Speaking truth to power – Why Heriot-Watt’s new centre could help advocate for brewers and distillers

As well as helping distilleries and breweries to reach net zero, a new university centre could also become a voice for pragmatic advocacy within the drinks industry, writes Peter Ranscombe.

WHO would want to run a brewery or distillery these days? From Donald Trump slapping tariffs on imports into the United States through to the UK and Scottish governments’ melee of complicated excise duty rates, employers’ national insurance contributions, and non-domestic rates, aspiring brewers and distillers could be forgiven for walking away from their fermenters even before they’ve started.

Yet help may soon be at hand. Heriot-Watt University (HWU) in Edinburgh is developing plans for its £35 million Centre for Sustainable Brewing & Distilling (CSBD). The centre will replace the university’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD), which opened in 1989 and has gone on to become the training ground for a veritable Who’s Who of the world’s beer and whisky makers.

HWU is taking a leaf out of Harvard and MIT’s book as it plans to tap graduates to raise funding for its new centre, inviting alumni to contribute alongside brewing and distilling companies. During a recent roundtable discussion hosted by the Port of Leith Distillery, university bosses revealed more details about the centre, which will include a dedicated “entrepreneurial hub” to help start-up and spin-out companies, as well as small businesses that want to develop products or processes, complementing the university’s work with big breweries and distilleries.

Alongside its focus on sustainability, the centre will house “plug-and-play brewing and distilling testbeds”, which will give businesses space to experiment. The facility is also expected to work with its neighbouring institution, The National Robotarium, to give brewers and distillers a chance to “try before you buy” through experiments with robots and artificial intelligence (AI).

Lending its voice to advocacy

Yet the new centre could go further than simply helping companies to develop products and save money. Perhaps the most radical plan being considered is for advocacy to become part of the remit for the CSBD.

“To what extent do we feel the CSBD should have a role in advocacy?” mused Nik Willoughby, professor of sustainable bioprocessing at HWU, during the discussion. “Clearly, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) is the prime body for whisky but, for wider brewing and distilling, should we be looking to have a voice, to speak truth to power?”

Ian Stirling, cofounder of Port of Leith Distillery, welcomed the idea. “A voice for smaller distilleries – and a third-party, pragmatic voice – would probably be quite useful,” he told the meeting.

Professor Dawn Maskell, director of the current ICBD, pointed to a report compiled by Hilary Jones, formerly technical and quality director at brewing giant Scottish & Newcastle and chair of Scotland Food & Drink’s Brewing Industry Leadership Group. The document, which was part of the initial assessment of the business case for the new CSBD, had also identified the need for advocacy.

‘Legislated into oblivion’

Nik highlighted the potential for advocacy around the high price of energy, which he described as “crippling our brewing and distilling industry”. Dawn underlined issues including the legislation covering the extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, which involves fees and reporting around recycling. “The way EPR has been put together could potentially decimate some smaller companies,” she warned.

Craig Scotland, head brewer at Stewart Brewing in Edinburgh, pointed to the complexities of EPR. He highlighted that breweries have many questions surrounding whether EPR may or may not align with deposit return schemes (DRS).

“It’s a terrible use of the word ‘Opportunity’, but every single brewer is needing to understand how these regulations work,” Nik observed. “If the CSBD has the capability to offer training then it would make it easier for breweries. Companies face the same challenges around Scope 2 and Scope 3 carbon emissions and understanding what constitutes them.”

Ian added: “A thornier issue facing our industry in this country is health – one thing that’s been put to bed once, but looks to be on the horizon again, is government legislation to control the marketing of alcohol in Scotland. We’re stuck in this very strange juxtaposition where we have a Scottish Government that celebrates this industry whilst also gearing up to decimate it domestically by adopting guidelines from the World Health Organisation, which are fairly controversial, and we get into technical debates about how much drinking is safe.

“Ultimately, it leads to a sledgehammer approach to our industry. Having actual academic research, thought-through policy, and a voice that could engage on this issue would be hugely beneficial. It’s interesting to see some of the bigger companies gearing up to have this fight because, if we don’t, we’re going to be legislated into oblivion.”

Industry welcomes ideas around advocacy

Brian Moore, a corporate partner at law firm Denton’s Edinburgh, office, agreed with the need for the CSBD to work with existing bodies, such as the SWA. “The brewing and distilling sector in Scotland faces an increasingly complex regulatory environment,” he said.

“From EPR for packaging to the forthcoming DRS in October 2027, alongside debates around alcohol advertising restrictions and high energy prices, the cumulative burden is significant. Smaller producers in particular lack the in-house regulatory expertise and financial resources that larger companies can deploy, and each new piece of legislation diverts time and attention away from their core business.

“In this context, having a pragmatic advocacy voice specifically focused on the sector could be genuinely useful. If the CSBD can help bridge the gap between academic research, industry practice, regulatory compliance and government, particularly for smaller producers, it could make a real difference to the sector’s resilience and sustainability.”

Paul Togneri, a senior advisor to the Scottish Beer & Pub Association, added: “ICBD has done some fantastic work over the years, and we wish them well in this new chapter. Sustainability and the need for resilience within the supply chain in the face of the changing climate has never been more important.

“The sector also has faced – and continues to face – exceptionally strong economic and regulatory headwinds, which are having an impact on the viability of brewers and distillers. We look forward to working collaboratively with all who seek to help reduce these burdens.”