A Yorkshire gin and whisky distillery is working to protect one of the most distinctive landscapes in England.
Cooper King Distillery teamed up with Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) in 2018, aiming to plant 400 new trees in the Dales each year. This September’s quarterly donation of £1,430 will allow 140 trees to be planted, bringing their total to more than 600 trees.
The distillery has raised £6,036 since the partnership with YDMT formed via international initiative ‘1% for the Planet’ which sees at least one per cent of sales contributed towards environmental non-profits. The charity has congratulated the distillery for its support at what is a crucial time for the planet’s trees.
Sarah Hodgson of YDMT said:
It’s great to have the team from Cooper King involved with not only donating funds to help ensure trees can be planted, but also practically too by coming out and getting involved with our tree planting work. They’re always keen to get stuck in and have a direct impact and for that we’re really grateful.
As the international community continues to watch on in horror as Brazil’s rainforests burn, the small business believes we all need to take responsibility for our environment.
Chris Jaume, former chartered architect and co-founder of Cooper King Distillery said:
With increasing awareness of the devastating impact of the Amazon fires and the wider issue of climate destruction at the forefront of people’s minds, we believe we all have a responsibility to take action to reduce our environmental impact. Our business is keen to lead the charge in sustainability and prove that great products can be made and enjoyed by those who value the planet and are dedicated to reducing harm.
The distillery is one of only a handful in the UK to run on 100% green energy and has begun trials growing its own botanicals on site. It uses cardboard packaging and was the first in the country to offer a gin refill scheme to encourage reuse of its bottles.
Established in 2016 by co-founders Chris Jaume, a chartered architect and Dr Abbie Neilson, a former scientist, Cooper King Distillery is located in the village of Sutton-on-the-Forest, north of York.
Photo: Left to right, Carol Douglas YDMT, Abbie Neilson CKD, Chris Jaume CKD, Sarah Hodgson YDMT