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Johnnie
Walker Master Blender, Dr Jim Beveridge,
received an OBE from Her Majesty The
Queen today in recognition of his
outstanding service to the Scotch Whisky
industry throughout his 40 year career
with Diageo.
Johnnie Walker Master Blender, Dr Jim
Beveridge, was awarded an OBE by Her
Majesty The Queen today for his
outstanding service to the Scotch whisky
industry.
Recognising a remarkable career spanning
almost four decades with the world’s
leading distilling company Diageo, Dr
Beveridge was presented with his OBE
medal by Her Majesty during an
investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
During his career Dr Beveridge has
established himself as one of the most
highly respected figures in the
industry, renowned for his skill and
dedication to quality, as well as his
considered and unassuming manner.
The accolade comes as Johnnie Walker,
the world’s most popular Scotch whisky,
prepares to celebrate its 200th
anniversary in 2020. Dr Beveridge is
only the sixth person in two centuries
of the company’s history to have held
the position of Master Blender, the
first being founder John Walker himself.
Next year, Dr Beveridge will celebrate
40 years with Johnnie Walker. To mark
the occasion, Jim has been asked to work
with his team on a unique 40 year old
whisky using some of the rarest Scotch
in the Johnnie Walker archives.
Based at Diageo’s blending rooms in
Menstrie, Clackmannanshire, Dr
Beveridge, leads a team of 12 blenders
responsible for the quality and
consistency of all the company’s Scotch
whisky brands. He also works closely
with distillers, coopers, coppersmiths
and all the craftspeople involved in
producing the finest Scotch whisky.
He has been the recipient of several
industry accolades, including being
inducted into the World Whisky Hall of
Fame in 2015 and in 2016 he was named
Master Blender of the Year by the
International Whisky Competition for the
second consecutive year, a first in the
history of the competition.
Commenting on the receiving the award Dr
Beveridge dedicated it to his colleagues
across the Scotch whisky industry. He
said: "It was a wonderful experience to
receive this award from Her Majesty the
Queen [tbc] and it is an honour that I
am delighted to receive on behalf of all
the people I have worked with in Scotch
whisky over the past four decades.
"Scotch truly is a team effort at every
step from grain to glass and it is a
privilege to work in such a special
industry. I dedicate this award to all
the women and men in our distilleries,
coppersmiths, cooperage, warehouses and
bottling halls across Scotland who are
all responsible for making Johnnie
Walker."
Congratulating Dr Beveridge on receiving
his award, Diageo Chief Executive Ivan
Menezes, said: "This is a very special
day for Jim and his family and I am
delighted to congratulate them on behalf
of everyone at Diageo.
"Jim is renowned in the Scotch industry
for his dedication to the craft of
whisky-making and for the incredible
whiskies he creates for Johnnie Walker,
but he is also known as an exceptional
colleague and friend to the people he
works with. This is worthy recognition
of an extraordinary career spanning four
decades."
Johnnie Walker Global Brand Director
John Williams added his tribute:
"Everyone in the Johnnie Walker family
is delighted to see Jim receive this
recognition for the remarkable
contribution he’s made to Johnnie Walker
and to Scotch whisky.
"Jim has not just been the guardian of
almost two centuries of Johnnie Walker
heritage, he has also been a restless
pioneer, always learning and always
seeking new frontiers of flavour in
Scotch whisky."
Johnnie Walker is the number one selling
Scotch whisky in the world with an
average of seven bottles being exported
from Scotland every second, making it
the country’s leading export product.
The brand uses the best Scotch whiskies
from Diageo’s unrivalled inventory of 28
malt distilleries and more than 10
million casks maturing in Scotland.
Johnnie Walker is at the heart of a £150
million investment programme in Scotch
whisky tourism by Diageo, including
creating a global flagship visitor
attraction in Edinburgh and transforming
the company’s 12 distillery visitor
experiences around Scotland.
You will also find current Johnnie Walker range as well as some
special releases available to buy over at
specialist online whisky retailers such
as
The Whisky Exchange,
The Whisky Shop and
Master of Malt
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