Ellers Farm Distillery is a brand-new distillery and visitor attraction currently under construction in North Yorkshire. The distillery is being built on the simple principles of balancing people, planet and profit. On the farm they understand the need to protect our planet for the good of all humankind and are committed to being climate positive from day one. They are currently partnering with Ecologi through their ‘Plant-a-Tree’ programme, with the aim of being able to offset, to a greater degree, the emissions from the team’s personal and professional lives.
One of the first sustainability initiatives Ellers Farm has embarked upon is their new on-site borehole, which recently struck water at a depth of 260m. The borehole will provide a safe and sustainable water source to the distillery, whilst also reducing the scope 3 emissions and carbon footprint associated with recycling and transporting mains water.
In addition, the new construction will enable distillery to save roughly 3 days of water per week at their current volume, due to various cooling processes that significantly reduce the risk of water loss through evaporation. Specifically, a built-in closed-loop cooling system will provide all of the fermenters with temperature control, as well as condensers to cool the ethanol vapours and a cooling tower that saves 97% of water volume.
Sourcing water from beneath the distillery itself is just one of the steps the business is taking to ensure the full production chain is as sustainable as it can be, while keeping the quality of the liquid being produced at the highest standard.
Along with balancing the sourcing of the most sustainable energy, raw materials, and ingredients, Ellers Farm Distillery will also look to support local producers and suppliers in a bid to further grow the local economy.
The new state-of-the-art facility, located near the historic village of Stamford Bridge, is a multi-million-pound investment set to offer sustainable and diversified employment for the region. A stone’s throw away from Yorkshire’s food capital, Malton, the distillery’s visitor centre will enhance the visitor experience as an aligned tourism asset.
To ensure the liquids are of the highest standard, one of the distillery’s first hires is Jamie Baggot, Master Distiller with multiple awards to his name – including winning gold at the San Francisco Spirit Awards.
Andy Braithwaite, Managing Director at Ellers Farm, said: “We’re extremely excited to have hit our first major milestone, bringing us ever closer to having the distillery up and running. From day one, we are committed to being eco-leaders within the spirits industry, and we will consider our impacts on people, profit, and the planet in every action we take.
“In a time when our news feeds are clogged with issues surrounding climate change, it’s vital that businesses such as ours are proactive in our approach and mitigate our environmental impact from the offset.”
In order to demonstrate their sustainable mission, the business will also seek accreditation for their high environmental and social standards from recognised bodies like B-Corp, aiming to achieve the certification within the first year of trading.
The business has also opened up their ‘Plant-a-Tree’ programme to consumers, pledging to plant a tree for every person that signs up to their email database.
