A former brewer who began her whisky career giving tours around Islay’s Bruichladdich Distillery as an 18-year-old has returned to the Islay producer to become its first female Assistant Blender.
Lisa Matthews, 33, who will work closely with Bruichladdich Distillery’s Master Blender, Adam Hannett, has been appointed after an eight-year career spanning brewing, gin production and whisky distilling, returning to the Hebridean distillery where she first discovered the industry in which she would eventually build her career.
Matthews, who grew up in Port Ellen, says her appointment as Assistant Blender represents a full-circle moment, having grown up surrounded by whisky before leaving the island to study brewing and distilling, becoming Scotland’s youngest female brewer, and working across some of Scotland’s best-known distilleries before returning home.
Matthews was born in Glasgow before moving to Islay with her family when she was seven. Growing up beside the island’s distilleries, whisky formed the backdrop to everyday life. Her grandfather cut peat for one distiller, while the family home sat close to a distillery. .
“We’d walk to school and the smell of malt was always in the air,” she said. “When I was younger I’d think, ‘That stinks.’ Now it’s one of my favourite smells in the world.”
Despite growing up surrounded by Scotland’s best-known export, she says whisky was rarely discussed as a career while she was at school. She is proud to be the first woman to join the Bruichladdich distilling team, and hopes it will encourage more young girls on Islay to follow in her footsteps into the industry.
She said: “There wasn’t much focus on the opportunities sitting right on our doorstep.I loved biology and science, and when I look back now I’m surprised we never really explored the science behind brewing and distilling. That’s something I’d love to help change.
“If seeing me in this role encourages one young girl to think she could do this too, then that’s something I’ll be incredibly proud of.”
Matthews first worked at Bruichladdich as a seasonal tour guide after leaving school, encouraged by her father, who worked in the distillery’s bottling hall. At the time, however, she never imagined a future in production.
“It’s a cliche, but if you don’t see it, you can’t be it,” she said. “The women I saw were mostly in visitor experience or office roles – so that’s what I wanted to do. It genuinely never crossed my mind that I could become a distiller.”
Instead, she left Islay to study applied science before almost pursuing careers in forensics and pharmacology. It was a place on Heriot-Watt University’s Brewing and Distilling degree that changed everything.
“Pharmacology felt like the sensible option,” she said. “Brewing and distilling was the wild card, but I just had a gut feeling.”
After graduating she joined Harviestoun Brewery, near Stirling, where she became Scotland’s youngest female brewer and created her own award-winning IPA recipe before moving into distilling with Stirling Distillery and later Ardgowan Distillery. Ironically, however, she admits whisky was not her first love.
“I actually developed a palate for beer and gin long before whisky,” she laughed. “It was only after working in distilleries, spending time in warehouses and talking to people who were passionate about whisky every day that I really fell in love with it.”
At 30, Matthews felt drawn back to Islay, returning first to a non production role at Diageo’s Caol Ila Distillery before joining the revived Port Ellen Distillery, where she helped produce its first new spirit in decades.
She rejoined Bruichladdich in 2025 in a production administration role after approaching the distillery despite there being no production vacancies.
Working closely with Master Blender Adam Hannett, who also began at the distillery as a tour guide, she gradually became involved in cask selection, sensory analysis, new product development and blending projects before earning her promotion.
Matthews says that willingness to develop people from within is one of the reasons Bruichladdich continues to stand apart.
“I knew if I could get through the door, there would be opportunities to learn,” she said. “Everybody mucks in here. It doesn’t matter what your job title is – people help each other, they share knowledge and they want to see you grow.
“I feel incredibly lucky to be joining the production team at a time when opportunities like this are becoming increasingly rare,” she said.
“Bruichladdich has always believed in doing things differently, and I want to play my part in helping that continue. I’ve only just started.”
She now hopes to continue building her experience with the long-term ambition of one day following in Hannet’s footsteps by becoming a head distiller.
She said: “I’d love to become a head distiller one day, but you earn your stripes in this industry, and that takes time. Adam has shown what it takes to do it, and that’s a huge inspiration for me. There’s nobody I’d rather learn from, and one day I’d love to lead a team in the same way he does.”
Hannett explained Matthews had earned the appointment through her curiosity, technical ability and determination to keep learning.
He said: “Lisa has built an impressive career by continually pushing herself and embracing every opportunity to learn. She combines a strong scientific understanding with genuine creativity and curiosity, and she’s already making an important contribution to the distillery. We’re delighted to welcome her into the production team and excited to see where her journey takes her.”
This year, Bruichladdich celebrates the 25th anniversary of its reopening under new owners Mark Reynier and Simon Coughlin. The distillery has since built its reputation not only on progressive whisky-making, but on developing people. Rather than looking elsewhere for talent, the distillery invested in building careers on Islay, creating opportunities for local people to grow into specialist production roles. Today, employing more than 100 people, it is the island’s largest private employer.
For more on careers at Bruichladdich Distillery, visit bruichladdich.com.
