In the first instalment of our Distillery and Visitor Centre series, we’ll be breaking down the most important elements of the planning stage of your project.

Dedicating time to this at an early stage will allow you to consider important requirements such as location, budget and personnel to ensure the highest quality output at every stage of your project.

Select your team

One of the most important parts of your project will be selecting the right team. With multiple partners to choose from, where do you begin? The most important factor to consider for any distillery project is experience – in order to trust that your project is in the right hands, do your research. Find a team that shares your values, who have proven experience, and most importantly, who you can trust.

Know your requirements

A design is only as strong as its purpose. Before beginning to consider the design of your build, you must understand the requirements, why these matter, and how these will be achieved. All deliverables of your project will affect the final build, so it’s crucial to identify these at an early stage. Only when these have been fully considered can design be fully scoped to ensure a build that boasts the highest quality of both form and function.

Consider construction contracts

Do you know which contracts will be required at each stage of your build and installation? The Scottish Building Contracts Committee (SBCC) and the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) are just two bodies who are responsible for supplying contracts for various phases of design, supply and install, and will play an important role in the success of any distillery build.

Identify suitable contractors

Finding a contractor with suitable experience in the distillery industry will play a large part in the success of your build. Look for someone with credible experience, ask for references, and ensure you select someone with experience in managing a build in your chosen location. Not all contractors can manage an effective build in a remote area, so be sure to ask this question at the earliest opportunity.

Investigate grant opportunities

Be sure to explore and investigate any grant options that are available for your build. Bodies such as FPMC, Scottish Enterprise and Transport Scotland have multiple grant opportunities to offer that may support your development.

Create a detailed cost plan budget

The last item to finalise in the provisional stages of your project is a cost plan budget. Being as specific as you can, detail all key information concerning your project using real data and real quotations. This will outline all parameters of your project and give all stakeholders the information they require to move to the next stage.

We’ll be continuing our Distillery and Visitor Centre series with a more in-depth analysis of budgeting a project.

In the meantime, be sure to discover our range of experience in the distillery sector, and get in touch with our team to discuss your next project.