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Gledfield Distillery through to national final of UK StartUp Awards





A fledgling Highland business has reached the final of the UK StartUp Awards.

Gledfield Distillery, founded by Ciara Bow of Ardgay, has been named as the Food and Drink StartUp of the Year in Scotland.

Ciara Bow of Gledfield Distillery.
Ciara Bow of Gledfield Distillery.

Ms Bow said: “We are now going through to the UK finals in September to compete for the UK title. I can’t believe it!”

The National StartUp Awards was created in partnership with the team behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, one of the most successful awards programme in the UK, and is supported by a range of organisations.

Launched in 2022, the awards champion and celebrate the best and brightest StartUps from across the United Kingdom.

The national final will take place at Ideas Fest in Tring, Hertfordshire, on Thursday, September 12, and Gledfield Distillery faces stiff competition from seven other finalists in its category.

Social media users have been quick to congratulate Ciara, describing the achievement as “fantastic”.

Ciara is fitting out commercial premises on the Blarliath Industrial Estate, Tain. Her long-term ambition is to refurbish the Ice House in Ardgay to become a distillery visitor centre.

She said: “With funding from Interface, we have been working with a chef from SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College) to enhance the flavour of our botanical spirits.

“We have been experimenting with a wide range of different fruits, flowers and herbs. Our first botanical spirit is a floral infusion made with oats, elderflower, heather flowers and pine needles. Sweet, floral and very fresh!”

Ciara has also been experimenting with a type of seaweed called Atlantic Wakame which she says has a “rich umami flavour”.


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