InchDairnie Whisky Limited, the Fife-based Scotch whisky distillery, has secured B Corporation certification following a near two-year assessment process. The distillery scored 95 points in the independently verified evaluation, exceeding the minimum requirement of 80 points.
The certification assessed InchDairnie’s environmental, social, and governance practices. It marks a significant milestone for the distillery, which has operated with an engineering-led, data-driven approach since its founding in 2014.
InchDairnie joins a small but growing group of Scotch whisky distilleries to achieve B Corp status. The framework is increasingly viewed as a benchmark for responsible production in an industry facing scrutiny around resource use and environmental impact.
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READ THE STORYJessica Stewart, sustainability manager at InchDairnie Whisky, said: “Getting B Corp certified is a big piece of work. It’s resource intensive and incredibly detailed, with data needed from every part of the business, and you can’t do it by yourself.”
She added: “The B Corp process challenged us to measure and formalize across many areas of the business. That rigor has been worth it, because we have learned a huge amount, and it reinforced that you can’t manage what you don’t measure.”
The distillery’s environmental impact is mitigated by design choices made more than a decade ago. These include extensive heat-recovery systems and thermal vapor recompression technology that reuses around 35% of the energy on the stills. By-products are sent to an anaerobic digester, creating biomethane returned to the grid.
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InchDairnie also works closely with local Fife suppliers, including Balgonie Estates’ Kingdom Farming, where it supports a five-year cover crop program designed to improve soil health and reduce chemical fertilizer use. A new Supplier Code of Conduct has been introduced across the business.
The certification process formalized a range of people and community practices, including enhanced staff training, employee volunteering, and investment in Modern Apprenticeships.
Scott Sneddon, managing director of InchDairnie Whisky, said: “B Corp is not a finish line for us, it’s a robust baseline that helps keep the business moving in the right direction as we grow.”
Sneddon added: “This isn’t about claiming to be ‘the most sustainable.’ It’s about being accountable. Scotch whisky has a future only if it evolves responsibly, and B Corp gives us the tools to do that in a meaningful way.”
Stewart also noted the broader industry significance: “We are proud to be one of the B Corp certified Scotch whisky distilleries. It’s a collaborative industry, and the stronger each business becomes, the stronger the industry is.”
InchDairnie is now preparing for B Lab’s updated standards and identifying priority areas for further improvement as part of its ongoing sustainability program.
