Eden Mill Names Steven Kersley as New CEO

What happens when a St Andrews distillery with a million annual tourists gets a whisky industry veteran at the helm? Eden Mill just made its boldest move yet.
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Eden Mill Names Steven Kersley as New CEO
Credit: Eden Mill Distillery

Eden Mill Distillery has named Steven Kersley as its new chief executive officer. Kersley, who brings more than a decade of senior leadership experience in the Scotch whisky and craft spirits industry, will lead the St Andrews-based distillery through its next phase of growth under new ownership.

The appointment signals a strategic shift for Eden Mill as it looks to build on recent momentum. The distillery is now owned by Ruby Capital Limited, which acquired the business with plans to scale it into a significant international spirits brand.

“With its location at the gateway to the home of golf, our distillery occupies one of the most compelling sites in Scottish spirits,” said Steven Kersley, chief executive officer at Eden Mill. “St Andrews is a genuinely special place with over a million tourists passing through each year. As the 2026 season gets underway, we’re adding to the excellent local offering with our distillery visitor centre.”

Kersley outlined ambitious plans for the distillery’s whisky program. “We have an incredible back-catalog of award-winning spirits, but what excites me most are the spirits that are yet to come,” he said.

“We’re building a whisky program that’s uncompromising in its ambition: a wood policy of serious depth and intention, underpinned by a distillate that’s been crafted by layering flavor at every stage of production. We’ll be bold in our decision-making in order to make the best whisky possible — and then we’ll take it to the world.”

Tony Banks, chairman of Ruby Capital Limited, expressed confidence in the hire. “We acquired Eden Mill because we believe in what it can become,” Banks said. “It has an extraordinary location, a loyal following, and the infrastructure to grow into something significant.”

“Appointing Steven is the most important step we’ve taken since acquisition,” he added. “He understands this industry from the ground up, he has the commercial ambition we need, and he shares our absolute commitment to making whisky of the highest quality. That shared goal is the foundation everything else is built on. We’re giving him everything he needs to take our spirits to the world stage.”

Eden Mill’s flagship distillery and visitor center opened on the Eden Campus in October 2025. The site features a 300-cask warehouse, the 40-seat Lookout Bar, a retail space, and an immersive experience program built around whisky, gin, and mixology.

Beth Squires

Beth Squires is the Deputy Editor of The Whiskey Wash with over half a decade of industry experience. She possesses comprehensive knowledge of the global whisky landscape, spanning everything from heritage and production to complex market analysis. A graduate of the OurWhisky Foundation’s Atonia Programme, which champions women in whisky, Beth is a dedicated advocate for diversity and sustainability, focused on highlighting the innovation and storytelling that define the modern whisky industry.

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