【Exclusive Interview】Kerry and Derek Campbell – 8 Doors Distillery

As a start-up distillery from a small town at the northernmost edge, 8 Doors Distillery does not seem to have any geographical advantages due to its isolated placement with extreme weather and environment. However, this genius couple, Kerry and Derek, who were born and raised there, optimized these disadvantages to create a special bottle of whisky. This whisky not only tastes fantastic due to extreme weather conditions and the sea breeze that intensifies the flavor of whisky but also carries a unique story and the spirit of the people of the John O’Groats.

This article focuses on an exclusive interview with the founder and owner of the 8 Doors Distillery, Kerry and Derek Campbell who shared an inspirational story of their establishment and competent passion towards not only whisky but also their place of origin, John O’Groats.  

The Basic Information of the 8 Doors Distillery

Distillery	8 Doors Distillery
Owner	Kerry Campbell, Derek Campbell
Location	John O’Groats, KW1 4YR Scotland
Year of Establishment	2022
Website	8 Doors Distillery
Contact	Email:hello@8doorsdistillery.com
Social Media	Instagram:@8doorsdistillery X:@8DoorsWhisky

About 8 Doors Distillery

Dear WHISKY：
Could you introduce us to the Distillery?

Derek：
We are the 8 Doors Distillery. The story behind our name is tied to the myth told within this John O’Groats area since we were born and grew up locally. We have been dreaming of building the distillery for a long, and that became true last year.

How it all started

Dear WHISKY：
Where did the idea of creating a distillery come from?

Derek：
It goes a few years back, when we lived in London, working and traveling all the time. As I noticed Kerry was tired of her job and lifestyle, I came up with the idea of building a distillery since we were already quite passionate about whisky. We were introduced to whisky ten years ago at a family barbecue, and ever since then, we have been in love with it. We have always thought of whisky as an occasional drink; it’s about people, memories, and creating stories. 

Place: John O’Groats

Dear WHISKY：
Why did you make a distillery in John O’Groats?

Derek：
Coincidentally, our hometown, John O’Groats, was a story-rich area, which is a perfect fit for a start-up distillery like ours from a branding and marketing point of view. Therefore, the idea of this new distillery started as a casual conversation. Still, as we talked more and more, we became confident that we could make something remarkable if we could really harness the extraordinary landscape and story through the whisky. Additionally, we were concerned about the lack of job opportunities in John O’Groats. Since we love whisky and our hometown, we wanted to combine those and create employment in this area.

Dear WHISKY：
What was your reaction to Derek’s idea, Kerry?

Kerry：
First, I thought it was too big of an idea since we had no idea where to start. However, we really discussed a lot and broke each step into pieces to make it more approachable and achievable. Then, this outrageous idea started to look increasingly realistic and exciting. Ultimately, I was convinced of John O’Groats’s power and how much I loved this area and its landscapes, especially the sea.

Derek：
Also, tourism was a huge factor as well. Bringing people into this area and showcasing what we have here is essential.

Supporting their hometown

Dear WHISKY：
Is employment that big of an issue here?

Kerry：
Quite often, yes. It is a common problem for small rural areas, I’d assume. Many people moved out unwillingly due to lack of opportunities.

Dear WHISKY：
Have you seen any progress in employment yet?

Derek：
Three of my team actually moved back to town to work with us. Ryan, for example, moved out of town and got married but decided to return with his wife, a teacher. Now we have not only him but a new teacher in town. As such, creating an employment opportunity brings people back into town, sometimes with additional new people. 

8 Doors Distillery’s role and meaning within John O’Groats

Culture and impression

Dear WHISKY：
What is the whisky culture like within the John O’ Groats?

Derek：
Like all other Scotland towns, there is a vast range of whiskies, and the market is even more significant. That is one of the reasons why we have released the Seven Sons series since we believe there are different occasions and opportunities for all the whiskies out there. We have blends, single malts, and whisky liquor for various occasions depending on where, when, or who you drink with.

Dear WHISKY：
What was the reaction of the local people to the distillery establishment?

Kerry：
It was positive, and we had fantastic support from the locals throughout. We are very proud that John O’Groats has about 20,000 people in the county, and this village specifically only has 200-300 people, but 90% of the workers who were part of building this distillery were from this village. Neighbors within a 5-minute walk are the partners who made this site together.

New generation: Modern idea as a whisky brand

Kerry and Derek’s responsibilities

Dear WHISKY：
What is your role within the distillery?

Kerry：
We both pretty much oversee everything, making sure the flow. My main focus would be branding, marketing, and finance management —all the boring stuff.

Derek：
I really love production side, such as cask ordering. We work with a cooperage called Casknolia in Spain, who customizes the cask for us.

Dear WHISKY：
As a brand new distillery, there should be so many things you have to decide and come up with.
How do you make those choices? 

Kerry：
Of course, we mainly talk about everything, but we also work with a Scottish branding agency. We recognize the importance of bringing in experts, especially for designing and branding strategies. For example, we two came up with logos and brushed them up by discussing them with the agency.

Branding strategies

Dear WHISKY：
What are your branding strategies?

Kerry：
We understand that we are a very young distillery compared to other hundreds-of-years-old distilleries, so we tried to stick to who we are instead of copying every tradition and trying to look old. Although the distilling process is traditional, such as pot stills, our buildings and branding are modern. So we took advantage of our youth but stuck with good old traditions when necessary.

Employee and shared goals

Dear WHISKY：
How many people are working here currently? 

Kerry：
7 in total, with additional part-time workers as well.

Dear WHISKY：
How does your team connect with each other and share values and goals?

Kerry：
We are a small team, living close to each other, which compliments our tighter relationship. We have set a goal and are working towards it together as a team, but simultaneously, people like Ryan stay creative and innovative about different methods or barleys.

Whisky production

Dear WHISKY：
Who is in charge of the production in general?

Derek：
We are also involved, but mainly Ryan is responsible for the production. He really loves selecting barleys and yeasts. We also have excellent support from John Ramsey. John has worked in this industry for over 40 years and shared his experience and knowledge to create a new make with Ryan. Whisky-making has two sides: science and art. Science could be learned and executed correctly by new distillers, like the two of us, but the art part is something we believe that it only develops from experience. Therefore, we needed someone like John and Ryan to help us with extra support and experience.

Dear WHISKY：
How did Ryan join the 8 Doors?

Kerry：
As we talked earlier, Ryan is also from around here, and he reached out to us as we were trying to build this distillery. He had prior experience in whisky, which we were lacking and desperate for, and we also knew his dad personally, which further tightened our connection.

Life and business style

Work and life balance between the two

Dear WHISKY：
What is your typical day like?

Kerry：
Busy. Production is generally from 8:00 to 16:30, and the other work generally takes until 18:00. But this doesn’t mean that we work 8:00 to 18:00 every day; it just depends and differs from day to day. There is no set time limit when you are a start-up. In terms of being in the building, that might be it, but we constantly discuss business outside, so it is pretty endless. However, as long as you love what you are doing, it does not feel like a chore; having many plans ahead is exciting. It’s all about chopping those plans into smaller steps, deciding priorities, and understanding our next goal.

Derek：
It can be pretty daunting some days. There are so many opportunities, so it’s essential to be on track and ensure we are doing the right thing because we only have one shot at this. The biggest challenge is doing it all correctly with only two of us, but that’s also a fun part.

Supporting each other

Dear WHISKY：
Do you ever feel overwhelmed?

Derek：
No. It could be more challenging for single founders, but it is a lot of fun since we are on this journey with a fantastic team and supportive friends and families. We are not on our own.

Dear WHISKY：
Has there been any changes to you two in these past few years?

Kerry：
I became so knowledgeable about constructing and designing a building. Managing the schedule and being on-site during the build taught me something I had never experienced before this project.

Derek：
One thing we have learned is that there is always an answer, and there is always a solution as well. Facing such a massive project, we figured things out one by one, and now I don’t think there is anything we cannot figure out between the two of us. We have different skill sets, which are very complementary. Also, we had to face the Covid, which was the issue we were not expecting at all, so we had to learn to adapt. Be patient, don’t panic, and just simply face it step by step.

About their whiskies

The Seven Sons

Dear WHISKY：
Could you explain about the Seven Sons Whisky?

Kerry：
While we wait for our single malt to be legally drinkable for three years for a scotch, we came up with the Seven Sons.  As an independent bottler, we worked with John Ramsey to make this blended whisky. We bought mature whisky stocks from other distilleries to create this product. What’s unique about our blend is its 40% malt content, which comes from the first fill sherry cask. As we developed this blend, we played around with the ratio with John and settled at 40% malt at the end.

Derek：
It works amazingly in a cocktail and tastes fantastic as a highball. It is really flexible, and I personally love it with a ginger beer. I am a big fan of the fruitiness and sweetness of the sherry cask, which is quite noticeable in this blend. My preference for a sherry cask definitely affects our cask selection as well.

Dear WHISKY：
How should we drink this whisky?

Kerry：
Drink it the way you like it! Simply enjoy the whisky, whether it is neat, highball, or in a cocktail. It doesn’t matter as long as you are enjoying it. Whisky might seem intimidating sometimes, and people might think they have to drink it a certain way, but it is not like that.

Single Malt Whisky

Dear WHISKY：
When do you plan to release your single malt?

Derek：
We are not sure at all. 4,5, or 6years maybe. It is just ready when it is ready. 

Whisky Liquor

Dear WHISKY：
Could you explain about the whisky liquor?

Kerry：
It is basically a dessert whisky type of thing. It is sweet and flavorful, perfect for whisky beginners as well. Perfect for dessert, obviously. With its amount of sugar, it’s really easy to drink. We are launching it in October, so it should be available around November or maybe Christmas in Japan. It’s nice with ice and ginger beer; if you like hot chocolate, it matches perfectly. Some people even enjoy it by pouring it over an ice cream.

At Last

Emerging from a far north small town, John O’Groats, 8 Doors Distillery aims to flourish its exceptional single malt whisky in the coming years while constantly studying and refining its mastery and their Seven Sons blended whisky and whisky liquor. Their commitment highlights their love towards the whisky and emphasizes passion towards their hometown and its people. By getting more recognition and incorporating John O’Groats’ value and culture into a whisky, 8 Doors Distillery strives to present its homelands’ allure to the world.