The first rum distillery in central Scotland – Matugga Distillers – is preparing to start production at a new facility in Livingston.
The £100,000 distillery is equipped with two 200 litre copper pot stills, capable of producing 50,000 litres of rum in its first year.
With its golden and spiced rums already popular in France, the company is keen to secure listings in the Scottish off-trade next year when it also predicts a 400% increase in turnover.
Matugga was founded by husband and wife team Paul and Jacine Rutasikwa, who originally small batch distilled in England before moving production north of the border. They hope the expansion will lead to the creation of five jobs.
Paul Rutasikwa commented: “Scotland has hundreds of years of distilling expertise and history. This, combined with my African heritage, is what will inspire us to create new and exciting rums. We can think of no better place to be launching our new distillery and beginning such an exciting journey.”
