Businessman and former chairman of Teachers whisky. An appreciation

A POPULAR and modest businessman with many friends all over the world, John Jamieson Blanche OBE, who has died aged 87, spent his career in the wine and whisky industry and rose to be chairman of Teachers whisky and on the board of Allied Lyons.

He attended Glasgow Academy and Strathallan School and qualified as a chartered accountant in 1952. There then followed two years of national service, which was spent mainly at the Army HQ in Germany as a commissioned officer in the Royal Corps of Signals.

Following his discharge from the army, he went into his father’s family business, Baileys, a chain of licensed grocers across central Scotland. In 1959 he married Fiona (nee Gordon) and set up home in Pollokshields.

When John’s father decided to retire, he sold the business but remained with the company when it was acquired by Allied Breweries in 1960. Nine years were spent in the retail wine trade developing the Victoria Wine chain of shops, followed by ten years in the small Scotch Whisky Company, Stewart’s of Dundee, producers of Stewarts Cream of the Barley.

The following ten years after that were spent as chairman of William Teacher & Sons, joined later by the Ballantine brand acquired through the acquisition of the Canadian company Hiram Walker who had a large distillery in Dumbarton. The size of their Scotch Whisky business had grown from very small beginnings to be the second largest in the industry. John served on the main board of the group, by now called Allied Lyons incorporating the J Lyon food businesses in UK, Europe, USA and South America, until his retirement in 1989. John was awarded an OBE in 1992.

In earlier years John was a very enthusiastic member of Glasgow Junior Chamber and was chairman in the late sixties. He was elected a senator of Junior Chamber International for his worldwide work in international relationships.

As a Maltman, he was a member of the Trades House of Glasgow and held the office of deacon convenor in 1989/90.

For some years after his retirement he served on several bodies including Food from Britain Council, NHS Scotland and two financial companies. He was for several years a governor of Strathallan School.

Proud of his family’s Shetland roots, he wrote a book outlining his family’s connections with the Shetland Isles. His hobbies were reading, travel and current affairs. In fact, he had several letters on the subject published in this newspaper. He was a member of two golf clubs at the time of his death and had donated a cup for mature golfers to be played over Western Gailes.

John was a most gracious host and any visitor to his and Fiona’s home in Boquhan was treated to a selection of the finest wines and latterly to a sampling of his own blend of ten single malt whiskies.

John is survived by his wife Fiona, son Graham, daughter Nicola and grandsons, Richard and Edward.

ROBIN JOHNSTON AND DOREEN BLANCHE