Shining a light on the all-important middle man

One unappreciated and unsung link in the chain between distillery and your local supermarket or offlicence is the distributor. And the big distribution name in the whisky world, and indeed the spirits world generally, is Gordon and MacPhail of Elgin.

In a world where key firms tend to be headquartered in capital cities, to find such a key player happily settled in Morayshire is unusual. However, Gordon and MacPhail has been in the whisky business for more than 120 years and is still run by direct descendants of the firm’s founders.

This February, it won the Drinks Wholesaler of the Year title for the fourth time in five years. It distributes 4,800 different drinks lines, including 1,000 different malt whiskies, 800 wines and 200 craft beers and ciders.

Apart from its own huge range of single malts (best known is the Connoisseur’s Choice label), the company distribute innumerable other whiskies for countless other firms. It operates a swathe of wholly-owned and dutypaid warehouses in the Elgin area, employing more than 130 staff, as well as numerous distribution depots across the UK, 20 full-time sales staff and a big transport fleet topped up by courier services.

It also owns Benromach Distillery at Forres and remains probably the biggest buyer of single malt casks in the industry. Its shop in Elgin is an Aladdin’s cave for any whisky enthusiast, with malts from just about every existing distillery – and quite a few vanished ones – in stock at any one time, with prices from within grasp to outer space.

Not that G&M hasn’t got stiff competition in the wholesaling and distribution market. However, its great strength and expertise is in whisky, particularly malts, which prompts so many specialist retailers to get supplies from the firm and, conversely, so many distilleries and distilling groups to use G&M as its main or sole distributor.

G&M is also expanding in the export market, supplying to about 50 countries. With Scotch whisky a growth industry, every link in the supply and distribution chain needs to grow with it. So will G&M – and with it, Elgin’s place on the

map.

Benromach Distillery at Forres.