England’s smallest distillery to plant 400 trees in 12 months
A Yorkshire-based gin and whisky distillery is partnering with Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) to plant more than 400 new trees in the region over the next 12 months.
England’s smallest and first self-built whisky and gin distillery, Cooper King Distillery, has made a pledge to plant one square metre of native woodland for every bottle of gin sold, to reduce its carbon footprint. The announcement comes ahead of International Day of Forests which will take place this week on Wednesday 21 March.
The business, which recently began distilling its signature gin, Cooper King York Dry Gin, will partner with the charity to plant 4000-5000 square metres of native woodland within the first year.
Cooper King York Dry Gin is set to be retail ready in May this year, when the distillery opens its doors to the public for the very first time.
The company holds a strong focus on having a positive impact on the environment, having recently partnered with green energy specialists, Ecotricity, Cooper King is one of only three of distilleries in England to be run on 100% green energy.
Established by co-founders Chris Jaume, a chartered architect and Dr Abbie Neilson, a former scientist, Cooper King Distillery is based in Sutton-on-the-Forest in North Yorkshire.
Whilst visiting Australia, Chris and Abbie became fascinated by Tasmania’s eight operational whisky distilleries and the hand-crafted premium whisky industry, which was just starting to take off in this part of the world. With a mission to bring their discoveries back to Britain, Chris and Abbie set up a truly independent craft whisky and gin distillery back home in Yorkshire.
Cooper King developed the tree planting initiative in collaboration with Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust as part of their commitment to supporting local communities and enhancing the natural environment.
The charity, which helps to sustain the landscape, environment and communities of the Dales, provides opportunities for people to get involved in outdoor activities and learn about how to care for the local landscape.
Commenting on the tree-planting initiative, Cooper King Distillery co-founder Abbie Neilson said:
“We are making a real effort to operate in the most sustainable way possible, therefore we’re delighted to be partnering with Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust on our tree-planting project. We have always had a passion for the environment and sustainable living, and take great pleasure in supporting YDMT and the local community.
“We guarantee that for every bottle of gin sold, one square metre of woodland will be planted in the local area through our partnership with the fantastic Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.”
Leah Galloway, Fundraiser at Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust commented:
“We are delighted to partner with Cooper King Distillery on this wonderful initiative. It’s great to see a local business actively working to ensure that they have a positive impact in the local community. We’re really looking forward to working together and seeing new trees planted in the Yorkshire Dales.”