Responsible Spirits
As a family-run, values-driven and influential business operating within the vibrant spirits industry, we remain committed to helping to encourage a better world for everyone.
As part of our overarching economic, social and governance principles (ESG), we recognise that we have an integral part to play in supporting and promoting responsible drinking practices. Where alcohol exists, we seek to ensure that a balanced and positive relationship can be upheld. We believe that adults have a free choice as to how to, or if to, engage with alcohol. Consumed in moderation and with the adoption of responsible drinking practices, alcohol can become a positive part of a balanced lifestyle.
Education and awareness are key, and we recognise that alcohol misuse has the high potential to lead to negative and detrimental effects to individuals, the immediate community, and across society. As a business operating in the alcohol industry, we continue to play our own very important part by helping consumers be more informed and responsible, offering the consumer options and free choice, whether that be with or without alcohol.
1. RAISING AWARENESS
Ongoing partnerships with various groups and organisations, such as Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), Drinkaware, and Portman Group, are promoted in our recruitment advertising, in our colleague offer letters, on our external company website and on our internal intranet.
Key hashtags such as #DrinkResponsibly and #DrinkAware are included on our company’s social media posts.
Self-directed learning and knowledge upskilling are all available through various content on our eLearning platform and in facilitated training programmes.
Signposting and support are offered as part of our overarching people strategy, our associated wellbeing initiatives and within our communications across our internal intranet.
Alcohol awareness is included as part of our colleague induction modules.
The legal requirements around alcohol licensing standards are embedded and ongoing training is provided.
Various in-house policies and practices are in place to support and sensitively manage, a positive and responsible relationship with alcohol.
2. BRAND POSITIVE FOCUS
Each of our brands positively adopts and promotes all responsible drinking and consumption industry standards and marketing codes of best practice.
Our distilleries promote the principles of responsible drinking and through visitors’ tours, also offer alternative initiatives such as ‘takeaway packs’.
All bottle labelling conforms to in market regulatory policies and sight a responsible drinking statement.
Our brand websites conform to LDA access (Legal Drinking Age).
3. ASPECTS OF OUR CULTURE
Don’t drink and drive, ever.
Relationships and sociability remain important, however, as professionals, colleagues are expected to ‘know their limits’.
We believe that unnecessary consumption of alcohol is avoidable during working hours; however, where alcohol is consumed, it will be done so in a convivial, and responsible manner, and not in excess.
Organised company-wide colleague events are planned and include non-alcohol alternatives, with work schedules close to events, arranged to protect everyone’s health and safety.
