Max Vaughan
Founder
With a life-long passion for whisky inherited from his Dad, Max wanted to build a distillery to produce authentic English whisky and establish a destination to celebrate the craft of distilling. Seven years down the road, White Peak is established, the first whisky has come of age, and Max heads up a growing team of 12.
Max’s White Peak drink of choice is of course Wire Works Caduro Whisky, neat, full-on strength, no ice.
Claire Vaughan
Founder
After 20 years as a teacher, Claire re-trained as an interior designer, whilst developing an interest and passion for whisky. She has lived and breathed the Distillery alongside Max from the outset, driving the White Peak vision of becoming Derbyshire’s very first craft Distillery. Claire takes care of the White Peak brand, packaging design and visitor experiences, alongside the many other things that come with growing a start-up business.
Claire’s favourite White Peak spirit is our Wire Works Over Smoke Whisky. Neat, no ice.
Dave Symes
Distillery Manager
Originally from Derbyshire, Dave found his passion for distilling via a degree in physics, followed by several years working in a local pub and micro-brewery. Having joined the business in Feb 2018, Dave has been a key part of the team for every drop of whisky we’ve ever made, and oversees the production of all our spirits. He’s also currently working on his Diploma in Brewing and Distilling with the IDB.
Dave’s favourite White Peak tipple is our Wire Works Alter Ego Whisky, enjoyed neat.
Sarah Mangan
Distiller
After a career in health and safety, Sarah studied distilling theory with the IBD. She’s now been learning the craft hands-on with us since mid-2021. Sarah’s a real whisky lover and collector, and she’s passionate about making it too – she’s always saying that being a distiller is the best job in the world.
Sarah particularly enjoys a neat Wire Works Whisky, in a good chunky, weighty whisky glass.
Caine Scott-Mullen
Regional Sales, Events and Distillery Tours
Caine’s a friend who’s supported White Peak from the beginning, being there at events and spreading the White Peak word. He’s passionate about what we’re doing, about whisky, and about enjoying a good drink in general. Caine looks after our trade customers across Derbyshire and the Peak District, as well as helping to develop new products and leading tours for our visitors.
Caine likes our Bakewell Pud Gin, shaken into a Bakewell Sour cocktail.
Beth Ault
Accounts and Operations Manager
Beth works closely with Max and Claire to manage the finances and the business operations behind the scenes at the Distillery. Beth makes sure nothing falls through the cracks and that we’re all squared away with HMRC.
Beth is partial to our 1876 single malt cocktail over ice.
Tom Lindsey
Whisky Ambassador
Tom has recently joined the White Peak team as Whisky Ambassador after being a longstanding supporter of the Distillery since the early days. Tom previously volunteered a lot of his time to help out in the Still House, learning about White Peak’s approach to whisky-making, and now looks after our wood program and cask inventory, while building relationships with the whisky community.
Tom’s White Peak favourite is our Wire Works Whisky (obviously). It has to be neat, in a nosing glass.
Chester
White Peak Ambassador
Chester has been a fundamental part of the White Peak journey from day one. Chester spends most of his day helping out the team in the Bunker. His strengths involve strong emotional support, particularly during our weekly staff briefing and letting us know the courier has arrived. He likes to dabble in customer service now and again, and pops over to say hello to visitors.
Favourite White Peak snack is definitely an apple core, of which he eats many!
Emma Simpkin
Retail and Customer Service Manager
Emma manages our Distillery Shop and our online orders. She’s the main point of contact for our customers, answering enquiries and welcoming people to the shop and on tours. With her background in administration and hospitality, she provides a warm welcome and keeps our retail space well organised.
Emma’s favourite White Peak spirit is our Spiced Gin, with a premium tonic and a slice of red grapefruit
Ryan Coutts
Warehouse and Packaging
Ryan helps get all our spirits bottled, labelled and ready to leave the warehouse, along with plenty of other jobs. He’s proud to have raised over 25K for the Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre at the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham!
Ryan enjoys a Shining Cliff Citrus Gin with lemonade.
Robin Oxley
Distillery Assistant
Robin supports our distilling team and keeps everything in good order around the still house. Skilled in taxidermy and blacksmithing, Robin brings plenty of creativity and initiative to everything he does.
He’s a whisky fan, and his favourite Wire Works release is Caduro, which he enjoys neat.
Dan Wells-Turner
Warehouse and Packaging
Dan’s a key part of the still house team, bottling and labelling spirits and keeping the warehouse running smoothly.
He’s a drummer and has played in bands for 8 years, and he enjoys going to live gigs and festivals.
His favourite White Peak drink is a cask aged rum with ice and coke, or the citrus gin served with lemonade.