I’MINITTOGINIT
She gave up city life as an oil and gas executive in Aberdeen to distill Scotland’s first eco-friendly gin by the sea – and Su Black has never looked back
George at Asda gingham capris the facelessness of living in a city. Su spent 14 years in Aberdeen in the oil and gas sector. “I decided to get out before the crash. I was needing a change,” she said.
Her first job out of university first time around had been working in an oat mill, and she decided she’d been happiest when her work involved making things. She read about the Heriot Watt University Brewing and Distilling course in a magazine and – already a whisky and craft beer enthusiast – decided to apply. “I made a decision within three weeks Denim jacket, Bonmarché of reading about it to go and do it.” After graduating from the course in November 2015, Su heard about the project of a sustainable distillery being set up in Kintyre. She joined the company last October and moved to the area in January.
“It’s my dream job but also a dream location as well. I’m now going swimming in the sea – although with a wetsuit. The beach is only 100 metres from my cottage.”
Su has been busy setting up the distillery and will be taking the base recipe of the new gin and scaling it up to commercial level for when it goes on sale, hopefully around next month.
“It’s going from a one-litre glass flask in a lab to a 230-litre copper pot in a distillery,” she explained.
Su is single and child-free and had no qualms about changing her life in her 50s. “Age has never bothered me. I’ve never considered it at any point in my career. I’ve still got plenty of enthusiasm for life and work. I don’t want to be doing the same thing day in day out.” www.kintyregin.com