I was running my brand alone, wanting to connect with other entrepreneurs, I applied for the Goldman Sachs 10KSB programme. After completing it, I decided to re-brand and put everything in place before we answered the growing international interest. We sold through the original stock and in 2016, I introduced the aesthetic you see today, with a universal appeal and price points guaranteed to provoke a positive response. The timing was also right to reach an international audience. What came next was the beginning of our export journey. 

If you could return to the day you launched Urban Apothecary, what advice would you give yourself?

That’s easy to answer because it’s advice I often give to others, particularly to entrepreneurs starting from scratch and on their own. When you begin like this, you are the sales director, creative department, marketing manager and every other role in one, which has its positives as you learn and are involved in every aspect of your business. On the flip side, sometimes it feels like the world is on your shoulders, but it needn’t be so; there are many networks and experts willing to mentor that can help. So, the advice I would give myself is to reach out to fellow entrepreneurs and the business community from day one. 

In March 2023, you launched your second brand, Palette London. Could you tell us a little about the brand?

Just over a year ago, I launched my eco-beauty brand, Palette London, starting with nail paints that are vegan, halal accredited and formulated with up to 70% plant-based bio-sourced ingredients. The glass bottle is recyclable, the cap and brush stem are 100% post-industrial recycled plastic, and the soft nail brush is made entirely from castor bean oil. 

Palette London nail paints are one of the cleanest bio nail polishes. The collection features colours that give the effect of gel nails, without any damage and are easy to remove. Our planet-friendly approach is embedded in the formula to the bottle and beyond; it’s hard to beat. 

I wanted to create a collection for everyone, so Palette London is vegan and halal accredited, plus there are plenty of colours to choose from. With the act of creating more comes the need to be eco-responsible; that’s why we created plant-based formulas, chose recycled and recyclable packaging, and ensured as much circularity as possible. While it wasn’t easy, we delivered all of this within a strict budget, knowing many more could enjoy the products if we maintained an affordable price.

Just recently, as we celebrated Palette’s first birthday, we received not one but five accolades in this year’s Beauty Shortlist Awards that spotlights natural and sustainable brands. Our Pearl top coat was a winner in the category of Best Free-From Top Coat; all our top coats are exceptional products as they change the final effect of any colour you wear and customise your nails! In addition, Pixie Dust, Flamingo and Vermillion Poppy nail paints, plus our base coat, all won an Editor’s Choice award.

What differentiates Palette London varnishes and treatments from others on the market?

We are challenging the nail sector with colours that are also caring. Our innovative nail paint formulation contains our ‘Super 3’ natural ingredients, which are clinically proven to improve the nail’s health during wear. Arginine, an amino acid that helps prevent nail breakage, is blended with tea tree oil, known for its antioxidant and antiseptic properties and nurturing vitamin E.

The collection addresses the recent distrust arising from unhealthy, allergy-inducing gel colours. I’ve always struggled with nail health after gel manicures, so it was important that my formula, while having the glossy, long-lasting gel-effect finish, wasn’t damaging. In the end, we achieved more than that, because you can see that nails look better after colour than before!

We always go the extra mile. While others might be 5-free or 12-free, we make our nail paints without 21 ingredients typically used in nail polishes that are considered harmful to people and the environment. 

You have been awarded numerous accolades during your career, including an MBE for services to Business and the Beauty Industry in the 2024 New Year’s Honours List. How do you personally define success? Is it such accolades or is it money, freedom, influence, or perhaps, something else entirely?

I can define success as any day I’ve balanced my family life with running two businesses without a hitch! Success is about feeling energised and happy in life and business. I feel grateful that I am doing something I enjoy every day, surrounded by the people I love; it’s incredibly rewarding. 

That said, the accolades do play a part. When we were honoured with The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade, it wasn’t just reflective of my work, but all the team’s efforts. We felt we had won it together and we celebrated together too. It’s really important, to take the time to enjoy these special moments that do feel like an extra reward for all the hard work. 

More recently, my MBE was a total shock. I had no idea I had been put forward, and I felt humbled to be recognised not only for building two brands but also for the work I do to encourage businesses to take their first steps to export, supporting women in business and championing ethnic minority businesses.

Your entrepreneurial journey is certainly inspiring. What advice would you give to a young person considering starting a business?

Hard work and resilience are some of the main ingredients required to run a successful business, plus the ability to adapt to change. You’ll always have challenges; while it may look rosy on the outside, a lot goes into building a business. You must be prepared to work hard until you can build a team. That legwork you do in the beginning – researching your market and working out a niche, will put you in good stead for the future. Additionally, networking is hugely important and don’t be afraid to take calculated risks.

You now own two successful brands. Are there any plans to launch a third?

Yes and no! I have so many plans for Urban Apothecary and Palette London that I’m committed to giving them my full attention right now. But this doesn’t mean there won’t be another brand in the future as I’m always thinking about new ideas.  

Finally, what book would you recommend all budding entrepreneurs read?

I recommend Who Moved My Cheese by Dr. Spencer Johnson. My manager gave this book to me 20 years ago, and I still remember the key message about how to deal with change in your work and life positively. It’s short, straightforward and thought-provoking.

This week, we spoke with Craig Allen, Founder of GSN (Gold Standard Nutrition). Craig founded GSN in 2012 when he was just 21 years old and through inspiring determination, has successfully created a healthy frozen food brand which boasts hundreds of stockists up and down the country.

Interview with Craig Allen, Founder of GSN

Hi Craig, thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little about your company, GSN. 

Craig Allen, 32, Husband, Dad of 2 and Founder of GSN. 

GSN is a healthy frozen food brand designed to offer the best balance of taste, nutrition & convenience.

We started in 2012 from the small town of Selby and as of today, have sold over 7.5 million meals, we are stocked in over 450 UK independent gyms, police ptations, universities, garage forecourts and military sites. 

The mission for GSN is to make healthy eating as affordable, accessible and enjoyable as possible as we all thrive for a healthier Britain. 

What was your professional life like before you launched GSN and what inspired you to do so? 

Prior to launching GSN, I worked mostly in retail. My first job at JJB sports earned me £3.64 an hour. Following this I worked in Ted Baker and then Selfridges before heading off to university in Manchester where I spent a year studying Business Enterprise. After a year I’d had enough and took myself out to work with the family meat trading business before taking the chance on an idea that steam cooked chicken would be a good fit for students and gym goers. 

What were the most difficult challenges you faced during your first year of business? 

Driving my converted Tesco delivery truck round the country for 15 hours a day at the restricted speed limit of 56 MPH, with 3 chest freezers and a frozen compartment jam-packed with 225 bags of chicken and finding the self belief that this little idea could one day become a successful business.

I used to have to walk into bodybuilding gyms at 21 years old and sell a concept that they had never seen before. The gym owners were usually very hard to warm up to, especially compared to retail customers and I had to get them to trust in a 21 year old’s dream. 

What was the initial overall response from your target market when you launched your first range of products and did you need to make any adaptations? 

It was a completely new concept that had only been used in restaurants and food service so people needed convincing, however once people understood the concept the feedback and response was amazingly positive, we have always battled against the preconception that frozen isn’t good for you, so our challenge as a brand is to change this perception. 

Many food products found on supermarket shelves that are marketed as “healthy” aren’t always everything they claim to be. How do GSN products differ as regards quality and nutrition? 

We stick to 2 very simple principles to help people eat healthily:

High Protein – We use quality lean sources of meat to ensure all of our foods are classed as being high in protein. A high protein diet supports an active, healthy lifestyle by aiding muscle repair and growth. 

Low Sugar – We choose to use low sugar carbohydrate sources to avoid the use of unnecessary added sugar in our foods. Low sugar carbohydrate sources tend to be more nutrient dense than higher sugar options and therefore better to support an active lifestyle. 

Whilst sticking to these principles, before we release anything under a GSN label we have to be sure that it ticks all 3 boxes of being; HEALTHY, TASTY AND EASY.

HEALTHY 

With a focus on protein-packed ingredients, our dishes will keep you feeling full and satisfied while providing the essential nutrients your body needs. 

TASTY  

Who said healthy eating has to be boring? Our complete solution offers indulgent flavours that bring variety to each day of the week.

EASY  

We’ve done the hard work, so you don’t have to. Prepared by our chefs and approved by nutritionists, cook from frozen, ready in minutes.

Now we’ve entered a new year, many people will be trying to make lifestyle changes and stick to resolutions. What three pieces of advice would you give to someone keen to lead a healthier lifestyle? 

Don’t diet; change the lifestyle choices. 

Diets are periodically not enjoyable, people hate dieting so instead of dieting you find a balance to move more, hydrate more and replace the unhealthy food choice with a tasty healthy alternative instead. 

Address good habits 

Set a routine, stick to the routine and it will mold you into the person you want to be. 

Always have a GSN Meal in your freezer 

It’s the hero you look for when you finish a late shift, when you don’t want to cook or when you and your partner want to eat together but want completely different meals. Cooking up a meal in 6 minutes, saving you time, money and you’re not cheating on the new healthy eating lifestyle. 

Since launching in 2012, GSN has grown substantially and is consistently smashing sales targets and business milestones. What would you say has been your proudest achievement thus far? 

When you set up a business, the goal is to have a business that works even when you are not there. So back in November 2021 it was the day before my 30th birthday and my whole team Facetimed me to tell me we hit the milestone target for the first time ever!

We toasted over the video call and everyone was buzzing! What was even better than hitting the figure was the fact that my team had the same energy as me to succeed and hit targets. That’s when I first took a minute to sit back and appreciate the hustle, the hardship and the success of GSN. 

In the past two years alone, you have sold more than 5 million meals. Which are your most popular products and where do you find the inspiration for new recipes? 

The most popular product for us is the Breaded Chicken Katsu Curry ready meal.  

It’s a meal that can compete against its restaurant alternatives at a fraction of the price and superior nutritionals!  We can’t give away all of the secrets but this is handmade in the UK. Packed with 29g of protein, we use real panko bread crumbs and are topped with an authentic japanese katsu curry sauce. 

As for inspiration on new flavours we as a team are enthusiastic foodies so that helps us come up with new ideas. We work with some incredibly talented Development Chefs and we challenge the standards. We will look at what is trending on the street food scene, what worldwide flavours are trending and look at how we can make a healthier alternative without losing all of the flavaour and enjoyment. 

Initially, GSN provided high protein ready meals to the indie gym and leisure sector. Where can our readers source your products in 2024?

www.mygsn.co.uk 

We work with DPD to deliver the frozen food directly to your door. 

Alternatively you can find us in a local stockist, just drop us a DM on instagram and we will point you in the direction of your nearest stockist. 

We hope to see you join GSN on our journey of becoming Britain’s best loved healthy frozen meal solution provider.

Please use promo code YORKSHIREPRESS for a discount on your first order. 

Situated in the heart of Yorkshire, Cooper King Distillery is a shining example of the entrepreneurial spirit that defines our region. Chris, a chartered architect and his wife, Dr Abbie Jaume who is a former scientist, founded Cooper King Distillery back in 2016. Their self-built, pioneering distillery has been producing world-class spirits using 100% renewable energy ever since and this year, they launched England’s very first net zero energy whisky.

Join us as we kick off our new series with an insightful and inspiring Q&A session with Chris Jaume…

Leaders of Yorkshire – Q&A with Chris Jaume, Co-Founder of Cooper King Distillery

It has been a while since we last spoke and you’ve had a fantastic couple of years with new product releases and award wins. What would you say has been a personal highlight for you?

It simply has to be the successful launch of our first-ever whisky. It’s the culmination of a 10-year adventure, which has taken us on a wild adventure from Yorkshire to Tasmanian and back again! To be able to release a whisky – influenced by the people and landscapes from our journey – for others to enjoy on theirs, has been a wholesome and heartwarming process.

The positive response has been just incredible to see, and myself, Abbie and the rest of the team are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved.

You recently created and launched the first whisky in England to have been distilled using net zero energy. Could you tell us a little about the unique production process?

The First Edition whisky is made exclusively from English Maris Otter barley, a heritage two-row autumn-sown grain, selected for its depth of flavour and intense malty characteristics.

This is floor malted for us at Britain’s oldest working maltings, Warminster Maltings. This slow and labour-intensive floor-malting process has changed little over the last 150 years and results in a superior malt character expression that champions the heritage grain’s flavour. Importantly, this malt is fully traceable back to the farm of origin.

Mashing is carried out at the distillery by hand. A labour-intensive but vital process, it keeps our distiller Sophie Pashley busy on mash days! The result is 1250 litres of beautifully sweet wort, which fills the distillery with the warming aromas of barley and Horlicks. Spent grains from mashing are collected by our local farmer and fed to their cattle.

Specially selected distillers’ yeast is added to our clear wort. We then ferment for a long 6-7 days. Fermentation temperature is guided only by the extent to which we cool the wort before pitching the yeast, allowing seasonal temperature variations to influence the character of the wash. 

Then follows double distillation on our custom-made 900-litre copper pot still from Tasmania aka ‘Neilson’ – named after Abbie’s father. It is the only one of its kind in the Northern Hemisphere! Its short, wide neck and innovative renewable-energy heating elements help to carry over a full complement of flavour compounds within the distillate.

The resulting new-make spirit is then matured in small 100-litre oak casks in our on-site maturation warehouse. This is ventilated by an off-grid, solar-powered system. Small casks – typically used in Tasmania – permit a faster maturation due to the increased wood surface-to-spirit ratio, and together with the spirit, create a rich and flavoursome whisky.

We have spent the last 10 months sampling our maturing spirit, building up our understanding of how our characterful new-make interacts with our small, active casks. The result was a vatting of 6 small oak casks from our early distillations, which yielded 589 bottles of the First Edition.

A backdrop of vanilla and oak from the bourbon casks allows the delightfully fresh and fruity character of our new-make spirit to take centre stage. We then layered up with fruit and spice from ex-sherry and ex-red wine casks, before bringing in the cognac cask to dial up the notes of honey, sweet malt and soft oak.

The whisky was then bottled, labelled and batch numbered by hand, at the distillery, with no chill filtration and no caramel colouring.

As is the Cooper King way, we shared the full Spirit Specifics online, so whisky drinkers and enthusiasts could really get stuck into the nitty-gritty details. The feedback from this has been superb – people love being able to explore the whisky they’re drinking and gain an understanding of why it looks, smells and tastes the way it does.

Just 589 bottles of your trailblazing whisky were produced, and they sold out within 10 minutes. Did you expect such an incredible response?

We were absolutely blown away by the response. The positive emails, messages, social posts, reviews etc that ensued were a delight to read. It’s incredibly satisfying to know that our hard work over the last 10 years has paid off and that our customers have loved the results.

First Edition – Fruit + Spice was the first release in your brand new Expedition Series. What was the inspiration behind the series, and what exciting products can we expect next?

The First Edition is the starting point for the Expedition Series of releases; a journey of discovery through the finest casks in our warehouse. 

Work has already begun for the next release, due in spring 2024. We’ve got some excellent first-fill Kentucky bourbon casks sourced directly from MB Roland and premium NEOC Bordeaux red wine casks to play with. It’s too early to say what the direction of the release will be just yet, but expect a bigger, bolder flavour with a greater wine influence and a release size almost double the size of the first one, as more casks reach maturity.

£5 from each bottle sale is being donated to Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust. Why did you choose this particular cause?

There is an urgent need to protect and restore our delicate rural landscapes, to reverse biodiversity loss and to help the UK achieve net zero by 2050. That’s why we’re dedicated to producing sustainable spirits that drive positive change. 

Although beautiful, our rural landscapes are negatively impacted by inaccessibility, isolation, climate change and widespread poverty. An increasing number of young people passionate about the environment are leaving rural areas because of limited access to training, low employment opportunities and high transport costs. This creates a significant challenge to small businesses in the environmental sector which are unable to recruit the specialist skills they require, leaving them under-resourced for conserving and enhancing wild spaces. 

By funding rural apprentices and removing these barriers, we enable young workers to carry out meaningful countryside management and community environmental projects. The Rural Apprenticeship Scheme equips young people with the skills and confidence to become custodians of our natural environment.

Work undertaken by apprentices includes restoring and protecting precious habitats such as the Yorkshire peatlands, to safeguard their natural carbon storage, which is estimated to be twice that found in forests. 100% of our donations go directly into the programme.

Can you explain how you achieved your net zero energy status?

Our net zero energy achievement is the result of six years’ dedication to sustainability, including carbon footprint reduction, and is 27 years ahead of the UK Government’s 2050 net zero target. 

To achieve net zero energy status, we developed innovative and sustainable distilling processes, utilised NASA technology paint on our still and sourced 100% renewable energy. Alongside this, we have actively reduced the carbon footprint of our operations to as close to zero as possible. You can dig deeper into our sustainable actions on our website.

We then engaged environmental consultants, Environmental Strategies, to calculate our Scope 1 and 2 emissions from our distilling operations from day one (i.e. when the distillery first fired up, on 1st February 2018). The resulting footprint highlighted that all our hard work had paid off! The total emissions from our own operations to date was a minuscule 0.6 tonnes of CO₂e, equating to an average of 0.1 tonnes of CO₂e per year (less than a one-way economy flight from Leeds to Glasgow).

The final step was to remove or absorb these emissions from the atmosphere – which we did three times over – utilising Direct Air Capture (DAC), UK tree planting and overseas tree planting. 

Transparency is important to us. As such, we made our Carbon Emissions Report publicly available online: www.cooperkingdistillery.co.uk/net-zero-energy-whisky. The more we share the sustainability strides we’re taking, the more we hope others are encouraged to follow suit.

As a company dedicated to sustainability and carbon footprint reduction, you must be incredibly proud of the positive contribution you have thus far. What are your goals for next year?

Next year sees us continue to fund some of YDMT’s key environmental projects. We’re aiming to hit 30,000 square metres of woodland planted and 5,000 square metres of wildflower meadow restored, as well as donating £17,000 to fund an entire rural apprenticeship.

Plans are also underway to increase our juniper planting for gin production, and to cover the entire distillery’s roof with solar cells… it will be another exciting year!

With the first release selling out so quickly, further products in the First Edition range are likely to be equally or perhaps even more popular. How can our readers ensure they’re notified ahead of the next release so they can get their hands on a bottle?

For those keen to get hold of a bottle, we recommend signing up to our newsletter to be amongst the first to know when it goes live.