Sales are up at Tullibardine

Sales at a Perthshire distillery rose by nearly a third – more than £7.5 million – despite the challenges of the pandemic.

Accounts for Blackfordbased Tullibardine Distillery shows the firm’s turnover for the year ending December 31 2020 was £32.5m, a sharp climb from its 2019 turnover figure of £24.9m.

The firm also toasted another year of profits, which rose by almost £1.5m to £3.9m.

In his strategic report, director Gabriel Jacques Picard said all areas of the business had performed “as hoped”.

Mr Picard said: “The company continues to seek new opportunities and markets to develop further the success of the company’s brand around the world.

“Everyone within the business works to this same shared goal.”

He said Tullibardine had sufficient reserves and resources, combined with government schemes, to face the challenges brought by Covid-19.

The company’s gross profit rose from 26% to 28%.

Mr Picard said: “The company considers gross profit margin to be the most important key performance indicator.

“Turnover has increased by 31% on 2019 with gross profit margin increasing by 2%, resulting in another profitable year and increase in net assets held.”

The average number of staff employed by the company through the year rose as well, by two, to 41.

Tullibardine is one of the oldest locations for brewing and distilling in

Scotland, dating to the 15th Century.

Before his coronation in 1488 James IV purchased beer from the brewery, which was then well known for the quality of its water.

In 1503 the king granted Tullibardine a royal charter and for centuries it was a brewery.

It was rebuilt as a distillery after the Second World War.

It was then mothballed in the 1990s for 10 years until a group of private investors brought it back into production in 2003.

In 2011, French wine and spirits group Picard Vins & Spiritueux purchased Tullibardine.

Since then, the Picards have expanded the distillery set-up, improving the visitor centre and installed their own bottling line.

IN THE BLACK: The Tullibardine distillery reopened in 2003 after closing in the 1990s.