Distiller

Distiller

Wooler, Northumberland

£25,000 + per annum - dependent on experience

Fulltime hours: Monday to Friday, with some flexibility required

Ad Gefrin are a family-owned business with an ambition to literally ‘distill Northumbria’. This is the vision of the Ferguson family – an amalgamation of the local Ferguson and Redpath lineages - who have been part of the fabric of Northumberland as a business for almost 100 years. Our inspiration comes from the 7th Century royal summer palace of the Northumbrian kings and queens, discovered only four miles from our site. Over a millennium ago, this was an international destination, drawing people from Europe, Scandinavia and North Africa, bringing wealth, crafts, stories and creating the rich culture that would eventually spawn the Lindisfarne Gospels some 80 years later.

OUR SPIRITS

The provenance of our whisky could not be better! Our pure Cheviot water is sourced via a borehole beneath the distillery, our barley is grown on partner farms within a stone’s throw of our doorstep, and internationally renowned maltsters Simpsons Malt are less than 20 miles away in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

We will launch with two blends in autumn 2022 – one for our ‘Corenkyn’ our founding members and one on general release. Our Blends will be accessible and easy drinking while creating a lasting impression, and will showcase the quality and ideals we hold as distillery. Our Single Malt will mature in 2025 and be released ‘when it is ready’.

We are ambitious for this, our hero product, and we hope our Single Malt becomes an internationally sought after export spirit – a true ambassador for the time and passion invested in it, and the quality of its homeland – Northumbria.

Purpose of the role:

You will be responsible for all production operations with the Ad Gefrin Distillery for Whisky and any other spirit produced as part of our suite of spirits. The distillery is the beating heart of our operation and will be the home of our hero spirit – the first Northumbrian English Single Malt Whisky. Ours is an extraordinary journey inspired by the past but contemporary and forward facing. The provenance of our whisky could not be bettered and we are respectful of tradition, but we are also excited to innovate and explore new possibilities to create truly outstanding English whiskies.

Key Responsibilities:

· Milling, Mashing, Fermentation, Maceration and Distillation

· Carry out routine organoleptic evaluation of raw materials and new malt distillate and take corrective action when appropriate

· Carry out routine chemical/process analytical evaluation of raw materials and finished product and co-product and take corrective action when appropriate

· Performing basic mechanical routine maintenance tasks

· Filling, regauging and emptying of casks

· Preparing spirit for movement in cask or IBC to other facilities, and the creation of the correct HMRC documents and transfer documents

· Following procedures and create accurate records of all processes as instructed

· Completing documentation accurately and forwarding to the appropriate person or place

· Conducting an appropriate handover of operations at every shift change to ensure that continuous production is achieved

· Managing junior distillery staff to perform day-to-day routine tasks and assist in the development of junior or new staff

· Understanding and contributing to continuous improvement

Whilst the responsibilities above reflect the day-to-day needs of fulfilling the role, they are not exhaustive. We are a small organisation, and when needs arise, everyone must be willing to support each other in undertaking whatever task is required to deliver on our promise to our customers.

Capabilities required:

· The ability to perform all operational tasks required to produce and dispatch high quality final product and co-product from raw materials to meet business requirement.

· The ability to work well as part of a small team in a very physical role.

· To be able to perform fault finding analysis to optimise plant performance

· The ability to take decisions based on a logical approach to fact gathering

· To be aware of the limits of your own authority and involve appropriate personnel in decision making process at appropriate times

· To be able to demonstrate good numeracy and literacy skills

· To demonstrate the ability to develop new skills and train others

· To be able to plan and organise your workload

· To understand and influence effective energy utilisation and costs

Essential attributes:

· A great team-player

· Highly organised

· You must hold a valid UK driving licence.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: From £25,000.00 per year

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: One location

Application deadline: 03/04/2023
Reference ID: Distiller