On this very special bonus episode of Scran we are heading north as Cardhu distillery celebrates 200 years of producing whisky. Licensed in 1824, it was the first distillery to be officially pioneered by a woman. And what better way to mark this special occasion than by celebrating all women pioneers, and three in particular?
This episode was recorded at Cardhu Distillery in Speyside and features snippets from a celebratory event where the team welcomed-in the local community to hear from these modern trailblazers. They are; fashion designer Siobhan McKenzie, Owner of Ujama Spice, Jawahir Al-Mauly and founder of Dear Green Coffee, Lisa Lawson. Rosalind chats to each of them about the challenges they've faced and the successes they've achieved in their inspiring businesses.
To hear more about the history of Cardhu and the celebrations to mark 200 years of licensed whisky production (including a new bottling) Rosalind also chats to Assistant Experience & Events Manager for Cardhu, Jo Henderson.
You'll find out more about 200 years of Cardhu and the anniversary celebrations here:
https://www.malts.com/en-gb/articles/cardhu-200-years-of-pioneering-spirit
This episode was recorded at Cardhu Distillery in Speyside and features snippets from a celebratory event where the team welcomed-in the local community to hear from these modern trailblazers. They are; fashion designer Siobhan McKenzie, Owner of Ujama Spice, Jawahir Al-Mauly and founder of Dear Green Coffee, Lisa Lawson. Rosalind chats to each of them about the challenges they've faced and the successes they've achieved in their inspiring businesses.
To hear more about the history of Cardhu and the celebrations to mark 200 years of licensed whisky production (including a new bottling) Rosalind also chats to Assistant Experience & Events Manager for Cardhu, Jo Henderson.
You'll find out more about 200 years of Cardhu and the anniversary celebrations here:
https://www.malts.com/en-gb/articles/cardhu-200-years-of-pioneering-spirit
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome to Scran, the podcast passionate about the Scottish food and drink scene.
00:09I'm your host, Roslyn Derskin, and on this very special bonus episode of Scran, we are heading north.
00:16This year, Cardew celebrates 200 years of producing whisky. Licensed in 1824, it was the first distillery to be officially pioneered by a woman.
00:25And what better way to mark this special occasion than by celebrating all women pioneers, and three in particular.
00:33How can we make coffee even better? How can we follow international trends?
00:38How can we support farmers and always make sure our customers have a good experience?
00:44It's definitely job satisfaction to taste great coffee every day. It's part of my job.
00:50I went along to Cardew Distillery to meet with three women who are making waves in their respective industries.
00:56As part of this year's celebrations, the team at Cardew welcomed in the local community to hear from these modern trailblazers.
01:03Fashion designer Siobhan McKenzie, owner of Ajama Spice, Jawahir Amali and founder of Dear Green Coffee, Lisa Lawson.
01:12She wasn't able to afford the license to do it. She still found a way to do what she was passionate about.
01:20And that really, really resonated with me.
01:25But before we hear more from them and their amazing journeys, I caught up with Assistant Experience and Events Manager for Cardew, Jo Henderson,
01:32to hear all about this historic whisky and the significant milestone.
01:41Jo, we're here to celebrate 200 years of Cardew. So for anyone that hasn't listened to the podcast before or doesn't know,
01:47could you take us back to the start and tell us about the history?
01:50So back in 1811, Helen and John Cumming had a farm, the Cardew Farm.
01:55And while John was farming, Helen would start distilling whisky.
01:59So this was illegal. So we are technically only celebrating 200 years of legal distilling.
02:04So they did a legal distillation for about 13 years. And it was in 1824 that we got our license.
02:10Now they were caught several times for illicit distilling. And it was always John who got the blame,
02:14because it was never thought that a woman could be doing such a thing.
02:17So while they were distilling illegally, to help the community, because a lot of people in the area were distilling illicitly,
02:24when the customs and excise men came to the door, Helen would hide away her whisky equipment.
02:28She would cover herself in flour and pretend that she was baking bread.
02:31This gave her a chance to invite the men in and give them some of the bread.
02:36And then she would run into the garden and raise a red flag on the flagpole,
02:39which let everyone in the area know that the customs and excise men were coming.
02:43Which is why you see a female flying the red flag on our bottles today.
02:47So 1824, we were distilling legally. And it was Helen that was still running this operation.
02:54And when her husband died, John, her son, Lewis, carried on with the distilling of the whisky alongside Helen.
03:01And when he passed away, it was his wife, Elizabeth, that carried on.
03:04And she was the one who really drove it to become the brand that we see today.
03:07So in 1884, they were struggling to keep up with production in the space they had.
03:13They needed to expand. So that's when they purchased this piece of land here.
03:16And they built the distillery.
03:18So she carried on distilling her whisky, creating a bigger brand.
03:22She trademarked the term Kardu.
03:25But also she was a key part in the community as well, really supporting the local area.
03:29And Helen lived a very long life and was affectionately known as Granny coming to the locals.
03:38We'll hear more from Jo shortly when I, quite happily, get to taste the new bottling they have released to mark this anniversary.
03:44But first, here's my chat with Siobhan Mackenzie, an award-winning Scottish fashion designer, known for her modern take on tartans and kilts.
03:52She has dressed A-list celebrities such as Jared Leto and Shania Twain.
03:56As well as our national Commonwealth Games team and many more high-profile people.
04:00Comparable to the work carried out at Kardu, I started by asking her how she goes about modernising such a sacred and respected part of Scottish heritage.
04:09You'll also hear reference to a video each of the women were meeting featured in to celebrate the pioneering spirit.
04:21For me, respect and the tradition is a massive part of what I do.
04:25When I was a fashion student, I trained in traditional kilt making with Linoila Kilts.
04:29And I spent a day a week with each part of the team.
04:34And very much like whiskey, every single part of the process is as important as the last one to make it what it is.
04:41So I learned the traditional craft first and understood that before trying to implement anything different with it.
04:48And for me, I have to credit that as being one of the best things I could have done.
04:52Because I think if you try to change something as iconic as the kilt without the correct understanding, I think that could go wrong.
04:59So yeah, the traditional part of it is incredibly important to me and what I do.
05:04Much like whiskey making too, you work in a very male-dominated industry.
05:07So how important is it for you to celebrate women pioneers like Kardu is doing to celebrate its 200th anniversary?
05:13It's incredibly important and I absolutely loved the origin story of Kardu and Helen.
05:18To think these days it's tough being a woman in a male-dominated industry.
05:22I can't imagine what it must have been like 200 years ago.
05:24She just sounds like an absolute legend.
05:27I think I would have quite liked her as a business mentor.
05:30But yeah, it's incredibly important that we forge our own path as women.
05:34When I started my company 10 years ago, women were 50% less likely to start a company in Scotland than men.
05:40So I hope myself and the other pioneers and other women in business in Scotland can pave the way for other women, younger women and any aged women to start a business and then take that leap of faith.
05:51And what defines a pioneer for you?
05:53For me, a pioneer is just stepping outside of the box, not being afraid of doing that, not being afraid to try something different.
06:02One of my main sources of inspiration since I was young is Vivienne Westwood and ironically not for the tartan at all.
06:09It was for her stance as a designer where she wasn't afraid to do something different and a little bit wacky.
06:16Her first runway shows people laughed, they laughed at her and she didn't care.
06:22And I think you have to have that as a designer or anyone in business to hone your own style and run with that and not be like everyone else.
06:32You'll hear more from Siobhan now, recorded later on at the wonderful event when host Julia Bryce asked her about the network who support her.
06:44My most important network for me has always been my family.
06:49So at the age of 10, I'm going to be a fashion designer and my mum, my dad and my sister were like, OK.
06:56They didn't ever question me or try and change my mind or just always supported that.
07:01And even I was really unwell as a teenager and my uni application, my art teacher had put me down as a predicted fail.
07:09And when I went and said, why would you do that? Like, you know what my dream is.
07:13And he was like, you will never get into college, you won't get into uni, you're not going to be a fashion designer.
07:19I say smiling because, like I say, I believed in myself, but my family believed in me too.
07:24And that took me a long way.
07:26God, that really got me in the feels there. I really feel that. I really hope he knows now what you've done.
07:32Yeah, our mum was like, take your first class owner's degree.
07:38I did too.
07:39And it's so nice that half of your sister is here tonight as well, which is so lovely.
07:45Next up, I spoke to Jawahir Al-Mauli, founder of Ajama Spice.
07:49She sources and sells single origin, ethical and traceable spices directly from farmers in Zanzibar.
07:55Her story is truly one of perseverance, empathy and a passion born out of wanting to see a fairer world of trade open up.
08:01Here she is talking about her ethical food company.
08:05I am ethnically from Zanzibar and Zanzibar is actually known, historically known as the Spice Islands.
08:11Before the revolution, we were actually thriving in terms of like spice trading.
08:16However, in 1964, when the revolution happened, everything went downhill economically, politically,
08:23and there was just no more like stability on the islands.
08:26And a lot of spice farmers were like suffering from that.
08:29To me, growing up, spice was such a big part of my culture, of my, of my, just my whole life.
08:35And I just wanted to bring Zanzibar back onto the map for all the right reasons.
08:40And I wanted to bring the spice, the elements of spice trading back.
08:43But just this time around, make it more fair for everyone and just do it better than before.
08:49And that's what really made me start Ujamaa Spice.
08:51I wanted Zanzibar to no longer rely on the very corrupt tourism model that they currently have.
08:57And I wanted to give the farmers on the islands a lot more agency over their products and their livelihoods.
09:03And yes, so now I work directly with them.
09:06I source their spices.
09:07I sell them in the UK.
09:08I sell them in the US.
09:09I sell them in the UK.
09:10I sell them in the UK.
09:11I sell them in the UK.
09:12I sell them in the UK.
09:13I sell them in the UK.
09:14I sell them in the UK.
09:15I work directly with them.
09:16I source their spices.
09:17I sell them in the UK.
09:18And I try to give them a much more fair price for their products.
09:21That is the important reason why you ethically source your products to do with the farmers and everything that's happened before.
09:27Yes, very much so.
09:29However, the issues that I'm trying to solve right now are more than just Zanzibar.
09:34Spices are a global issue.
09:38There's a lot of spice-producing countries around the world who are basically going the exact same thing that the Zanzibari farmers are going through.
09:46So what I'm trying to do is have a more global impact.
09:50I'm starting with Zanzibar because Zanzibar is what I know.
09:53However, from that, I hope I can duplicate that model to other countries.
09:57I hope I can expand my sourcing map.
10:00And I just want to help as many farmers as I possibly can because this is not only affecting Zanzibar, it's affecting everyone involved.
10:07Not only spice-producing countries, but also spice-consuming countries like the UK.
10:11Which brings me nicely on to my next question, which is, you're the first company in the UK to do what you're doing.
10:16So what could other businesses learn from you?
10:18That it can be done.
10:20And just because nobody has done it before doesn't mean that you can't do it.
10:25And I would say, look at so many other examples who actually started out in very niche markets.
10:32For example, like coffee.
10:34If you remember how coffee was beforehand, especially speciality coffee to what it is now.
10:39It had to take one person to try that and look at it now.
10:42So again, just because no one has done it before doesn't mean you cannot try and you should.
10:47And it will go somewhere.
10:49So can you tell us a bit about uses of spices that people might not really think of?
10:53You know, when I actually first started this journey with Ujamaa Spice, when I first began, I'm not afraid to admit it.
11:00Because I feel I was a bit ignorant as well.
11:03I actually thought spices were mainly just used in food products, like cooking.
11:07But from that date up until now, this whole journey has taught me so much about the spice industry and the uses of spices.
11:14Spices can be used in so many different products.
11:16Not only just cooking, but also in your nutritional drinks as well.
11:20You know, you've got the turmeric shot.
11:21You also have it in like beauty products.
11:24If you look at your shampoo bottles, some of it, like we use Moringa.
11:26Moringa has so many health benefits.
11:28But also, importantly, especially tonight, it's actually used in the cocktails that people will be trying.
11:34And I think they're using the cardamom, the nutmeg and the cinnamon.
11:39And just a side note, our nutmeg actually just won three stars from the Great Taste Awards, which I'm very proud about.
11:46Congratulations. That's a good award.
11:49Yeah, we're so proud.
11:50I remember when they called me, I was just crying on the phone.
11:53Because I think they said there was over 13,000 people who applied and only 1.8% got three stars.
12:01So it's quite an achievement, if you mind.
12:03It's like that validation that we really needed for our product as well.
12:06So can you see parallels between your business and the women who started Kardu?
12:11I actually see quite a parallel between myself and Helen.
12:18Because while she is in a very different industry, when I was reading her story and when I found out that she had the means to distill.
12:28However, she wasn't able to afford the license to do it.
12:32She still found a way to do what she was passionate about.
12:36And that really, really resonated with me.
12:40Because just like her, I have the means to help all these farmers, you know, in Zanzibar.
12:46But where my company is at right now, I cannot go against the big guys.
12:51You know, they have a lot more money than I do.
12:54However, that did not stop me from doing what I'm doing.
12:57And I still said, you know what, I'm going to go against the grain.
13:00And I'm just going to do it because it's what I'm passionate about.
13:02So yes, definitely, I see a parallel between myself and Helen.
13:06And what advice would you give to someone just starting out?
13:10Do it.
13:11Do it.
13:12It might seem hard.
13:13It might seem, especially if your idea is very innovative and if you are a pioneer.
13:19And you're going to see signs everywhere of things telling you not to go forward, not to do what you want to do, not to follow that passion.
13:27And all I'm going to say is, why not?
13:30Just go for it.
13:31And it's going to be hard, but it's going to be worth it.
13:34So I don't know you, but you have my full approval.
13:37And if I can do it, I feel like anyone can.
13:44We're with Gemma here, and she's having a cocktail that features some of your spices.
13:49Tell us about it.
13:51I'll take a quick sip and let you know.
13:54Oh, that's gorgeous.
13:57That is so good.
13:59Yeah, you never really think about spices being in beverages like this, like cocktails.
14:05That is so good.
14:07Yeah, you never really think about spices being in beverages like this, like cocktails.
14:13But oh my god, it works so well.
14:16And I can really taste the nutmeg coming through.
14:20And I'm honestly just so impressed.
14:22It's so good.
14:23Yeah.
14:24The biggest challenge for me is being constantly put in a box.
14:37And that is because, again, Ujamaa is so young.
14:41We're doing something that's so different that people aren't used to.
14:44And whenever people first hear about me, especially when it comes to investment or grants, that sort of thing,
14:53they always put me in a box where they're like, oh, it's a cute little family business.
14:57They don't see where I'm going with this, what my ambitions are, and what I'm trying to do.
15:05And it goes back to the whole sometimes you just need that to make you think, you know what, watch me.
15:10And yeah, so that challenge for me was like, it got to a point where I was actually starting to believe it.
15:17Like, okay, maybe I am not going to do much.
15:19But sometimes you just need the right person to pay attention to you, and it just helps you skyrocket.
15:26But yeah, definitely fighting the whole being put in a box and making sure I do not stay in there.
15:31And I know what Ujamaa is going to do, and I'm going to go for it.
15:39The final of our three modern pioneers is Lisa Lawson, whom you may have heard from on the podcast before.
15:45Lisa set up Dear Green Coffee in Glasgow more than 10 years ago, and is still at the helm of this thriving forerunner.
15:51Following that, you'll hear more from the panel session that took place at the celebration event.
15:58Lisa, welcome back to Scranton.
16:00Thanks for having me.
16:01One of the reasons you set up your coffee business, Dear Green, is you couldn't find the quality of coffee you were looking for.
16:06How important is it to you for your product to be the best it can be?
16:11Yeah, I guess I couldn't find a good coffee.
16:13I had learned how to roast coffee in Australia.
16:15I come back to Glasgow, and really it was just lots of imported European brands.
16:21There wasn't any freshly roasted coffee.
16:24There wasn't high quality, what I would call or the industry would call specialty-grade coffee available in Glasgow.
16:31No one was talking about single origins or, you know, really crafting coffees in a really delicious way.
16:38So that's kind of why I wanted to take the risk, start up a business, follow a passion.
16:44I didn't quite realize that, you know, all these years later, I'd still be kind of chasing that,
16:48and I'd still be looking to find out how can we make coffee even better?
16:53How can we follow international trends?
16:56How can we support farmers and always make sure, you know, our customers have a good experience?
17:02It's definitely job satisfaction to taste good coffee every day.
17:06It's part of my job.
17:07So, yeah, super important.
17:11Do you think there's parallels between the coming women at Cardew and women in business now?
17:15Yeah, I think women always have challenges in life.
17:19We always have to support one another.
17:21I think anyone who takes actions to improve something or, you know, to be the first or to make a change,
17:27whether that's about gender equality or breaking down unconscious bias or stigma,
17:33these women at Cardew, the coming ladies, really did that.
17:37And, you know, realistically, 200 years ago, which was a real hand-to-mouth existence
17:43where they didn't have the luxuries we have today and hadn't progressed as much as we have today,
17:49yet we're still doing it and we're still doing it in life.
17:51And I think women are always going to have that struggle.
17:54Obviously, a lot of people have coffee in the morning, but you can have coffee and cocktails.
17:58So do you have a favourite?
17:59Can you tell us a little bit about sort of adding coffee to drinks?
18:02Yeah, I think, you know, the parallels in the coffee industry,
18:06becoming more of a quality-focused industry maybe in the last 10 to 15 years,
18:10has also had a parallel with a lot of career changes and advancements in, like, mixology and cocktail bars.
18:18And we're not looking at, like, sort of espresso martinis necessarily as the only coffee cocktail these days.
18:24I really do enjoy drinking a little dram and I really enjoy coffee.
18:28There's more interesting ways of bringing these drinks together.
18:31Like using a cold brew and using single origins, maybe pairing that with a specific whiskey.
18:37I know that Cardew 200 has been prepared with cold brew to create something delicious for their celebration.
18:46And I think my favourite is probably going to be that one tonight and I can't wait to try it.
18:51And what do you think the people of tonight's event will take away from it?
18:55I think if people can attend the event tonight and understand what the women of Cardew committed to and achieved all those years ago
19:03and can be inspired by that pioneering spirit, that'll be a great success for the evening.
19:08I think bringing people together all in one room who can inspire one another is really, really powerful
19:14and I'm really excited about what this event can achieve.
19:17And finally, where's your favourite place to enjoy a dram?
19:20Aha, well, Deergreen's based just off the Gallowgate at the Barrowlands, so our local happens to be The Gate.
19:28So I think it's one of the best cocktail bars in Glasgow and has a fine selection of vaults behind the bar as well.
19:36So yeah, no question, The Gate on the Gallowgate, Glasgow.
19:40If someone said to me, you know, should I do it? I'd be like, yes, of course.
19:45I think if you're thinking about doing something and you have an idea and you have a passion and it excites you,
19:51yeah, I always feel like maybe I should have started a bit early, but then also I haven't had enough life experience and work experience
20:00and it's going back to believing in yourself.
20:03I think following your gut with it as well.
20:05Exactly, yeah.
20:07I feel like the gut one is definitely important. I'm sorry, you were about to go and say something.
20:13I think for me it would be just telling my younger self that, you know, that inner saboteur, that voice is always going to be there.
20:22I think for me it would be just telling my younger self that, you know, that inner saboteur, that voice is always going to be loud.
20:32But just try to understand where it's actually coming from instead of trying to fight it.
20:39Understand that it's trying to come from a place of trying to protect you as well, of not making what it thinks are mistakes.
20:46So, yeah, for me definitely, instead of just trying to fight that voice and being like, no, I can do this, I can do this.
20:52Understanding, okay, what are you trying to tell me?
20:55Okay, you're presenting these challenges and how do I go forward?
20:59But working with that voice as well.
21:01So that's definitely what I would tell my younger self.
21:05Don't fight it, understand it and then try to find a way forward with it.
21:09Back to Jo now and the tasting of the new Cardhu 200th anniversary bottling.
21:20And so obviously it's 200 year anniversary this year.
21:23What types of things have you done?
21:25And there is a spoiler here, I'm sitting looking at one of them.
21:27So yeah, we have launched a limited edition bottle of Cardhu to celebrate the 200 years.
21:33And in honour of our pioneering women, we've made quite a bold decision.
21:37We have decided to mature our Cardhu liquid purely in wine cask, which is something very new for Cardhu.
21:43So I don't know if you want to pick up the glass and we can have a little nose and a taste.
21:47So the typical Cardhu notes that you get are apples, pears, honey, vanilla.
21:51The wine cask gives it quite a vibrant contrast to that.
21:55So what you're going to get on the nose is maybe some of that red berries, that fruity kind of flavour coming from the wine cask.
22:01And if you have a little taste, you will still get that, but you'll also maybe get a little bit of cinnamon spice.
22:07And you might also get some dark chocolate notes, which is quite unusual for Cardhu.
22:11But it does finish on quite a caramel sweet finish, which is typical of Cardhu.
22:18Oh yeah, it's quite spicy. It's nice. It's sweet.
22:21So when I smelled it, the first thing I thought was like wine gums, like gummy sweets.
22:26So the red fruit kind of, you know, the strawberry ones, but it's lively, but there is a real sweetness there.
22:33So yeah, it's very nice on its own. I can imagine it's going to be nice in the cocktails that we're having tonight.
22:37So definitely, I would say with the fruitiness that you get from a classic Cardhu, it's much more fresh.
22:42It's much more of that apple, pear. You also get that pear note in our New Make Spirit.
22:47That's definitely what you would get in the classic.
22:49Whereas for this one, yeah, I would say it's more of that spicy cinnamon sweetness.
22:53That red berry, like maybe black currants as well.
22:56We actually have been making this throughout the year as a raspberry mojito.
22:59So that really like highlights and the team have loved it.
23:02It's also been great for people who say they don't like whiskey and also those who think whiskey shouldn't be in a cocktail.
23:08When they try it, they're like, wow, I've never thought of putting whiskey in a mojito.
23:12So it's been great, but also the liquid itself.
23:14Because it is very sweet and probably more of that, as you say, wine gum kind of sweetness.
23:20It has appealed to a lot of people who potentially wouldn't normally drink whiskey.
23:24So, for example, my auntie wouldn't typically drink whiskey, but whenever my uncle gets poured a drink, she'll have a little nose and have one sip.
23:33So when I poured him this, it got passed to her.
23:36And then she said, oh, no, you're going to have to get another glass for yourself.
23:39So she she was able to drink and enjoy that.
23:41So I do think that's probably quite a nice reflection of Helen and Elizabeth as well.
23:46It's a very open whiskey.
23:47You don't have to be a really big whiskey connoisseur to be able to enjoy this.
23:52And we've loved playing with the different ways that we're going to enjoy it tonight as well.
23:57So anyone that hasn't seen the Cardew bottle is quite squat and rounded in the corners.
24:02And if you just saw the silhouette, having seen it once, you would recognize it again.
24:06So is there a story behind that?
24:08The dimples on the sides make it great and easy for pouring.
24:11You'll also notice on this bottle that quite prominent is Elizabeth carrying the red flag.
24:16So it's always Elizabeth that features on the bottle carrying Helen's legacy with the red flag.
24:21It's very prominent. It's quite a commemorative bottle.
24:25The packaging is completely different. It's white and red.
24:28So that really bold standing out, reflecting the liquid, but also our pioneers as well.
24:33Which takes me nicely on to the pioneers.
24:35So we've met them and we've spoken to them.
24:37Could you tell us a little bit about how women continue to be pioneers within Cardew today and why it's important to celebrate them?
24:44We have a female distillery manager, Roslyn. She has been in the industry for over 20 years.
24:50We've got Jo McArcher as our archivist, which is great.
24:54It's amazing spending time with her and hearing stories.
24:57And then also Eve, who was the whiskey maker who created this liquid as well.
25:01And she started as a workplace apprentice within Diageo and worked her way to the role that she's in.
25:08So yeah, we don't have to look too hard to find the women in these roles.
25:12And it's great to celebrate them because they're there thriving and really performing and pulling off amazing liquids like this as well.
25:19So the distilleries had a major refurbishment in the last couple of years.
25:22So for anyone that's not visited, what can they expect now it's sort of shiny and new, but also still really old?
25:28Yeah, we're really delighted with how our refurbishment has gone.
25:31What you can expect is a much bigger space for anyone who's been here previously.
25:35We now have a great animation that will tell the story of Cardew as well, which is fantastic.
25:41And the best part about the building is that this was the maltings until the late 1960s.
25:46So in this room, if you look up where we are just now, that is the malt drying floor still in place as well.
25:52So you've got the pagodas still in place.
25:55And I think what they've done is kept the traditional feel of the maltings building.
25:59But they've really made it warm and welcoming, like a kitchen downstairs, just like Helen and Elizabeth would have welcomed people into their house.
26:06And the best part about having the tasting kitchen is that now we're able to welcome more visitors and locals
26:12just to come in for a drink, a cocktail, maybe to enjoy some of our food offerings.
26:17And throughout the year, we do run different events as well.
26:20And the acoustics in here are amazing when we have our live music sessions as well.
26:24Well, thanks very much for speaking to us again, Jo. That was a delicious jam and happy 200th anniversary.
26:29Thank you very much.
26:37Hi, I'm Kirsty Dagnon. I'm the President of Moray Chamber of Commerce and Site Director for Johnson's Felghan.
26:44I've been here tonight. It's been an amazing night at Cardew.
26:47Some really inspirational women and hearing some amazing stories about how they have started their businesses through some tough times.
26:54And it's fantastic to hear how they've gone through that.
26:58It's been great, hasn't it?
26:59Absolutely amazing, yes.
27:01Thank you very much.
27:07Sarah, what have you taken away from tonight?
27:10What an amazing night. To hear from three brilliant women who have had such energy and passion behind what they do
27:18and they're looking to make a change in their own individual areas.
27:22It doesn't matter what gender you are. It doesn't matter what industry you're in.
27:26Be bold, be proud and do it.
27:29So we've both got one of the cocktails on our hands. Can you tell me what you think of it?
27:33I honestly have not smelt a cocktail so insane with spices ever in my life.
27:38It's a bread and butter old fashioned.
27:40The nutmeg, the cinnamon, the cardamom is actually bouncing out.
27:45It's sweet, it's rounded, it's actually stunning.
27:48And I'm really sorry for all you people listening to this, you cannot be drinking it.
27:53Cheers!
27:54Cheers!
27:56Cheers!
27:57Cheers!
28:01I can report back that a wonderful evening was enjoyed by all
28:04and it felt very empowering to be surrounded not only by great women
28:07but great women celebrating whisky and the industry with sophistication and flair.
28:12I think Helen and Elizabeth would approve.
28:17Thanks to my guests for being on this episode and thanks to you two for listening.
28:20Please remember to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Scran.
28:24Scran is co-produced and hosted by me, Ros and Erskine
28:27and co-produced, edited and mixed by Kelly Crichton.
28:29Safe travels home and thanks for being such an awesome audience.
28:33Thank you and goodnight!