Véronique Maignant, on 21.02.2022
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It is one of the top 3 whiskey producers in France and its IG-certified single malts are exported to more than 25 countries. After closing the year 2021 with a turnover of 5 million euros, the Warenghem distillery intends to continue its growth without increasing its water and energy consumption. Meeting with David Roussier, 5e generation at the helm of this Living Heritage Company, anchored in Lannion for more than 100 years.
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Created in 1900, the Warenghem distillery is one of the pioneers of French whiskey with its Armorik brand marketed since 1998 and has become the engine of the company. From now on, the stills and the cellars are in the hands of the 5e generation and the distillery employs, in Lannion, a twenty employees for a 2021 turnover up 30% compared to 2020. « Brittany has become a region producing high quality whiskey which attracts amateurs from all over the world with specific tourist circuits”, says David Roussier, Managing Director since 2016. With 400,000 bottles produced in 2021, the SME is the leading whiskey seller in France and is in the top 3 of national producers. 10% of its spirits are exported to the four corners of the world, including China since 2021. In a few months, we sold 4,000 bottles. The country has become our first customer, ahead of Canada. »
About fifteen references, 4 distribution networks
If the France is the leading consumer country of whiskey in the world, the country represents only 0.2% of the world market, far, far behind Scotland, which holds 90% of the market. However, in terms of quality, the Breton distillery has nothing to envy to its Celtic cousins. After the first 10 years old, released in 2018 to celebrate the 20e anniversary of whisky Armorik, it’s a 16-year-old single cask that was bottled in 2021 within the family business. Available in just 576 bottles, all numbered, it is sold at a price of 187 euros. Three-quarters of the production is marketed under the Armorik brand via around fifteen references. These are sold through four distinct distribution networks. Half, or about 200,000 bottles, goes to supermarkets20% to a network of wine merchants, 10% to specialized stores (organic brands and biscuits), 10% for export and finally, 10% within the Warenghem store inaugurated in 2019.
All segments growing
« A whiskey must age at least three years before being bottled, explains David Roussier. In Consequently, we live permanently on our stocks. AT short of mortgaging our future, we are obliged to limit certain references. This is especially true when we have 30% growth like in 2021. Of course, we will always favor local points of sale. Our boutique, in particular, which welcomed around 12,000 people last year. All of our segments are growing, especially organic and wine merchants. The successive confinements boosted sales, people wanted to have fun. The other factor that played in our favor is the growing desire to consume locally. ».
Produce more while preserving resources
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After having invested 2 million euros in 2019 in two new cellars (allowing to triple the stock of aging whiskey) as well as a reception building/shop for visitors, the distillery is preparing to invest 1 million euros in the optimization of its production tool. « We have set ourselves a constraint to know how to increase production without consuming more water and energy.. Achieving such a goal requires optimizing heat flows in the distillery. ” We are working on a project that aims to reduce energy losses from the still by reusing the heat it produces. Upstream of this process, David Roussier called on the CCI of Côtes d’Armor*. Together, with a business adviser, they analyzed the priority needs in connection with the ecological transition and the existing solutions*.
In addition to energy savings, the business manager is also looking to reduce his water consumption, around 40 m3 per day. ” Currently, it costs us nothing since we are installed on a borehole. However, itThis gratuitousness should not rhyme with waste. Preserving natural resources is everyone’s responsibility. Here again, solutions exist to reuse the water used to cool our stills. By engaging in such a project, we are working both for the resilience of the distillery and for future generations. The start of work is scheduled for next fall.
Opening of a cooperage in June 2022
The other current project is the opening next September of a cooperage in place of the former Lannion slaughterhouse. The Warenhem distillery has just acquired it (price not communicated). ” The idea is to preserve the know-how in Brittany, but also to make it a place of tourist visit. » 250,000 euros will be invested in the development of this site which will also eventually be able to accommodate part of the distillery’s activity, that devoted to liqueurs, gin and perhaps beer. ” On the current site (located 5 km away) we are starting to feel a little cramped and we are really centered on whisky”.
This is how the projects work within the family business, which relies on reasoned development, synonymous with sustainable growth.
*Two subjects were explored by the Warenghem distillery with the CCI and its partners:
- Water savings and aid associated with the Loire-Bretagne Water Agency (Jean Pierre Rouault, AEL Industry Operations ManagerB)
- Energy savings (heat recovery) and the transition to sustainable heat production with the Chaleur fund supported by the Lannion conurbation ( Anne-Christine Palud, Administrative Management Manager – Heat management – Heat Fund, Lannion-Trégor Community).
Contact CCI 22 : Jean-Sebastien Flinois – Business Advisor Sustainable Development – 02.96.94.52.22
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