Whisky distillers dispute UK barley usage and GI status

An application has been submitted to Defra to give protected geographical status to English whisky, similar to existing protections in Scotland and Wales.

Defra has published a product specification for “English Whisky” GI (Geographical Indication) with strict criteria for distillers to abide by in order to use the GI, if it is approved.

It has also begun a three-month notice period, running until 20 May, for opponents to respond to the application.

See also: Welsh whisky gains protected status under UKGI scheme

However, this has led to disputes between Scottish and English whisky industry bodies, in relation to the distilling process and where the grains used to make the whisky have to be sourced from.

The Scotch Whisky Association has spoken out strongly against the English GI application, citing concerns that it could be “very damaging” for the industry’s reputation.

A spokesperson for the Scotch Whisky Association said: “The proposal to define ‘Single Malt’ English Whisky only requires distillation at the single distillery location and not the creation of the spirit from malted barley at a single site.

“This is entirely inconsistent with the reputation of single malt whisky, which is famous for its integral connection to place, and would undermine the Single Malt Scotch Whisky category.”

Provenance

However, English whisky distillers have argued that the English GI would actually abide by more stringent rules for sourcing grains from the UK than the Scottish equivalent, which would benefit UK cereal growers.

Jenni Ashwood, marketing director at Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery, said: “The most important thing about the English GI is that it stipulates that all the grain used has to come from the UK, so it is directly supporting UK farmers.”

The English Whisky Guild, which represents 26 distillers across the country, also confirmed that the English GI would require all grain to be UK sourced.

A spokesperson said: “Many of our members also grow their own barley as well as brewing and distilling themselves. We believe our GI ensures each bottle of English whisky embodies the essence of its origin.”

The Scotch Whisky Association told Farmers Weekly that it was not a requirement of the Scotch Whisky GI for cereals to be sourced from the UK.

A spokesperson said: “Due to the size of the Scotch Whisky industry – producing the equivalent of more than 1bn bottles of Scotch Whisky a year – it is necessary to have some flexibility to account for poor annual harvest/yields.”

However, it did state that the latest annual figures show that 92% of malted barley used by industry had come from Scottish sources, with the remainder typically coming from the UK and only a very small percentage imported.