THE owners of Masons Yorkshire Gin, which suffered the loss of its only distillery after a fire ripped through it, have revealed they are to open a new site.
Karl and Cathy Mason were left counting the costs when their factory in Aiskew, near Bedale, went up in flames and left completely destroyed in April.
The Masons, who founded their firm in 2013, said they had been producing almost half a million bottles of gin each year and that business was growing at the time of the fire.
Within 24 hours, the firm's team were gathered round Mr and Mrs Mason's dining table, drawing up contingency plans to minimise disruption.
The fire at the scene near Bedale
To continue to supply the demand, distilleries across the country were used to create Masons Yorkshire Gin, which the firm said did not disrupt production.
On Monday, Mr and Mrs Mason said they were gearing up to open their new distillery in an announcement confirming a return to in-house production.
The pair said a brand new and purpose-built distillery on the Leeming Bar Industrial Estate, just outside of Bedale, was expected to open in early 2020.
The new site will open in early 2020
The open-plan site, which will house production, bottling and offices, is reportedly future-proofed against increased capacity to help meet "growth plans."
Last night, Mr Mason said: "It goes without saying that without the incredible response from the fire department and the support we have received from our staff, community and our industry colleagues, we would not be in the fortunate position we are in today.
"When re-creating our distillery, it was essential we kept everything under one roof.
"We built our brand by working closely with our team, so we can’t wait to have everyone back together.”
The announcement came as the firm took home 'Best Spirit Award' for its Original Gin at the 2019 Deliciously Yorkshire Awards earlier this week.
At the awards, the drink won Best Spirits category beating contenders from Harrogate Gin, Whitby Gin and York Gin.
Mr Mason said: "It is safe to say we have had an unusual year so far. This award means the world to us and it’s wonderful to be continually recognised for the quality of our gin.
"Every other business shortlisted in our category are all fantastic and it’s brilliant to see that we have such a strong reputation for quality gin here in Yorkshire.”
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