At Cawleys we fully support and encourage our team members in any endeavour that offers them opportunity and growth. So, when we heard about our Health and Safety Co-ordinator, Stacey Lindley’s, start-up distillery business, we were intrigued.

The recent pandemic has affected not only the economy and businesses across the board, but also those who work within them.  Now, more than ever, is the time to celebrate an entrepreneurial approach and support any initiatives that have the short or long-term potential to create jobs and contribute positively to our economy. As such, we are delighted that Stacey’s distillery which she runs with her brother and her partner is flourishing.

Launched in 2018 at the local Herts County Show, Stacey’s Black Bridge family distillery was originally developed to produce ‘moonshine’ but has now adapted to market demand and predominantly shifted its focus to Gin.

Indeed, as flavoured Gins have become more popular, the distillery has branched out into variations such as green tea, lime and rhubarb infused flavours. Seizing the opportunity to differentiate their offering, the team also offer corporate branded bespoke spirits that can be used as corporate gifts. They have even produced a white labelled gin for BRNC Royal Naval college officers commemorating their “passing out” from the collage, all of which ties in with Stacey’s partner’s role as a serving officer in the Royal Navy.

The distillery is going from strength to strength and has recently moved premises to the Luton Hoo estate. When Covid-19 took hold the business continued production but also saw the opportunity to produce hand sanitiser for the local area. The distillery was in a good position to be able to do this as they already had the appropriate licences and suppliers in place.

As the business has grown, so too has its requirement for increased waste management and when the distillery re-located, Cawleys became the natural waste partner choice.

As an environmentally conscious family distillery, Black Bridge’s eco-credentials are important and Stacey and the team were keen to maximise their recycling rates whilst keeping costs manageable.

Cawleys’ 360 approach to sustainability was a perfect fit. All of the distillery’s general waste is collected fortnightly and taken directly from Luton Hoo to Cawleys' local depot to be sorted for recycling. Cawleys policy enusres that even waste that isn’t segregated on site is still sorted through its Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and any recyclable materials are pulled out. The remainder is converted to refuse derived food, ensuring that the Black Bridge distillery team can be safe in the knowledge that any waste it produces is put to best use as a resource, rather than contributing to environmental damage.

As a next step, Stacey is currently looking at the large pieces of cardboard the distillery produces as waste and how this valuable clean waste material can best be recycled by Cawleys.

At the distillery they try to keep waste to a minimum by reusing a lot of packaging to cut down on waste and cost. To further enhance the business's eco-efforts Stacey is delighted that the Luton Hoo estate has its own solar panels on site which contribute to the electricity supply used.

With business booming for the distillery and a waste partnership that is a perfect fit for both organisations, it’s ‘Cheers!’ to Stacey and a bright future ahead for Black Bridge.

If you have a small business and would like to find out how Cawleys could help you maximise your recycling rates and convert your waste to a resource, get in touch today.