Morvern distillery confirms Paxman is an investor
Veteran broadcaster enjoys the odd dram
University Challenge presenter and journalist Jeremy Paxman has been revealed as an investor in what is thought to be Scotland’s first organic whisky distillery on Morvern, writes Mark Entwistle.
The Nc’nean Distillery at Drimnin was founded by Derek Lewis, the former director general of the Prison Service in England and Wales, and his daughter, Annabel Thomas.
Mr Lewis was the former prisons chief at the centre of Mr Paxman’s infamous Newsnight interview with the former home secretary Michael Howard, during which the latter was asked 12 times if he had threatened to overrule Mr Lewis, to which Mr Howard avoided giving a straight answer.
Nc’nean uses renewable energy to make whisky from organically grown barley, which is then sold in bottles made from recycled glass and 99 per cent of the waste from the distilling process is then used by a neighbouring farm.
Mr Paxman, 71, has been quoted as saying how much he enjoys a dram, adding: ‘When the opportunity came along to get involved with a Scotch that is made while taking care of the environment, I was keen to get involved. How often can you say that your pleasure causes no harm to anyone else?’
After retiring, Mr Lewis, 75, bought the Drimnin Estate, and the distillery was founded in 2017 by Ms Thomas, who gave up her job in London to make her dream of making whisky a reality.
She raised the millions needed from the EU and other investors, including Mr Paxman, who is said to own a 0.6 per cent stake.
Ms Thomas told the Lochaber Times: ‘We are delighted to have Jeremy as one of our investors, and for the crucial role he and all our other investors have played in getting Nc’nean from a dream back in 2013 to the reality today: an organic, B Corp certified, net zero whisky distillery.’
Nc’nean founder and CEO Annabel Thomas, below, is ‘delighted’ to have Mr Paxman as an investor.