The months of April and May often bring some of the best weather our island home has to offer and we’re finding some normality in the spring sunshine and back-to-back blue skies we’ve been enjoying of late here in Harris.
However, as it does for many around the world, the summer of 2020 looks very different. And like you, we’re finding new ways to spend our days from accomplishing at-home workouts to enjoying freshly baked banana bread.
Now six weeks into lockdown life we thought that over the coming weeks we’d share how some of the team who continue to work safely on site or at home are adjusting to their new normal.
While we have twenty-two on furlough leave, thirteen men and women endeavour to keep the distillery running. As International Brand Development Manager Rachel points out…
‘Day to day there’s still plenty to do, albeit sometimes at differing paces.’
And now it seems our distillery value of ‘Life Takes Time’ has become ever more relevant as Rachel continues…
‘It’s becoming increasingly easy to enjoy the suspended moments between one task and the next or even wait the suggested whole four minutes for my coffee to brew… something I would never have asked of my patience before.’
Our sense of time has changed greatly in these past few weeks and perhaps remembering to pause and enjoy simple day to day moments is something we can all take from these months of living and working at home.
While Rachel stays in touch with our international partners from Canada to France and Germany, there’s also a new normal for the small team working safely within the distillery as Operations Manager, John, tells us…
‘It’s strange not having everyone around and to think that this time last year we would have had many guests milling about. The worst thing is scaring one another when walking around an empty, quiet distillery… I’m thinking of getting bells for us!’
Managing a team of just four, John’s working day now partly involves preparing packaging for online orders with Malcolm who explains…
‘Due to social distancing working as a team can be difficult but with good communication and separate working areas, we’ve done our best to make it work.’
John’s also ensuring our island gin is distilled as required between distilling team Kenny, Donnie and Norman Ian, to ship from our island shores.
And when we’re not all busy ticking off our individual to-do lists, we ensure the time is taken to remain connected.
We gather with the wider team twice a week and toast every Friday with a virtual Isle of Harris Gin, it’s safe to say the Harris spirit remains strong.
As we embrace our new normal, we’re confident we will all emerge stronger, it just might take a little time.