By Scott Wright

THE Artisanal Spirits Company knows its history well.

In one of its first decisive moves since listing on the stock market in June, the company will very shortly resurrect a major influence connected to its past.

Artisanal, perhaps best known to the wider world as the owner of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, has revived the name JG Thomson for a new whisky product.

Those familiar with the annals of Scotch whisky may know JG Thomson was the company that used to own the Vaults in Leith – a building that has been the “spiritual home” of the Society since 1983.

“The Artisanal Spirits Company is quite fortunate to have an investment in a property that, as we understand it, has got the longest commercial history of wines and spirits, and it dates back to the time monks traded coal for casks and barrels of Bordeaux and claret that was coming off the ships,” said David Ridley, the company’s Australian chief executive. “They would do a bartering deal.

“The Vaults property in Leith has had a continuous relationship with wines and spirits [and] we look forward to continuing that both through SMWS and the JG Thomson brand.”

READ MORE: Investors toast maiden results of The Artisanal Spirits Company

Mr Ridley, who has spent nearly a decade working in Edinburgh – interspersed by a three-year spell in Vietnam – said Artisanal will be relaunching JG Thomson as a small-batch, blended malt whisky brand soon.

Within that, it will introduce a range of whiskies with different flavour profiles – rich, sweet and smoky– as well as gins and rums.

And the spirits will be available for everyone to buy – not simply members of the prestigious SMWS – in bars and retail outlets, as well as online. Prices will start at a recommended retail price of £43 per bottle for the blended malt.

Unveiling its maiden results to the stock market on Thursday, which revealed a forecast-beating, 20 per cent rise in revenue to £7.9 million for the first half, the company said 10,000 bottles of the new whisky have now been produced.

The first orders have been placed from wholesalers and e-commerce retailers prior to the launch of a new marketing campaign.

The launch of the JG Thomson brand was among the plans disclosed by Artisanal in its admission document prior to its flotation on the Alternative Investment Market in June.

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“In the 19th century, the business partners of JG Thomson were two of the brothers of the Usher family – one of the most famous blending whisky families,” Mr Ridley added.

“Our approach is really a nod to that period of JG Thomson, when the Ushers were being very influential among Edinburgh and blended whisky [circles].”

Artisanal raised £26m from retail and institutional investors from the float, which valued the company at nearly £78m. Of the £26m, £15m went straight into the company coffers,

the bulk of which will be invested in whisky stock and casks to broaden the product range for its near-30,000 members around the world.

Investment will be made to underpin the company’s e-commerce operations and to bring more of its supply chain under direct control. Reporting its interim results last week, the company said it had agreed heads of terms on the lease of a logistics warehouse in the west of Scotland.

E-commerce emerged as major driver of sales during periods of lockdown over the last 18 months, and Mr Ridley expects the trend to continue.

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“We fully expect this to be a long-term change in consumer behaviour towards more convenience in terms of where they shop,” Mr Ridley said.

In other plans, the company has held out the prospect of opening more venues – at home and abroad.

In the short term, it hopes to make more use of its members’ venues now that coronavirus restrictions have eased and events can be held. This month, it is hosting its September Gathering, a series of events – from tastings to whisky dinners – at its venues in the UK and partner bars around the world.

“We’ve got some specially selected whiskies we will release this month as part of that,” Mr Ridley said. “But it’s really just to provide a platform to celebrate the community that we have of members, and do that on a global scale.

“All of the countries will have some form of event, depending on their circumstance in terms of lockdowns and things like that.”

Mr Ridley is certainly enjoying being part of the Artisanal community. He has been in Scotland long enough

now for his Australian accent to have receded, and said he is here for the long haul, highlighting his enjoyment of the social aspect of the role and spreading the message about Scotch whisky around the world.

“It’s got so many ticks in so many boxes,” he said. “And while we couldn’t be more diagonally opposite and further away from Melbourne, Edinburgh has been a great place for us. There is no confusion of where home is – it is here.”

Six Questions:

What countries have you most enjoyed travelling to, for business or leisure, and why?
For me, travel is about exploration and adventure, and food memories are a big part of my travels. I am torn between European and Asian food experiences, but Asia is top because it offers a huge variety of flavours and dishes such as Malaysian, Indian, Chinese and Japanese. 
 
When you were a child, what was your ideal job? Why did it appeal?
I wanted to be a fighter pilot. I’ve always has a passion for speed but my physics grades meant I had to rethink my career.


What was your biggest break in business?
Getting into the wine and spirits industry. Once I completed  my MBA in marketing in 1999, I secured  a job at Domaine Chandon as its marketing manager and this led me into a 20-plus year career in the wine and spirits industry.


What was your worst moment in business?
Starting my new job at Domain Chardon in January 2000 was also my worst moment. As marketing manager I was also responsible for sales and we experienced no sales in the first three months. This was because retailers had over-stocked in the run-up to the new millennium. Fortunately, by June 2000 retailers had resumed purchasing products.

Who do you most admire and why?
People who have “done it themselves” – those who are from humble beginnings, who faced challenges and worked hard to get where they are. Sir Richard Branson continues to challenge conventions, which 
I respect.
 
What book are you reading and what music are you listening to?
Lately, I have been reading only instruction books for DIY projects – my latest was assembling a garden shed. I’m looking forward to travelling again to read books and enjoy music.