A start-up gin and whisky distillery has made its largest donation to date in a bid 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.
September marks the biggest quarterly donation of £1430, from sales of its sustainable gin. The funds will allow 140 trees to be planted in the neighbouring Yorkshire Dales, bringing their total to more than 600 trees and making a big contribution to capturing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere.
Having raised a total of £6036 since the partnership formed via international initiative ‘1% for the Planet’, the charity has congratulated the distillery for supporting at what is a crucial time for the planet’s trees.
Sarah Hodgson of YDMT says: “We’re delighted that Cooper King are able to support us in planting a further 140 trees in the Yorkshire Dales. At a time when the climate crisis is at the forefront of peoples’ minds it’s good to know that a forward-thinking business like Cooper King, consider it really important to support the planet, and are working hard to make a difference in this beautiful area.
“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.
“We’re looking forward to further working together with Chris and Abbie, to plant more trees and to continue to raise the profile of how their support – and that of other businesses like them – can have a big impact.’
And with the international community continuing to watch on in horror as Brazil’s rainforests have burned for weeks, the small business believes we all need to take responsibility for our environment, now.
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.
“We’d like to sincerely thank our customers who have backed us as a producer of sustainable spirits, enabling us to provide our largest donation yet to YDMT. Planting trees is the most direct and effective way to make a difference, and it is incredibly rewarding for all involved to be able to do so in one of England’s most beautiful natural landscapes.
The firm is one of only a handful of distilleries in the UK to run on 100% green energy and has begun trials growing its own botanicals on site. It is also conscious of its plastic use, opting for recyclable 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.
