Ian Melville - Portfolio Director

Ian began his career in the hospitality industry as a kitchen porter during his early teens in Oban; and has never looked back. Studying Business Law And Marketing at Strathclyde University brought this Glasgow boy back into the fold from the countryside where he fell in love with the on trade whilst completing university.

During a brief two year stint out of the on-trade (still pulling weekend shifts) he built his commercial experience whilst working in oil and gas recruitment before returning to the hospitality industry as BDM for Hi-spirits (Sazerac) on the East Coast of Scotland.

Ian then began a four year regional management stint; looking after the North East of England and Scotland, where he was responsible for the regional growth of over 60 brands; brands from multi award winning distilleries such as Buffalo Trace and Fratelli Branca Distillerie.

Ian balances his working life with time spent with his two children and partner; who have supported this move into the most exciting challenge to date; he loves to play basketball, loves his snapbacks and is passionate about music, film and being outside.

As the Portfolio Director of Base Spirits Collective, Ian relishes the challenge of building something from the ground up with such an amazing group of people; who together have such length and breadth of diverse experience in the drinks industry.