Durham Distillery is planning to relocate its Langley Park gin and whisky distilling business to a new facility and visitor centre in central Durham, having secured funding from Business Durham.
The new Durham site will accommodate greater production capacity and storage facilities. The new visitor centre will provide guided distillery tours and host private and corporate events.
Alongside fulfilling its innovative expansion plans, the funding will also support the launch of Durham Whisky, the North East’s first ever Whisky, which will be produced by Head Distiller, Jessica Tomlinson (pictured). The first bottles will be available for purchase in 2021, and customers can pre-order their bottles from the first batch distilled later this year.
Founded in 2014 by former NHS chief Jon Chadwick, Durham Gin is a small-batch craft distillery that creates spirits using a 400 litre copper pot. The company, which is now one of the region’s leading craft distillers, produces gin, vodka and gin-based liqueurs sold under the Durham Gin and Durham Vodka brands.
While the exact recipe remains a closely guarded secret, Durham Gin contains fresh water from a natural spring in County Durham and 10 separate botanicals, including floral flavours such as juniper, elderflower and pink peppercorn.
The company moved into its current Langley Park distillery in January 2014, selling its first bottle of Gin just one month later. It quickly secured shelf space in flagship stores across the North East and now supplies national retailers such as Fenwick and Majestic Wines.
The spirit market has enjoyed stellar growth as consumer tastes have shifted towards craft alcohol, favouring smaller, independent producers. Last year, sales of gin in the UK increased by 16%, equating to 43 million bottles sold across the country. The UK Gin market is now worth over £1bn and is expected to rise to £1.3bn by 2020.
