42 jobs saved as Scottish distillery Eden Mill rescued by investors

St Andrews-based Eden Mill Distillery has been acquired from administration saving the jobs of all 42 staff after its owner, St Andrews Brewers Limited, was placed into the hands of administrators.

Kenny Craig and Kevin Mapstone of Begbies Traynor were appointed joint administrators of St Andrews Brewers Limited on Tuesday 18 November 2025 following a period of intense activity to restructure the business, which had significant debt resulting from the challenges of the global whisky sector. 

After an accelerated marketing campaign in recent weeks, and efforts to secure a buyer for the business and its assets, Ruby Capital has acquired the business and assets of Eden Mill for an undisclosed sum, safeguarding the future of the business and protecting the jobs of all its employees.

Thomas McKay, managing partner of Begbies Traynor in Scotland, who ran the restructuring activity said:

“The whisky sector as a whole continues to have a number of challenges at this time, largely as a result of the ongoing recession in the global whisky market. Eden Mill experienced a drop in sales and delays in the opening of its flagship visitor centre in St Andrews, which took around 12 months longer than expected to open its doors, creating cash flow difficulties for the business.

“With 42 jobs at risk, an accelerated sale took place to preserve value in the business and assets and to restructure the core business. The Eden Mill brands and assets have now been sold to the new owners and all employee jobs have been saved as part of the restructure.

 “Thank you to St Andrews University, the landlords of the business, for their assistance and support during this restructure.

“We hope people will continue to visit the distillery, buy its products, and support it going forward, as Eden Mill now continues to trade under a new structure and journey into the future with new investment and secure foundations.”

Begbies Traynor is a leader in restructuring services to the whisky sector in Scotland, having restructured a number of Scottish distilleries and spirit brands in 2025, as a combination of factors impact the viability of whisky businesses after the covid boom in the sector.

The downturn in the global whisky market is due to a range of economic factors including changing consumer behaviours, rising operating costs and overheads, falling export sales and reduced consumer demand for alcohol in general.