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Swimming upstream –
1980s JOHN L S GRANT tells the
story about GLENFARCLAS |
NEXT>>
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A rival distiller
enjoys a dram with George at the 150th anniversary
celebrations in 1986. |
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Sales of Glenfarclas grew
by 20% in 1981 but any celebration was quickly tempered
by a series of tragic events, particularly the death of
our production manager, Douglas Macdonald, after a
fishing accident. Earlier, in May 1981, No.1 wash still
collapsed. Seven days later, No.2 Spirit Safe caught
fire. Then, in May 1982, we suffered an explosion in the
malt mill.
It was also a gloomy period for the whisky industry
overall and, in 1984, Distillers Company Ltd closed
eleven malt distilleries and two bottling halls. However,
my father, never one to follow the pack, gambled that
the cutbacks would lead to a shortage in five to six
years time and declared that we would ‘swim upstream’
and increase production.
1984 saw J&G Grant establish a joint venture with Peter
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Russell & Co Ltd to purchase and
run Broxburn Bottlers Ltd, giving us full control of our own
bottlings, under bond. But, as one joint venture was established,
another came to an end. We had established Ballindalloch Feed
Products with Tormore, Aberlour and Glenlivet distilleries to
process the waste draff and pot ale to produce dark grains for
the animal feeds industry. However, the increasing cost of fuel
and decreasing cost of feed sadly made it uneconomical to
continue.
In 1986, we celebrated our 150th anniversary of legal licensed
distilling in style, with a series of dinners and ceilidhs for
our distributors, staff, pensioners and friends. We also
released a limited edition 150th Anniversary bottling, for which
Philip Hutcheon, our Office Manager, and I selected seven of our
best casks
 from the 1960s to vat together.
I can trace our family history back much more than 150 years;
right back to 1670 in fact. All the records show that my family
has been farming since then. So it was a sad end to an era when
in 1988, in the face of increased EEC intervention, we took the
decision to stop farming Rechlerich.
We had finally become full-time distillers.
Shortly afterwards, we had to deal with one of the most
aggressive takeover attempts we have ever been subjected to, by
one of the large groups. I am pleased to say we resisted.
Galvanised by the struggle perhaps, our exports of Glenfarclas
increased by 30%.
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