The Diageo Leven packaging plant in Fife, Diageo’s largest packaging plant in the world, has celebrated 50 years of bottling many of the world’s most famous and popular spirits brands this week, including Tanqueray, Gordon’s, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Johnnie Walker, Talisker and Lagavulin.
The first bottles were filled at Leven in September 1973 and, since then, it has gone through a number of expansions, including adding the state-of-the-art bottling hall 3 in 2012. More recently, it has invested in sustainability, completing construction of an 8,000-panel solar array earlier this year.
The half-century was marked by a visit from local Member of the Scottish Parliament Jenny Gilruth who toured the site and met employees to congratulate them on the anniversary, including Neil Crichton, the longest serving employee who has worked at the site for 40 years.
Stuart Galbraith, Diageo Leven Site Director, said, “We are proud of everything Diageo Leven has achieved in its 50 years of bottling some of the world’s most famous and popular brands, and we want to thank everyone who works at the site today and who has worked there over the past 50 years for all they have contributed to our success.
“We continue to build for the future development of the site and its environmental sustainability, and we look forward to the next 50 years and beyond for Diageo Leven.”
Jenny Gilruth MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, said, “It was a pleasure to visit Diageo Leven and to meet employees, from the longest serving to those who have only recently started, and the site’s apprentices. Diageo Leven is an important employer in my constituency and I was delighted to share in the celebration of this fantastic milestone.”
Ms Gilruth was presented with a special 50th anniversary bottle of Tanqueray during the visit which is also being given to each of the site’s employees as a memento of the 50th year.