Hotham’s gin school expands into Leeds

Emma Kinton, co-founder of Hotham's in Hull

Currently based in Hull, Hotham’s is opening Hotham’s Gin School Leeds in November.

It will offer guests the chance to learn all about gin, and to distil their very own bottle of handcrafted gin.

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’ll now be able to offer 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 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.

Mr Pownall, a former pupil of Cookridge Primary School in Leeds, said that he was excited at the prospect of being back in the city and that, “each guest will spend time with our distiller to make sure everyone makes a delicious gin - and there’ll also be plenty of our own Hotham’s Gin to sample too.”

Hotham’s has won a number of awards since opening in July 2018, including a Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Award; the Garbutt + Elliott 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 shortlisted for four awards at the White Rose Awards next month.

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 their small upstairs bar.

This includes Viola Gin, a series of special edition gins distilled and sold by Hotham’s to raise funds for the Viola Trust, a local charity aiming to bring the historic steam trawler back to her home in Yorkshire.

Ms Kinton said: “Our Leeds venue gives us so much more room to host corporate events, Christmas parties, and more besides.

“We just need to negotiate the strict licensing permissions and refit the premises, but we are confident that we will open in time for Christmas.”