Hatton bakers in high spirits following drinks launch

The owners of award-winning Hatton bakery, Murdoch Allan, have launched an exciting new vodka and gin brand called Sill Spirited.

Husband and wife team, Paul and Katrina Allan, who have been in charge of the second-generation bakery since 2002, decided to turn their hand to distilling during lockdown. After successfully creating a premium vodka and gin, they decided to launch their Still Spirited brand from the bakery headquarters in the village.

Bakery Managing Director Paul, said: “It’s been fantastic to see what started as a lockdown project come to life and now have bottles of Still Spirited vodka and gin on sale in shops and bars as well as online.

“We’d been interested in distilling for a few years and lockdown allowed us to fully commit to learning about the process. My experience as a baker helped me to create the spirits from scratch. We use raw, locally sourced ingredients such as wheat for the vodka and juniper for the gin.

​Paul and Katrina Allan took to distilling during lockdown.

“After some trial and error, we’ve now got two fantastic spirits that we’re proud of. Still Spirited vodka is extremely clean and smooth to drink and can even be drunk neat. We’re really pleased with the feedback that it’s been receiving.”

Paul and Katrina’s dedication to quality has seen them create both the vodka and gin from scratch using locally sourced raw ingredients. The vodka is made from Aberdeenshire wheat, while the Still Spirited gin is distilled at 43.1% ABV, is infused with flavours of juniper, citrus and spices, creating a distinctly fresh flavour.

Paul continued: “Some people might think it’s unusual for a Scottish baker to be launching a vodka and gin brand but for us it makes sense.

"We’re committed to providing our customers with the very best tasting products in our bakery and the same is true of our vodka and gin.”

Katrina added: “The small batch distilling approach not only helps us to maintain the quality of our product, but it also helps us transfer the sustainable practices that we have in our bakery.”

Still Spirited is currently stocked in independent retailers and bars including at the Murdoch Allan store on Station Road.

Still Spirited vodka and gin retail at £36 and £32.50 respectively per 70cl bottle.