I’m loving the trend of distilleries serving the community by making hand sanitizer. I recently asked Martin Murray the owner of Rock Rose Gin why his Scottish distillery turned to hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 crisis.
Why did you feel like you had to make hand sanitizer during this time?
Basically we are strongly attached to our local community and wanted to do anything we could to help them during this difficult time.
I knew we had the capabilities and the means to help, so we did just that. We made sanitizer and gave it away free to care homes, medical practices and surgeries.
How have everyday operations have changes?
Our distiller, Kevin, helped make the sanitizer and we distributed it. Our gin sales have stopped to bars and restaurants because the government closed them. This meant we had time to help.
Also, our shop was temporarily converted to a grocery to try and help the vulnerable people within our village. Other agencies are doing a better job, so we stopped this, but it helped for a few days.
What has been the feedback been from the community?
It’s been amazing. People have really thanked us. A local practice wrote to the local paper to thank us and highlight our work. Quite humbling given they are the real heroes.
How can people access your sanitizer?
We contacted all the local places that we could support and word of mouth has helped increase our reach.
What’s the most rewarding part about shifting your operations for the community?
To be honest we’ve benefitted from the community support us for 5 years and spreading the love of our product. It’s the least we could do.
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what do you think?