Gin bar and distillery set to launch
A gin bar and distillery with more than 100 types of the spirit is set to launch at Hull’s fruit market.
Owners Lee Kirman and Charlotte Bailey have invested £160,000 in setting up the Humber Street Distillery Co with £50,000 allocated for a bespoke 150-litre gin still.
The bar will open next month on Humber Street, creating 8 jobs.
The 1,800 sq ft venue has been designed by East Yorkshire-based DEN Group, the company that designed the award-winning 1884 Dock Street Kitchen.
The owners have renovated the nearby Minerva pub, and the new venture follows the success of two Minerva Gin Festivals in the past year
The Humber Street Distillery Co will open on Saturday, April 15, to coincide with the latest event.
Kirman said: “We took inspiration from bars in cities such as London and Edinburgh, but wanted to take it a step further by distilling our own gin on the premises.
“We knew we could make a real success of it because gin is seeing such a resurgence in popularity. We stock around 50 varieties of gin at The Minerva and they go down really well with our customers. Our first gin festival last October was also a great success.
“We approached Wykeland Beal about opportunities in the Fruit Market and they have been really positive and supportive. We felt they really understood the concept and wanted us to be part of the exciting rebirth of Humber Street.
“The Fruit Market area is seeing massive regeneration and investment and we felt the time was right to bring our new business venture to fruition. We feel it will fit in perfectly as part of the growing community of independent businesses in Humber Street.”
Humber Street Distillery Co is the latest investment as part of the £80 regeneration of the Fruit Market being delivered by Wykeland Beal, the joint venture company formed by regeneration company Wykeland Group and housebuilder Beal Homes, working in partnership with Hull City Council.
Humber Street Distillery Co joins restaurants Ambiente Tapas, Butler Whites and Tapasya @ Marina; artisan chocolatier Cocoa Chocolatier and Patisserie; Humber Street Gallery; and vintage fashion brand Poorboy Boutique in the area.
Tom Watson, development surveyor at Wykeland Group, said: “Humber Street Distillery Co is another great independent and distinctive addition to the Fruit Market, adding to the rich and diverse mix of leisure, retail, creative and cultural uses in and around Humber Street.
“It will bring something new to the Fruit Market that you can’t find anywhere else for many miles around and will add to the area’s growing appeal as a destination for local people and visitors alike.”
The bar will be managed by Craig Heads, former manager of the bar and restaurant The Old House, in Hull’s Old Town, and will be open initially from Tuesday to Sunday, 12 noon to 11pm.
