Judges

Adam is the partner and head of food and drink for Johnston Carmichael, Scotland’s largest firm of accountants and business advisers. As sector lead for food and drink, he is a trusted adviser to growing drinks businesses in Scotland and across the UK and has a particular interest in drinks start-ups. With over 500 food and drink clients, he spends his time working with some of the biggest drinks brands including gins, whisky and beers.  He has a wide network across the drinks industry and is the chair of the Scottish Gin Awards, a judge in BrewLDN and the Scottish Beer Awards.

Annabel is the founder and CEO of Nc'Nean Distillery.  After a career in Management Consulting, she pursued her dream to own a whisky distillery and created Nc'nean in 2017, named after an ancient Gaelic goddess.   The distillery is one of the most sustainable in Scotland and has already achieved B Corporation status. 

Andrew is a Partner in the Morton Fraser Corporate team and Head of the Corporate Growth Sector. He is a very experienced and well respected practitioner and over his career to date has advised businesses across a wide range of sectors including technology, non-domestic water, food and drink, manufacturing and retail. His practice covers both SME and larger businesses operating both in the UK and internationally. Andrew specialises in advising on corporate transactions (buying and selling companies, MBOs, MBIs, joint ventures and equity investments into companies) and a wide variety of commercial contracts (including IP related), as well as partnerships, LLPs and share options. He also has significant Non-Executive Director, general Board advisory and business mentoring experience.

With more than 20 years’ experience in delivering creative campaigns and activations for Contagious, Jason is responsible for the delivery of business and brand strategic approaches. In partnership with the brand owners, investors, stakeholders and marketing teams of start-up and emerging brands, as well as those established brands with a need to pivot or develop, Jason creates and develops drinks brands that challenge the status quo, have purpose and meaning and inspire better choices.  A specialist in the drinks sector, Jason has delivered brand strategy, product strategy, and brand activations in the U.K, Europe, Asia, Australia, Mexico, and the U.S. He has worked with some of the sector’s most recognised global and local brands, such as Bushmills Whiskey, Martell Cognac, Absolut Vodka, Lind & Lime Gin, Ninefold Rum, The Spirit of Manchester Distillery, Chivas Regal, Beefeater Gin, and Mumm.   A faculty member at The Moonshine University in Louisville, Kentucky, Jason also lectures at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, on Brand and Consumer Experience, Marketing and Brand Strategy. In addition, he also holds advisory board positions for the Scottish American Business Council and The Golden Moon Distillery in Golden, Colorado.

Kirsten is the founder of KDMedia PR and Events and has been a senior level communications adviser to corporate Scotland for over 20 years.  She has transformed KDMedia Ltd from a busy media relations and PR agency into one of the largest independent event companies in Scotland.  As the founder of 4 major drinks events, she has built over 8 years experience in brewing and distilling and has a Diploma in Scotch Malt Whisky.  The company owns and develops 8 annual event brands and in 2023 will deliver 40 events for over 4000 visitors.

Paul Miller is the co-founder of Eden Mill, a distillery and brewery founded in 2012 on the banks of the Eden Estuary in Andrews.  It was the first distillery to make spirits in the region for over 150 years. It multi award winning gins have been at the forefront of the company’s success and lead to the appointment of Eden Mill as producer of Ramsay’s Gin for Chef, Gordon Ramsay.   In January 2022, Eden Mill received major investment from private equity firm Inverleith to invest in the construction of a new distillery on site and to further develop the success of its premium range of gin and luxury single malt whisky. 

Over the last 19 year’s, Dave has worked with multiple small, medium and global sized drinks brands, and has a wealth of experience in the UK grocery sector.

Alpine Online supports food & drink suppliers with data insights, and is a reporting partner for both Nielsen IQ and SKUTrak.

Dave Lives in Whitley Bay with his wife and two children.

As an entrepreneur and industry professional in the spirits sector with over a decade of experience in buying, e-commerce, commercial partnerships, marketing, and events, I have achieved significant milestones in my career. Notably, I successfully exited my business (Gin Foundry Ltd) and received recognition as Gin Buyer of the Year at Spirits Kiosk, along with Best Online Spirits Retailer. Additionally, our event, Junipalooza, was honoured as the Industry Choice Event of the Year two years in a row.

With a passion for the spirits and beverage industry within the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector, I currently hold a position at Enotria & Coe, where I continue to contribute my expertise in various areas. Furthermore, I have expanded my involvement in the industry by actively investing in new consumer packaged goods (CPG) startups and providing strategic advice to founders in e-commerce, branding, marketing and exit strategies.

As a professional with a proven track record of success and a deep understanding of the spirits and beverage market, I am dedicated to driving innovation, growth, and excellence in this dynamic industry.