Since the Orkney Distillery opened in 2018, the Kirkjuvagr story has been one of amazing growth – from the range of products and production volume to the skillset and size of our in-house team. Anna Younie has been a core part of the team throughout the journey – transitioning from weekends working behind the bar to our Events & Marketing Manager.
When did you first join the Kirkjuvagr Team?
I first started at the Orkney Distillery as a tour guide and bar operative in 2018 after graduating and returning home from uni. It was a great chance for me to get involved in a company that was just beginning to develop and it’s been a really exciting journey to be able to grow with the business.
What does a typical day at The Orkney Distillery look like for you?
No two days are ever the same for me - it’s great to have that bit of variety in your job! Between organising content for our social media pages, working with various publications regarding adverts to showcase our gins and helping local businesses and members of the public to arrange their events in the distillery’s function room, there’s always plenty going on!
I especially like being able to work closely with clients who wish to have a bespoke label designed for their own gin. We’ve previously had customers approach us to help them create a personalised label for the likes of weddings, business anniversaries and most recently the launch of a new fishing boat! It’s lovely to be able to help folk create something that’s special and a wee bit different to the usual keepsakes.
How have the ongoing effects of COVID-19 affected your role and what are you most excited about now that restrictions are beginning to ease?
I initially started my journey with the distillery team as a part-time worker on Friday and Saturday evenings before training to be a tour guide and later becoming bar supervisor in 2019! As time progressed, and the pandemic forced us all to close, we dived into the world of hand sanitiser where myself and some of the team began producing and bottling all we could to make sure our hospital, local schools, key workers and latterly shops had what they needed. Over a year later it’s still being distributed and used throughout the community.
I was then able to try my hand on the production line, assisting to distil and bottle the gin. This is a really exciting part of the business to try and learn a bit more about. As places started to reopen, we were able to shift our focus back to distilling our products and spending more time on our own marketing, which allowed me to relocate myself up to the distillery office in May this year. As part of the reopening I have now taken on the events and marketing side of the business. This is the part I really enjoy – being able to create content for our social media and keep you lovely lot up to date with the goings on at the distillery.
It’s been a speedy (and very eventful!) three years with the Kirkjuvagr team and its really exciting to be able to have a job where you can try your hand at a variety of different aspects to the business.
