A little over a year since it reopened, a Lowland distillery has announced cuts to staff following lower than expected visitor numbers.
Rosebank Distillery was reopened in 2024 by Ian Macleod Distillers. The distillery, based near Falkirk, was one of the many casualties of the industry-wide slump in the 1980s and Rosebank was closed in 1993.
In 2017, Ian Macleod announced that they had acquired both the site and relevant trademarks for Rosebank and revealed their plans to reopen the long-closed distillery. Production began at the new distillery in 2023 before the distillery formally opened its doors to the public in June 2024.
Unfortunately the distillery is looking to make approximately 20 staffs redundant. As reported in the Falkirk Herald, the visitor centre and retail shop were operating at a loss, and consequently staff from these areas, such as tour guides, have been told that their contracts will be terminated at the start of October.
Stuart Hendry, brand homes director for Rosebank Distillery, said that visitor numbers to the distillery had been “lower than anticipated and hoped.”
Marketing campaigns attempting to encourage tourists visiting Edinburgh or Glasgow to make the journey to Falkirk proved fruitless. Ian Macleod also called on their roster of Scotch brands to help raise interest in Rosebank, such as hosting a Tamdhu ‘residency’ at the distillery.
Hendry elaborated on the reason behind the job losses and what’s next for the distillery: “The level of tourism footfall from passing visitors in Falkirk, is insufficient to sustain our current operating model. To safeguard future business, we have taken the difficult decision to propose a realignment of our opening hours to better suit demand.
“Rosebank will remain open to visitors all year-round, but we are proposing our public opening hours will be shorter and more flexible. As part of these proposed changes, the roles of colleagues are also being reviewed, and it is with a heavy heart we delivered this difficult update to members of the Rosebank brand home team.
"None of this is a reflection on their commitment or contribution, which we value and appreciate. Some of our colleagues will be impacted by the proposed changes and this is a sensitive process. We are handling matters with the compassion, dignity and respect they deserve. We are fully and properly supporting everyone involved at this difficult time.”
While these redundancies are definitely a cause for concern, it’s important to remember that the distillery itself isn’t closing. Production will continue at the current rate and the visitor centre isn’t shutting down completely.
Nevertheless, these job loses are a troubling sign for the distillery once referred to as the ‘King of the Lowlands.’
