Committed to Craft: The Balvenie Whisky and Michel Roux Jr Join Forces

The series concluded earlier this year with a sumptuous three-coursedinner hosted at The Balvenie House in Dufftown, Scotland and curated by Michel. It featured a menu inspired by The Balvenie people, with fermented barley miso, roasted venison smoked with woodchips from the casks in the cooperage and passion fruit soufflé with white chocolate ice cream, served in handcrafted copper pots - a manifestation of true artisanship and expertise. “Working together on the series we've witnessed a wide range of craftsmanship across all industries, but this year I had the pleasure to take a very close look at the level of craftsmanship that goes into The Balvenie,” says Michel. “From meeting John the Maltman, who takes care of the barley by turning it by hand, to George the coppersmith who maintains the copper stills where the essential process of distillation happens, their dedication to whisky making mirrors my dedication in the kitchen.”

The Balvenie’s UK brand ambassador Alwynne Gwilt, a leading figure in the drinks industry and a respected whisky connoisseur, acknowledges the importance of maintaining a human touch in today’s modern machine-led age. “We live in a fast-paced, cluttered world,” she says. “True craftsmanship is about having that hands-on skill, and slowing things down a notch, taking time to make something beautiful. If we lose these skills then they won’t be easily regained in a world that is changing at pace.”

The Balvenie prides itself on staying true to its ‘five rare crafts’ - its home-grown barley, malting floor, copper stills, cooperage and its revered Malt Master - who happens to be the longest serving in the Scotch whisky industry - David Stewart MBE. “Craftsmanship is a huge element in making The Balvenie what it is,” says Alwynne. “We are extremely proud of the things we do on-site at the distillery – such as our floor maltings and our cooperage – which are run by craftspeople who need years of training to ensure they do their hands-on job correctly. It’s about maintaining that connection between the production and the product, and doing so in an authentic way.”

Of course, maintaining true craftsmanship is not without its challenges, particularly in our increasingly profit-prioritising era. “Cost is a big thing,” says Alwynne. “The reason most distilleries do not employ coopers on-site or have a malting floor is because it is a costly part of the business. For us, this equates to a quality product at the end that is tended carefully by amazing teams of people on a day to day basis. But this is largely achieved by the fact that we are family owned. If we were a PLC, these things would likely need to go.” For both The Balvenie Distillery and Michel, staying relevant and maintaining a competitive edge involves striking a balance between innovation and tradition. “There's a certain level of expectation when guests come to our restaurant,” says Michel of Le Gavroche. “For a lot of our guests, there's an element of nostalgia, which I love, but I also need to make sure the restaurant appeals to contemporary palates.” One can appreciate the truest qualities of craftsmanship whilst simultaneously embracing positive advancement, and this approach, says Michel, constitutes the future of craftsmanship. “I think the key is evolving whilst staying true to your roots, and paying homage to where you came from.” We’ll raise a glass to that.