Wykeland Beal has announced that Yorkshire’s first gin bar and distillery, Humber Street Distillery Co., is to join Hull’s rapidly-evolving Fruit Market. The 1,800 sq ft site is set to house a bespoke 150-litre gin still and will open its bar element on April 15.
Owners Lee Kirman and Charlotte Bailey are investing £160,000 in Humber Street Distillery Co., which will create up to eight full and part time jobs. The gin still, which is being imported from Germany, is due to be installed in August, enabling the company to produce their own brand of fruit-flavoured gins.
The venue will be designed by East Yorkshire-based DEN Group and will feature an elegantly-decorated, speakeasy-style bar, with the still installed on display behind a glass wall. Around 100 different varieties of gin, will be on offer alongside local and international craft beers and bespoke cocktails. The menu will include gourmet bar snacks and sharing platters.
Once the distillery is fully launched, guests will be able to attend tasting sessions and master classes on the making of gin, as well as being able to distil their own product to take away in a personalised Fruit Market bottle.
Commenting on the news, Co-Owner, Lee Kirman, said: “We have taken 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 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.”
Tom Watson, Development Surveyor at Wykeland Group, added: “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 businesses in and around Humber Street.”
“It will bring something exciting and bespoke to the Fruit Market that you can’t find anywhere else for miles around and will add to the area’s growing appeal as a destination for both local people and visitors alike.”
Humber Street Distillery Co is the latest in a wave of recent investments into the Fruit Market, including high-quality restaurants Ambiente Tapas, Butler Whites, Tapasya @ Marina, Cocoa Chocolatier and Patisserie, Humber Street Gallery and vintage fashion brand, Poorboy Boutique.
The £80m transformation of the Fruit Market as Hull’s first “urban village” includes new and refurbished commercial, retail and leisure space centred on Humber Street. The commercial units will be complemented by a development of 101 new mews-style homes around private courtyards, due to start construction by the summer.