How Cooper King is creating jobs and protecting environment in Yorkshire - Chris Jaume

Over the last 12 months, we’ve seen demand for our products increase and have grown the team to four full-time and six part-time employees, despite Covid-19 and the economic downturn.

We believe the reason for this growth is simple: we have an absolute dedication to producing flavour-driven sustainable spirits, and strongly believe that drinking good spirits needn’t cost the Earth.

We produce the only gin in Europe with 1 per cent for the planet accreditation, meaning we donate 1 per cent of gross gin sales to our partner charity – the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.

This donation is spent on planting trees in Yorkshire and in the past two years, we have planted 10,000 sq m of native woodland, offsetting 166,000kg of CO2.

100 per cent green energy powers the distillery, and has done from day one. In 2018 we introduced a pioneering gin refill scheme whereby customers bring their empty bottles back for a refill, saving £6 off a new bottle. This ‘bottle for life’ reduces landfill and has seen a 35 per cent uptake year on year.

Our innovative method of vacuum distilling means we use a fraction of the energy required to run a traditional gin still, and thanks to a closed-loop cooling system, saves 26,000 litres of water annually.

We support English farmers by sourcing raw materials as close as possible to the point of distillation. In 2020, we’ve formed new relationships so that all barley and wheat used in our spirits is 100 per cent Yorkshire grown.

An origami-style recycled cardboard postal box developed with a Yorkshire box-maker has eliminated the need for plastic packing materials such as bubble wrap. Any packing material we use is either shredded cardboard or 100 per cent biodegradable potato starch pellets. Zero waste is sent to landfill.

Our ambitious five-year development plan is underway. We’re expanding our one-acre site to become a “destination distillery”, where eco-tourists come to see the operation, taste our spirits, share knowledge and meet the people behind the venture.

Truth be told we have been unconsciously circular from the beginning of our distilling adventure.

A few years ago we attended an event hosted by the York & North Yorkshire LEP to learn about something called the “circular economy”. We came away understanding that our approach to business – with a focus on reducing waste, making the most of resources and reducing environmental impact – was an example of the circular economy in action.

Since then, we’ve become active members of Circular Yorkshire; a campaign led by the LEP and partners from across Yorkshire to accelerate the transition to a circular economy across our region.

This November is Circular Yorkshire Month and a number of events will be hosted for SMEs to help them get started with taking circular actions. Our advice is “go for it”; find out how to use it as a business model to create a thriving and resilient economy.

Any business needs support to realise their vision. We’ve found it straightforward to access funding and expertise from programmes like PAPI and SparkFund. We’ve also recently secured grant funding through REBiz, enabling us to generate significant energy and water savings in our whisky production.

Businesses have it tough at the moment. I would urge businesses to learn more about the circular economy because it can make you more efficient and ultimately profitable. Speak with experts like REbiz or circular businesses like us. I would also recommend starting small: each circular, sustainable change adds up and can make a big difference in the long run.

By Chris Jaume - Co-founder and Director of Cooper King Distillery

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