McCallum will be supported by a 15-strong blending team – with 400 years’ combined experience – dedicated to batch producing its premium Scottish Leader blends.

McCallum said: “Being at the forefront of such a forward-thinking brand is really refreshing. The collaborative approach will allow us to excel in producing the unique, quality blends that Scottish Leader is known for, while also creating the opportunity for the brand to innovate as part of its journey in the future and to attract new audiences.”

Michael Lloyd, global marketing manager for Scottish Leader, added: “This change is timely as it allows us to further embrace our ‘new perspectives’ ethos and move away from the heritage-driven requirement to have a Master Blender in order to evoke authenticity.

“Having entered an extremely established market, Scottish Leader is an unapologetically young brand, that aims to challenge tradition and break the mould.”