I want to change the way the world thinks about whisky

Annabel Thomas, founder and CEO of Ne'nean distillery

- NICKY RAMPLEY-CLARKE

The benefits of setting up a business in the countryside are huge – not only do you get to spend more time in the life-affirming beauty of nature, but you get to have a real impact in smaller communities,’ says Annabel Thomas, founder and CEO at Nc’nean, an independent and organic whisky distillery championing experimental spirits and sustainable production.

She built the distillery on her parents' farm on the remote Morvern peninsula on the rugged west coast of Scotland, about three or so hours from Glasgow or Inverness.

Formerly a partner in a global management consulting firm in London, Annabel has certainly come a long way, quite literally, since her early days working for large corporates in retail and consumer goods. ‘For now, we are still tied to the city by my husband’s job,’ she explains, ‘but I spend a lot of time at the distillery, which is probably the most rural place you can imagine.’ Inspired by a year working for smoothie company Innocent Drinks, where she realised that business could have a purpose beyond just making money, Annabel started developing her vision for Nc’nean.