A NORTH Yorkshire town is in good spirits after a the opening of a new shop specialising in single malt whisky, assorted gins and craft beers

McMillans on Market Street, Malton, is the latest in a number of shops which are forming part of the town's resurgence as the food and drink capital of Yorkshire.

Owner Jim McMillan, a former teacher who also runs the Hunmanby Pantry delicatessen, said that there was a gap in the local market for quality spirits.

"We felt there's lots of nice shops around doing some fine wines, a good wholesalers, and people doing little bits of everything, but we just thought this was a niche in the market; nice gins, single malt whiskys and craft beers all in the one place," he said.

The shop features a range of Speyside, highland, Islay and lowland malts with a number of "cask finishes", as well as various gins and beer from local brewers such as Bad Seed in Malton.

Mr McMillan added that interest had been high in the first week.

"We've had lots of people coming in, and we've had good support from lots of local traders. We feel it's in the right place," he said.