21-05-2025
Iconic distillery on Scotland's whisky island featured in BBC global film series
The Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay has been chosen as the only spirits producer featured in a global film series by B Lab Global and BBC StoryWorks
A pioneering distillery on Scotland's whisky island is earning international recognition for its green credentials, becoming the only spirits producer featured in a new global film series celebrating purpose-driven businesses.
Bruichladdich Distillery, located on the windswept shores of Islay, has been chosen to appear in a new series by B Lab Global and BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions. The film spotlights select certified B Corporations from around the world that are reshaping business success by prioritising environmental and social impact.
Founded in 1881 and revived in 2001, Bruichladdich was the first Scotch whisky distiller to achieve B Corp certification in 2020 and was re-certified in 2023 with an improved B Impact Score of 100.7, making it one of the highest-scoring spirits producers in the world.
The seven-minute film, which debuts this month to audiences outside the UK, offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at life at the distillery, which also produces gin.
From Victorian-era stills and scenic coastlines to its work with local farmers and foragers, the film paints a vivid picture of how Bruichladdich is addressing global challenges from its remote island home.
Filming captured everything from croft land and rugged landscapes to the distillery's Botanist Gin foraging programme, where 22 native botanicals including wild mint and meadowsweet are hand-picked by island-based forager Kate Hannett – the head distiller's sister – in a bid to preserve biodiversity.
Head distiller Adam Hannett, who was born and raised on Islay and serves as the film's central voice, said the distillery's location carries both a 'privilege and a responsibility.'
'Our location is both a privilege and a responsibility. We've always believed we could make exceptional whisky while protecting our environment, supporting our community, and being open about the challenges that come with that,' he said.
The film delves into the distillery's commitment to regenerative agriculture, with more than half of its barley for 2024 and 2025 grown on the island. Bruichladdich is expanding this through long-term partnerships with local farmers, including Andrew Jones of Coull Farm.
Jones, who also appears in the film, grows rye for the distillery using chemical-free methods that help improve soil health and carbon retention. The rye was first used in Bruichladdich's limited-edition bottle, The Regeneration Project.
'Farming here isn't easy – the climate, the terrain, the remoteness – but working with Bruichladdich has opened up new possibilities. It's farming that gives back to the land, not just takes from it,' Jones said.
'Rye restores nutrients in the ground that the barley removes. Every crop of barley that goes in after has consistently been the best crop of barley on the farm. It's the essence of regenerative farming,' he added.
Bruichladdich now employs over 100 people, many of whom are islanders, and has introduced policies including a real living wage, living hours, caregiver support, and cost-of-living allowances for local staff.
Chief executive Douglas Taylor sees the film as a chance to show that even small, remote businesses can lead major change.
'This film provides a platform to share our story on the global stage,' he said. 'We don't do things because they're the cheapest, easiest, or most efficient way to operate, but because they're the right way, and produce the best spirits.
'Since reopening our Hebridean site in 2001, we have set out to prove that a whisky business could be about more than what's in the bottle.
"Focusing on our raw ingredients, making informed environmental choices, and putting Islay at the heart of our decision making has been imperative over the years, and we remain passionate about connecting land, community and dram today.'
The distillery has already reduced the carbon footprint of its Classic Laddie bottle packaging by 65 per cent and uses renewable heating oil while recycling waste heat from production. It has also pledged to eliminate fossil fuels from its distillation process by 2030, 15 years ahead of Scotland's net zero target.
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Earlier this year, Bruichladdich was named a finalist for B Corp of the Year at the 2025 British Business Awards. For head distiller Hannett, the global recognition is about more than whisky, it's about honouring heritage and community.
'We're doing things that nobody in the history of whisky making on Islay has done before – that's a privilege. Coming from the island and to be involved in its heritage, that's a really nice moment,' he said.
'This film is a moment for the whole island. It showcases Islay's farming, foraging and distilling traditions, that are all so deeply interconnected. Being able to tell that story on a global stage is incredibly powerful.'
