Penderyn’s Laura Davies joins Ardgowan as distillery manager
Laura Davies, the former general manager at Wales’ Penderyn distillery, has joined Scotland’s Ardgowan as its new distillery manager.
The news comes as Ardgowan prepares to start operations in Spring 2025 at its new eco-friendly site at Inverkip in the Scottish Lowlands.
Davies comes with more than a decade of experience in the whisky industry, having spent the last 12 years at the Welsh Whisky company, owner of Penderyn Distillery, which has three sites across Wales.
Alongside distilling, her experience includes compliance, improvement strategies and new product development. She has commissioned three major production sites, scaling operations from 90,000lpa to 1m. She was also mentored by the late Dr Jim Swan.
Of her new appointment, Davies said: “Ardgowan is at such an exciting point in its journey. Joining at a moment when we are building the distillery and operational team from the ground up is something special. I look forward to applying all that I have learned to help Ardgowan craft an exceptional single malt that will resonate with whisky lovers worldwide."
Ardgowan CEO Martin McAdam, commented: "It is a pleasure to welcome Laura to the Ardgowan family. Her deep industry knowledge, from distillation to business development, aligns perfectly with our mission to establish Ardgowan as both a community cornerstone and a respected name in the global whisky market."
Davies will be joining the team at a critical time as it prepares to start operations. The news follows the recent delivery of Ardgowan’s state-of-the-art copper stills, crafted by McMillan Coppersmiths Ltd.