New state-of-the-art malting plant in Inverness set to double production capacity
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Construction work on a new state-of-the-art malting plant in Inverness is set to start next week.
The expansion at Bairds Malt in Longman Road will more than double the existing production capacity and is designed to meet growing demand from Scotland's distilling customers.
The development will increase capacity by 57,000 tonnes per year with the first batch of barley expected to come through the maltings by the end of 2021.
The honour of cutting the first sod fell to senior malt technician Alex Glass who has worked for Bairds for 21 years and is one of the longest-serving team members at Inverness.
"It’s a big occasion for the Bairds team at Inverness with the construction of a new facility and it's great to be able to reach this milestone of the groundbreaking," he said.
"The expansion of the maltings is good news for the business and our community and we’re looking forward to seeing the new maltings develop and the first batch of barley through the new plant for our distilling customers."
He was joined at the socially-distant ceremony by fellow employees Mark Kinsman, distilling customer manager, and Isla Prentice who will oversee the development in her role as project coordinator.
"Getting a spade in the ground represents a lot of hard work from the team at Bairds and the contractors who have helped us get to this pivotal stage," Ms Prentice said.
"It’s particularly exciting as one of the youngest employees in the business to be able to play a part in the next chapter in this essential industry.
"It’s also significant to see the detail of the green credentials of the new plant, which is a major step forward in efficiency and hygiene standards and a further commitment to the long-term sustainability of the supply chain."
Inverness Maltings originally opened in 1962 as Moray Firth Maltings, which merged with Hugh Bairds in the 1990s.
Bairds Malt – a subsidiary of United Malt Group Limited, with operations in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia – has five sites in the UK including Abroath where refurbishment work is under way to increase production capacity by 22,000 tonnes per year.
Dr Richard Broadbent, president of Bairds Malt, said: "This is a very exciting period for the distilling industry in Scotland and with this investment, in addition to the support from our significant grower base, we believe this expansion provides a world-class malting plant to supply our customers with the quality Scottish distilling malt they require.
"This is a long-term industry with long-term relationships right along the supply chain from ‘Drill to Still’ and this enables Bairds Malt to play its part in supporting the investment we’ve seen recently in whisky production and going forward for many years to come."
