A spokesperson for a Fife-based distillery has confirmed that redundancies have been made at the site, though the nature and scale of these redundancies is much smaller than originally estimated.
Earlier this week, rumours had started circulating on social media about jobs being cut at Lindores Abbey, which included speculation regarding a potential change in ownership. A post in a Lindores fan group claimed that redundancies had been made with the founders being among those let go.
However, a statement issued by the family-owned distillery downplayed the severity of these rumours. The owners have confirmed a “small number of roles” have been cut, all of which were on the events side of the business.
The spokesperson said: “Following a strategic review of the distillery’s operations, a non-core events business was disbanded in summer 2025. As part of a broader operational streamlining, a small number of roles will no longer exist”
Lindores was founded by the MacKenzie Smith family in 2017. The firm is also supported by foreign investment, most notably by Spirex Ltd - a holding company jointly owned by Russian national Viacheslav Petr Nazarov and British national Heath Alexander Forusz. Reports suggest that Spirex own 75-85% of Lindores.
Some of the rumours implied that the MacKenzie Smiths had left or been forced out of the business. This has now been debunked, with the spokesperson simply stating that this was “inaccurate information.”
Regarding the future of the distillery, the spokesperson confirmed that the distillery resumed continuous production in September 2025 following a number of short manufacturing pauses the preceding months The visitor centre also remains open.
The spokesperson continued: “Our operational structure has been revised to focus on our core strengths: liquid production, sales, and the visitor centre — a model consistent with our peers across the Scotch whisky industry. After a period of reduced production, we are proud to confirm that distillation resumed in September 2025.
“This ensures that the spiritual home of Scotch whisky continues to produce quality spirit and our visitor centre remains open, undergoing exciting strategic development and continues to welcome guests from around the world. The business continues to trade as normal and is focused on a strong and sustainable future.”
It’s worth considering the context for the rumours regarding Lindores. The past 12-18 months have been particularly trying for the whisky industry, with a large number of distilleries announcing production pauses and job losses.
Just this week, the news broke that the production teams at Bowmore and Laphroaig are set to be merged with a number of jobs potentially at risk. (For more context on this stiory, check out our recent article "Bowroaig? Laphmore? Islay Giants to Merge.”)
Thankfully Lindores has been able to put these rumours to bed and while the announced redundancies are still disheartening news, it’s reassuring the weren’t as severe as was being suggested.
Hopefully the firm finds itself in a position for continued success without any further unsettling speculation.
