Navigating the Journey to B Corp Certification: Reflections from a Founder of North Point Distillery

North Point Distillery's 3 core products (North Point Spiced Rum, Crosskirk Bay Gin, North Point Pilot Rum) and the Certified B Corp plaque.

North Point Distillery’s motto stands strong as “The People, The Place, The Spirits”. When Struan and I founded the distillery in 2020, we always wanted to create a distillery that had a lasting impact on not only the drinks industry, but also made a definitive difference in the local community and environment. What began as lofty goals with a degree of romanticism has become a belief system that has been battle-tested and hard-worn over these past five years – and, most importantly, has been cemented into the core of our distillery. 

Looking back on our original business plans from years ago, I found a recurring line that I feel still resonates with me: “Sustainability and social responsibility cannot be purchased, and cannot be treated as an afterthought; it has to be in the foundations of our distillery.” Hard lessons have been learned since founding this distillery, proving me wrong more than I’d like to admit, but this has remained true to this day. 

After winning a litany of awards from the likes of the Gin Guide and the Highland Food and Drink awards for our sustainability, we thought it best to evolve into the next chapter for our sustainability and social responsibility journey. We concluded that B Corp certification was our next goal. B Corp certification is not merely a badge: it's a testament and commitment to balancing profit with purpose. The decision to pursue B Corp certification started a domino effect of introspection, reevaluations, refinements, and transformations in our distillery. 

The first monumental hurdle was the B Impact Assessment. This comprehensive and holistic evaluation of our business practices scrutinised areas ranging from governance, workers, and community to our environmental and customer support. The assessment covered far more than we originally anticipated. From the energy source of our stills, glass analysis and manufacturing methods, to our governance and inclusion policies, the assessment took the proverbial magnifying glass to every facet of our business. 

We also learned a great deal about our supply chain partners through the assessment. Whether it was our Flexi-Hex corrugated box manufacturers, our grain partner in Crisp Maltings for Scotch Whisky production, glass manufacturer Estal, or even our still manufacturer DES, we needed to assess our supply chain and their own sustainability credentials; Estal, as an example, have made great strides in the use of Post-Consumer recycled (PCR) glass, and the transparency in their production process – alongside their commitment to their approach – was a real difference maker throughout our application. 

Condenser temperature dial.

Furthermore, maintaining the delicate balance between our rich, handcrafted, traditional distillation techniques and adopting eco-friendly innovations posed another challenge. Embracing sustainable methods while preserving the authenticity and heritage of our spirits required a dance of creativity, experimentation, and sometimes, compromise. We were able to incorporate more sustainable energy sources, reduce waste, and implement further water conservation measures, all of which came easily but with the price tag of time. 

Distilleries like ours are constantly pushing the boundaries of sustainability alongside efficiency; however, this can unfortunately come at the cost of the time-honoured practices of our trade, something we were not willing to risk. Our ethos of flavour over efficiency had to go hand-in-hand with sustainability without exception. Finding that balance was imperative and I’m happy to report: incredibly successful. 

The Forss site and neighbouring windfarm, overlooking Crosskirk Bay.

We’re proud to join the B Corp Movement, but this is only the beginning of our impact journey. We are already working on new initiatives – such as upcycling old casks, offering bottle exchanges for repeat customers, and even looking at broadening our scope on renewable energy use. One of the largest challenges to a small independent distillery such as North Point Distillery, is that the landscape and legislation is constantly changing. It is our responsibility to respond to these changes and implement strategies that reflect the business needs alongside our commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. 

We are so proud to add our name to this ever growing movement and we’re looking forward to working with other like-minded companies and B Corporations to further these goals and aspirations.

For more information on B Corporations, our B Impact Assessment and Score, and our sustainability efforts, head over to the B Corp page!

-- Alex, Co-Founder of North Point Distillery