Woodland Milestone!
SUSTAINABLE DISTILLERY PLANTS 10,000 SQUARE METRES OF WOODLAND
This article was distributed as a press release in March 2020
Cooper King Distillery is celebrating an exciting milestone in their support of environmental charity Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT).
Ahead of International Day of Forests on 21st March, the Yorkshire-based gin and whisky distillery has now supported the creation of 10,000 square meters of woodland - a whole hectare.
Since August 2018, Cooper King Distillery have pledged to donate at least 1% of their gin sales towards YDMT’s tree planting work as part of their commitment to producing industry-leading sustainable spirits. To date they have far exceeded that figure, donating over 2.5% of all gin sales to the charity.
Each bottle of international award-winning Dry or Herb Gin sold contributes to the creation of one square metre of woodland in the Yorkshire Dales and surrounding areas.
Cooper King Distillery are the first in Europe to join environmental initiative 1% for the Planet, are one of a handful in the country to run on 100% green energy, and source all the wheat and barley for their spirits from Yorkshire farms.
Co-founders Chris Jaume and Abbie Neilson are committed to producing sustainable spirits whilst supporting the planting of native broadleaf trees with YDMT. Abbie said:
“Producing flavour-driven sustainable spirits is at the heart of what we do, because we believe drinking good spirits needn’t cost the earth. Working with YDMT has ensured this ethos becomes a reality as we lead the drinks industry in terms of sustainability.
“We’ve loved supporting YDMT, not just by giving donations but also through getting involved in their tree planting and woodland walk events. We’re proud to have supported the planting of a hectare of woodland, and a huge thanks is owed to our customers for continuing to help conserve and protect the environment.”
Carol Douglas, Woodland Officer at YDMT, said:
“Through our ‘Together for Trees’ campaign we are working with many supporters and partners such as Cooper King Distillery to plant 100,000 additional trees across the region.
“Trees are hugely valuable as a habitat for wildlife and support some of our most endangered woodland animals, like red squirrels, dormice and cuckoos. They are also important for our mental health and wellbeing and we believe that everyone should have access to them. The appeal aims to raise funds to create beautiful woodlands that everyone can enjoy for years to come.”
Sarah Hodgson, Development Officer at YDMT added:
“We’re really grateful to Cooper King Distillery and all their staff and customers for their support in helping to restore native woodland to the Yorkshire Dales. We look forward to continuing this exciting partnership.”
With the Trust having supported the planting of close to 60,000 trees since the appeal was launched in summer 2018, they are well on the way to reaching their ‘Together for Trees’ target of 100,000 over the next two years.
Discover the actions we’re taking to reduce our environmental impact here. Purchase a bottle of sustainable spirit through the online shop.