Building a community spirit

Andy B gives us an overview of the Ellers Farm Distillery project, what it will become and his reason for joining this incredible venture.

The Very Beginning

My journey to Ellers Farm Distillery began in early 2020, when we first discussed the vision to create the best products in the most sustainable and ethical way possible – something I feel strongly about. Knowing the company is family-owned, and thus independent in how it sets and achieves its sustainable goals was a key reason in being drawn to this incredible opportunity.

Since taking the reins as Managing Director, I have started growing that vision and it became increasingly important for us to start visualising a place to call home for this wonderful distillery that would become the foundation that we build that vision upon. 

In the same way that all great stories start, it was a chance discussion between friends that highlighted a farm situated in a rural location just a few miles outside of the great city of York, in the village of Stamford Bridge, North Yorkshire as a potential site for us to call home.

As we spent time in this amazing part of the country, surrounded by fields and imposing oak trees, everything just felt right. As we started to learn more about Ellers Farm, such as the pair of breeding Barn Owls that live here and were the inspiration for our logo, or the curved features of the Dutch Barn, that lend themselves perfectly to housing our distillation column, that feeling of excitement you get when you know you’ve found something special started to grow.

Our Journey to Building a World Class Distillery 

Jump forward to today, and we are well on our exciting journey to building Ellers Farm Distillery. Our aim is to sustainably produce the world’s best tasting distilled spirits – to put it simply, sustainable perfection.

Everything we are doing is balancing the drive to make the best possible product with the smallest possible environmental impact.  From choosing our ingredients to shipping bottles, we select the materials, choose the partners, embrace the technology, and uphold the traditions that help us towards our dual ambition.

Of course, we will still need to use energy, natural resources, and man-made materials, so we will be planting trees to create our very own orchards, drilling a borehole on site to create a natural water supply, and investing in environmental projects until we are certain that we put back more than we take.

For us, it is so important that Eller’s Farm Distillery is not only sustainable, but that the business we do is ethical. This is why we will be employing a Head of Sustainability in the near future. We have also committed to more than offset the impact of every employee’s work and personal footprints, making us a climate positive workforce right from the very start.

We refuse to rest on our laurels and therefore, we are working through the process to achieve B-Corp certification, a standard that we believe balances all the elements of a great business, but also requires every member not to sit back, but to keep pushing for improvement.

Not just a Distillery

Nestled between Malton and York, in the picturesque setting of Stamford Bridge, is where you can find our distillery. We are extremely proud of our North Yorkshire roots and we want everyone to come and be part of what we are creating.  

We deeply believe in creating a real bond with our local community and will be working with local suppliers, providing employment, partnering with likeminded local businesses and ultimately, driving tourists to the region and showcasing all that North Yorkshire has to offer.

The visitor experience we will create, will be a fantastic day out with activities for all including tours, tastings, and educational classes and experiences, which we believe will perfectly complement the existing world class offerings in the North Yorkshire region.

Simply put, Ellers Farm will be a great day out. We can’t wait to welcome you soon!

I hope reading this has piqued your interest in Ellers Farm Distillery. Stay in touch through the site and our social media, and I hope to see you personally down at the distillery some time.