Fareham engineering company involved in world record breaking request

Fareham firm Mech Metrology, which makes measuring equipment and offers calibration services, usually supplies products to businesses in industries such as aerospace, defence, space and transport sectors.

So managing director Russ Johnstone, 58, from Fareham, was surprised by the ‘interesting and unusual request’ when he was approached by Rosewin Holdings, an investor in scotch whiskey.

The company was attempting to break the world record for creating the largest whiskey bottle and needed a way to prove the capacity of the bottle to the Guinness World Records organisation.

Russ along with Michelle Eadon, calibration engineer, devised a method to measure the 1.8m bottle, using water at a controlled temperature and high accuracy scales.

Russ said it took two hours to fill and accurately measure the capacity of the bottle.

He said: ‘We had to come up with a method, carry it out and then we certified it to say that we’d done it and done it properly. We also videoed it to show that we’d carried out the work, then marked the bottle with a line to indicate the 311 litres, which they had to duplicate back at the distillery with the whiskey.’

Although the company cannot take credit for the world record achievement themselves, Russ said it was great to be involved in such an interesting and at times, challenging, project.

He said: ‘It was a nice thing to be involved in, it’s a bit different to what we normally do. I think the bottle will be auctioned off to charity so it’s nice that we could be involved in that.’

After delays due to the pandemic, the official record attempt took place on Thursday, September 9 at the Duncan Taylor Scotch Whiskey headquarters in Scotland.

The 311 litre bottle was filled with 32-year-old Macallan single malt whiskey and was approved by the Guinness World Record adjudicator.

The project has become known as The Intrepid, due to its association with 11 leaders in exploration. Pictures of the 11 explorers were featured on the bottle label, which aims to promote their causes and upcoming expeditions.

Mech Metrology was established more than 20 years ago to satisfy the increasing needs in the manufacturing and engineering industries, and exports to more than 20 countries.

Based in Fareham Enterprise Centre in Hackett Way, Mech Metrology has recently expanded its laboratory space and also taken on apprentices.