LANDIS — An all-grain, family-owned distillery that brings premium craft spirits to Saskatchewan is being produced at a business near Landis.
Hudson Bay Distillers is owned and operated by COO Tim Karchut, CFO Kim Karchut, CEO Cavrin Karchut, social media co-ordinator Jessica Chimm, administration and marketing specialist Kelli Karchut and Joel Foster, who looks after operations and maintenance.
Their website states, “With an eccentric past, extraordinary passion and endless perseverance, the Karchut family set their sights on becoming Saskatchewan craft distillers, with the goal of creating a stable life for the family and future generations.”
Kim Karchut, says, “As a family, we were looking for an opportunity that would allow us to stop working on the road.”
Those attending the weekly farmers market in Unity soon discovered this new business.
The original plan was to build the distillery in Hudson Bay where the family lived since 1995. However, zoning issues forced a location change and they relocated to a farm owned by Kim’s grandfather. Kim is a co-founder of the company. Rebranding costs resulted in them sticking with the same name of Hudson Bay Distillers.
Their website states their exclusive grain supplier is Wheaton Farms with generation of farming experience and accolades, they set the standard for great neighbours. Spent grain mash goes to their pasture-raised pigs, with everything they cannot eat cultivated into soil as fertilizer.
Currently the business has five employees.
“As a Saskatchewan business, we support local in a variety of ways. Our grain and pulse crops are all locally grown and bought. We use a local courier to deliver our products and have all of our mechanical and welding done locally. We support many non-profit events and purchase anything we can locally,” says Kim.
The Anvia spirit line is named after two grandchildren, a combination of their names Anders and Octavia. Karchut says they name all of their products after something that is special to their family.
