A whisky maker has made staff redundant and paused production at its Aberdeenshire distillery.
Glenglassaugh Distillery near Portsoy is owned by Brown-Forman, which has confirmed the news as part of its ongoing planning process.
However, the distillery said it will not be permanently shutting down.
It added that it will continue a “shared production” model with BenRiach in Elgin, which is also owned by Brown-Forman.
The distillery first opened in 1875 but closed in 1986 before being revived in 2008.
Production pause is ‘standard in the industry’
A Glenglassaugh spokesperson said while plans are always subject to change, occasional “silent seasons” are standard in the whisky industry.
The spokesperson said: “Glenglassaugh Distillery is not shutting down.
“We operate a shared production model with Benriach, which will involve periods of production alongside occasional silent seasons, as has been the case traditionally.
“This allows us to optimize resources and expertise across both distilleries.
“This shared production model, and our ongoing demand planning process, resulted in a small number of redundancies.
“We deeply value the contributions of those impacted and are committed to providing support to them throughout this process.
“Our commitment to crafting exceptional whiskies remains as strong as ever.
“We are grateful for the continued support and enthusiasm of our customers and markets worldwide.”
The Press and Journal understands the redundancies are expected to impact fewer than five people.
Glenglassaugh Distillery worker’s message after redundancies
Former distillery production operator Tijay Salhotra announced he was leaving the distillery on his Instagram.
In his post, he said: “And just like that my time at Glenglassaugh and Brown-Forman has come to an end.
“Due to the decline in the whisky industry and a change in the corporations activities, Glenglassaugh is halting production for a while making my role redundant.
“It’s not closing for good and it should restart towards the end of the year.
“It’s been an amazing three years with the company, beginning from my time at Glendronach in the visitor centre and the last two years at the helm of Glenglassaugh.
“I’m not sure what’s next for me personally, I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason so let’s see what life has in store for me.
“Glenglassaugh will always be in my heart and a part of me will always be at Glenglassaugh.”
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