Briggs of Burton open a Scottish base to service scotch whisky industry

The booming whisky industry in Scotland has prompted a specialist engineering firm to open a Scottish base specialising in copper whisky stills. 

Briggs of Burton is expanding their operations in Scotland due to the demand for copper whisky stills. They already own a copper still manufacturer, McMillan, since 2020 which is based in East Lothian. 

This new base will be in the traditional heart of the Scottish whisky industry, Moray on Speyside. Briggs has secured premises at Forres Enterprise Park, which is known for its 100 acres of landscaped grounds and sustainable buildings. 

Briggs McMillan copper stills

Who is Briggs of Burton?

Briggs of Burton is an engineering consultant specialising in hygienic process engineering. This includes:

  • Brewing
  • Distilling
  • Food
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Biotech
  • Industrial

They have a history in engineering dating back to 1732 and have pioneered process engineering for many years. 

From the very beginning of its history the company has been involved in engineering alcohol processes from its origins in Burton-on-Trent.

Now, following their acquisition of the historic McMillan (Coppersmiths and Fabricators) Ltd in 2020 the new Moray office will further cement Briggs in Scotland. 

Why are they setting up an office in Moray?

Briggs works with some of the biggest drinks brands in the world. As well as the aforementioned McMillan acquisition expanding their expertise in the distillation process the scotch whisky industry is showing incredible growth worldwide. 

Briggs’s portfolio of clients includes:

  • Grant Williams & Sons
  • Diageo
  • Chivas
  • Many smaller distilleries

So, Briggs of Burton needs a stronger presence in Scotland, and this office will provide that. 

Managing Director Rob Buxton goes into detail about why Briggs chose Speyside for their Scotland location:

“Expanding into Morayshire, the ancestral home of the distilling industry, felt like the natural progression for Briggs of Burton, given its longstanding history of work within Scotland. We are working on contracts ranging from £3m to £30m and the new office will support ongoing growth, create at least 10 jobs and reduce our carbon footprint by bringing our expertise closer to clients. 

“Briggs of Burton has extensive experience in delivering distillery projects in key spirit producing regions and this new premises will allow us to further deepen our knowledge of the Scotch whisky industry as well as support jobs and investment.”

What does this mean for the scotch whisky industry?

Further investment in the scotch whisky industry by Briggs of Burton continues a trend of investment by large firms in scotch whisky.

Whisky is booming. Last year saw scotch whisky exports from Scotland exceed £6 billion for the first time, an increase of £1.5 billion over the course of a year. 

Investment in the industry has gained traction in recent years. We have seen big drinks companies invest in Scotland. These include:

As we can see, there is a clear trend in how large companies view the scotch whisky industry. They have been proven correct with the level of whisky exports in 2022, so we are excited to see what 2023 holds for the industry. 

If you are interested to learn more about how whisky investment can get you a return then contact our team at UKV International.

UKV is a broker in rare whisky, we also help our clients invest in cask whisky.

So, if you would like to acquire whisky as an investment, as a collection, or for consumption then speak to our experts. 

We can help you decide on the perfect whisky for your tastes, whatever you decide to do with it.

Contact the UKV team today.