Flybe / February 2018

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72 FEBRUARY
“Everything in Lussa Gin is grown or
foraged here. We wanted a hint of sea
spray and found a small amount of
sea lettuce was just right. Coriander
is another mainstay.
“We also harvest bog myrtle,
elderflower, honeysuckle, Scots
pine needles, lime tree flowers and
rosehips.”
The women collaborated with David
Austin Roses to find scented varieties
that thrive in acid soil and can endure
heavy rainfall. Lady Gardener is a
favourite. They now grow their own
roses and use the petals.
They also planted 500 juniper plants.
Juniper grows wild on the west coast of
Jura but is under threat from airborne
fungal disease – Scotland is thought to
have lost 30 per cent of its wild juniper.
Says marketing manager Claire :
“Being so close to Islay and its nine
distilleries makes things logistically
BUSINESS MY BUSINESS TIME
easier. The alcohol we use comes from
Langley Distillery in Birmingham.
“It’s not that things are hard to
find, but often they’re hard to get here.
We have special glass hydrometers to
measure alcohol content which cost
more in delivery than they do to buy!
“Being organised is key. That’s
where Alicia comes in. She heads up
the finance department. But we all
enjoy planning, organising and problem
solving, so it’s a total team effort.”
Over 6,000 bottles of Lussa Gin were
sold in the first year and there are plans
to double production in 2018.
The three “Diurachs” (Jura
islanders) have recently renovated
an old stables to house their new,
200-litre copper alembic still from
Portugal, which they call Hamish.
Continues Claire: “We each
contributed an equal amount of
money to start up the business. We’ve
Everything in Lussa Gin is grown or
foraged here. We wanted a hint of sea
spray and found a small amount of sea lettuce
was just right. Coriander is another mainstay
had a little support, with an interest-
fee loan from the SJ Noble Trust
(Loch Fyne Oysters) and some match-
funding from Business Gateway
through Argyll & Bute Council. The
Scottish Manufacturing Advisory
Service also helped, but primarily it’s
come from us.”
Lussa Gin now has over 80
retailers across the UK and also sells
online via its website. It’s already
exported to Sweden and has been
taken on by Elgin-based distributor,
Gordon & MacPhail.
“We hope to be at the Royal
Highland Show in June,” adds Claire.
The 35 miles long by 8 miles
wide island is privately owned and
managed by seven estates. As well
as its bright sea lettuce, it’s known
for its three Paps (conical quartzite
mountains), blanket bog and the
Corryvrechan Whirlpool, the third
largest in the world.
In a decade, British gin exports
to the US alone have grown 500
per cent to become a £1bn-pound
industry. Hand-crafted, eclectically-
flavoured gins are in and Lussa’s
success reflects a trend in hyperlocal
business and small-batch philosophy.
Searching for authenticity and
difference, fashionable young
consumers don’t mind paying for the
personal touch. Lussa Gin retails at
over £40. It has genuine provenance.
And with experts predicting gin
will outsell whisky by 2020, gin is
definitely fizzing.
Concludes Claire: “It’s not all
roses, but we can’t imagine living or
working anywhere else.”
Above: Fishing
for sea lettuce in
Red Rose
Below: Collecting
botanicals