New gin bar for Radcliffe on Trent

Radcliffe on Trent micro-pub, the Yard of Ale has opened a gin bar within the same building.

The Yard of Ale was opened in September 2016, by husband and wife team Robert and Jackie Ellis, who were forced to re-think their strategy of expanding a business they had been running successfully for ten years called The Chocolate Box into a coffee and chocolate house, when the former site of a supermarket next door was taken over by a major coffee chain

In opening the new gin bar, Robert and Jackie are responding to the increase in demand for gin, which is enjoying a major resurgence in popularity. According to the Office for National Statistics says that the value of gin sold by manufacturers in the UK has almost doubled from £126m in 2009 to £239m in 2015.

The gin bar will be open on Friday and Saturday nights and will be called Yard of Ale with Gin within. As well as being publicly open at weekends, it can also be booked exclusively for hen nights and corporate entertainment, with Jackie planning a number of ticket only themed nights.

Robert said: “When we found out that the Chocolate Box business was going to be under threat from a major chain we looked at what the village needed. The pub next door had recently been turned into a supermarket so we realised that there was a gap in the market for a place with a cosy community feel in which people could gather and talk to each other. In opening the gin bar, we are meeting the demands of our customers as well as using all our available space to its full advantage.”

Jackie added: “Our cosy feel means that often total strangers end up talking to each other and sharing their views on their drink. This makes the “Yard of Ale and Gin within” a perfect venue for businesses who may wish to entertain their customers and get to know them better whilst tasting over 30 different gins.”

The Yard of Ale with Gin within is on Walkers Yard. It is a family business, with Jackie overseeing day to day operations whilst Robert, continues his full-time career as a PGA qualified golf professional at Newark Golf Club. They are helped by daughter Kathryn.