Collaborative spirit sees Welsh distillers team up against coronavirus

Welsh gin distilleries have produced and given away more than 200,000 bottles of desperately needed hand sanitiser to frontline services, essential workers and community care providers since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Welsh Drinks Cluster the hundreds of thousands of sanitiser and hand rub products distributed to-date have been produced by just four distilleries, but this is just the start.

Currently, the Cluster, which represents Wales’ alcohol and soft drinks producers, is working with 15 distillers across the country to help them switch production in response to the national call out for hand sanitiser.

Wales’ craft gin and rum producers are set to become a vital supplier for communities across the nation and the first to receive the products free of charge have included: hospitals, care homes, GP surgeries, Royal Air Force personnel, police, community groups and the Royal Mail.

Two of the first craft gin producers to release supplies of hand sanitiser and alcohol hand rub products are Anglesey’s Llanfairpwll Distillery and Machynlleth-based, Dyfi Distillery.     

Danny Cameron from Dyfi Distillery, explained: “The challenges all distilleries initially met with were a combination of compliance and access to the other raw materials required. Thankfully, by collaborating with various authorities and Drinks Cluster, we were ultimately able to go into production, and distribute hand sanitiser free charge to 31 local front line organisations including, hospitals, ambulance, social care, police and Royal Mail, as a sincere thank you for every single person who is out there helping others.”

Collaboration between the Cluster and Life Sciences Hub Wales has assisted distillers to access the materials and expertise that enable them to produce and distribute products to meet the urgent demand. Life Sciences Hub Wales’ links with industry has seen distillers join forces with the antimicrobial specialists at Hybrisan to ensure products meet necessary standards, Swansea University has assisted in sourcing essential materials, and Welsh Government support has enabled businesses across Wales to provide logistical support to ensure materials and products can be transported to where they are most needed.

Life Sciences Hub Wales is encouraging all companies with proposals to help support NHS Wales to submitted their offers through its online enquiry form: https://lshubwales.com/enquiry-form