Yorkshire’s first gin bar and distillery to open at Hull’s £80m Fruit Market

Yorkshire’s first gin bar and distillery is set to join the lineup at Hull’s Fruit Market, which is undergoing an £80m transformation.

Owners Lee Kirman and Charlotte Bailey are are investing £160k in Humber Street Distillery Co, with £50k going on a bespoke, 150-litre gin still which is being imported from Germany.

The new venue will create up to eight full and part-time jobs.

Set to open next month in Humber Street, the bar will install the still in August when the owners begin producing their own brand of fruit-flavoured gin in tribute to the venue’s location.

Humber Street Distillery Co is the latest investment as part of the rejuvenation of the Fruit Market being delivered by Wykeland Beal, the joint venture company formed by regeneration company Wykeland Group and housebuilder Beal Homes, working in partnership with Hull City Council.

The owners also rejuvenated the nearby Minerva pub.

Mr Kirman said: “We took 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 knew we could make a real success of it because gin is seeing such a resurgence in popularity. We stock around 50 varieties of gin at The Minerva and they go down really well with our customers. Our first gin festival last October was also a great success.

“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.

“The Fruit Market area is seeing massive regeneration and investment and we felt the time was right to bring our new business venture to fruition. We feel it will fit in perfectly as part of the growing community of independent businesses in Humber Street.”

The 1,800 sq ft venue has been designed by DEN Group, the company that designed 1884 Dock Street Kitchen, which is also part of the Fruit Market rejuvenation.

The bar’s still to be installed on display behind a glass wall in the bar area so customers can see the gin being produced. The owners say it will have a “speakeasy style”, with oak-panelled walls and leather seating, and feature historic photographs of Humber Street. It will also have a heated outdoor seating area.

Around 100 different varieties of gin, spirits, local and international craft beers and bespoke cocktails will be on offer. Food offerings will include gourmet bar snacks and sharing platters.

The bar will be managed by Craig Heads, former manager of the bar and restaurant The Old House, in Hull’s Old Town, and will be open initially from Tuesday to Sunday, 12 noon to 11pm.

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.

Tom Watson, development surveyor at Wykeland Group, said: “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 uses in and around Humber Street.

“Lee and Charlotte have played a key part in making the Fruit Market a great place to visit through their success at the helm of The Minerva and we’re delighted to have worked with them to enable them to expand their business with such an exciting venture.

“It will bring something new to the Fruit Market that you can’t find anywhere else for many miles around and will add to the area’s growing appeal as a destination for local people and visitors alike.”

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