A school with a difference is now open in Leeds as the couple behind a multi-award-winning Yorkshire distillery bring their luxury Gin School experience to Leeds this month.
Originally based in Hull, Hotham’s Ltd have opened Hotham’s Gin School in Leeds’ Victoria Quarter, and offers gin-loving guests the chance to learn all about gin, and to distil their very own bottle of handcrafted gin, under the guidance of the head distiller.
Co-founders Emma Kinton and Simon Pownall said, “Our Hull-based Gin School has been so popular, with groups of around 20 people joining us every Saturday, and we’ve already had a big uptake from the people of Leeds. We’re now offering more guests more choice, with two venues offering the same high-end experience that we’ve been delivering in Hull for the past 18 months.”
Guests attending the quirky school will learn all about the history of gin and different methods of distillation. They will also have the chance to try up to 100 different botanicals used in gin making, choosing their favourites to distil themselves on tiny copper stills - all named after people with a connection with either Leeds or Hotham’s.
Simon, himself a former pupil of Cookridge Primary School, said that he was excited at the prospect of being back in Leeds and that, “each guest will spend time with our distiller to make sure everyone makes a delicious gin. There’ll also be plenty of our own award-winning Hotham’s Gin to sample too, and our brand new Leeds Dry Gin - a small-batch gin distilled right here in the heart of Leeds.”
Hotham’s Ltd has won an array of prestigious awards since their opening in July 2018, including ‘Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Award’ for ‘Remarkable Food Experience 2019’; the Garbutt + Elliott/Deliciouslyorkshire ’Taste of Yorkshire Award’ and more recently, a Silver Medal in the International Wine and Spirit Competition 2019 for Hotham’s Cardamom Gin. They are also four times winners in the coveted White Rose Awards 2020, scooping Gold for ‘Yorkshire’s Experience of the Year’, Silvers for ‘New Tourism Business’ and ‘Small Visitor Attraction’, and Bronze for the ‘Producers and Makers Award’.
Guests at Hotham’s Gin School will also be able to sample and buy the range of Hotham’s spirits to take away, or to drink on-site at ‘The Bar Upstairs’, an intimate bar specialising in Hotham’s own-distilled spirits and a range of the best Yorkshire beers, ciders, spirits and soft drinks.
Emma said: “Our Leeds venue gives us so much more room to host corporate events, Christmas parties, and more besides. We’ve already hosted a number of events for both large and small companies, and we’ve received excellent feedback. Our corporate guests have really appreciated the attention to detail and our commitment to providing an excellent - and memorable - experience for their staff and their clients.”
In addition to regular weekend Gin School sessions, Hotham’s will be hosting regular collaborations with local groups and businesses, including a monthly ‘Gin and Games’ night, and business networking events.
To find out more about Hotham’s go to GinSchoolLeeds.co.uk or follow them on social media at @LeedsGinSchool
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