What did you do before creating Withers Gin? I have been in the retail industry since I was 18 years old. At just 19, I became a manager at Toys R Us, where I enjoyed a successful career until the birth of my daughter, Caitie, in 2010. In 2011, I joined The Watches of Switzerland Group as the Branch Manager of the flagship Rolex showroom in Leicester. I found great joy in working with luxury watches and jewellery, as it was incredibly fulfilling to meet so many fascinating individuals and become part of their stories. In November 2021, I made the decision to leave The Watches of Switzerland Group to focus on our gin business full-time. I want to give a special shout-out to my husband, Bri, who provided me with the confidence and support to make such a significant change. He is my rock and the backbone of Withers Gin; we wouldn't be where we are today without his unwavering support, belief, and strength!
What made you decide to create your gin, and what’s the inspiration behind it? My passion for gin was ignited a very long time ago. I was an early collector and turned my obsession into a very expensive hobby. Collecting gin is a bit like trying to fill a bath whilst the plug is out...! I did a little blogging for a while and found my niche on Instagram. I hatched the plan to create a gin while on the Eurostar on the way home from a business trip to Paris in Autumn 2017. Over the next 7 days I spent every spare second creating a thorough business plan. I registered Gin Shed Limited the following week and had a gin shed built in our garden. I then set about creating our first gin. The rest is history. Can you tell us more about the distillery and distillation process? Withers Gin was initially a side hustle intended to raise money for Cancer Charities, as such our early batches were made at a small distillery in the East Midlands. Our Distillery was initially founded in 2021. We invested in 2022 in order to move Withers Gin production to Derby and latterly built Withers Gin School. - you can now book online. The distillation process commences with the meticulous weighing of our botanicals, which are subsequently combined with 96% neutral grain spirit and pure water in the still. This mixture is then heated, transforming the liquid into vapour that travels through a water-cooled condenser, where it is reverted to liquid form. The distillation is categorised into three segments: the heads, the hearts, and the tails. We exclusively utilise the hearts for our gin, which are then blended with pure water to achieve the desired alcohol content.
What have been the biggest challenges and achievements so far? It’s fair to say that we’ve had a challenge or two. My father, Gus Crockatt died from pancreatic cancer in May 2018 having battled the disease for 20 months. This is the driving force behind our commitment to raise money to support cancer charities. Immediately following Dad’s death, I developed inflammatory arthritis in my right hip resulting in a full hip replacement in April 2019 and a 6 month spell on crutches. Countless bottle dramas gave us plenty of sleepless nights and resulted in at least three major redesigns. This was all before we launched! Our major achievements to date are:
What has been your favourite story from your journey so far? On the 6th of January 2020 we distilled the first ever commercial batch of G1 and three quarters of the way through the distillation, at roughly the point where we realised that G1 was amazing, a beautiful butterfly appeared out of nowhere. I will admit to having my own ‘moment’. It felt really significant and like a sign of approval. Apparently when a butterfly crosses your path it means you should embrace all changes that are about to come into your life... A butterfly is a symbol of happiness and good luck that will follow you in the future. Yup, I’ll take that - I reckon we deserve a bit of good fortune.
What are your favourite ways to drink your gins?
I love G1 or G Force in a big glass with one or two huge ice cubes, Fever-Tree Naturally Light Tonic, a heartsease flower, a thin squiggle of grapefruit zest and a hot sunny day! My serious lack of green fingers, the great British weather and working flat-out means that I often manage just the tonic and grapefruit zest. I’m also a big fan of a proper Martini. 60ml G1, 30ml extra dry vermouth and a dash of orange bitters, served REALLY cold in a frozen glass with a twist of lemon zest. Which other gins would you always have on your gin shelf? Outside of our G1 and 47% ABV G Force gins, my all time favourite is Harris Gin. I watched the documentary in 2017 and was hooked. I think the bottle is gorgeous and I absolutely love it with the sugar kelp aromatic water and a plump slice of pink grapefruit. Other strong contenders are Tanqueray 10 Gin and Sipsmith VJOP. What’s next for Withers Gin - any exciting plans? There is plenty of excitement ahead, we have an incredibly busy events calendar supporting around 170 event days each year, we’re dedicated to engaging with our community and sharing our passion for exceptional gin. Having established ourselves in the Derby area over the past five years, we’re now eager to partner with more premium bars, restaurants, and establishments across Derbyshire, the Midlands and beyond as premium venues increasingly seek high-quality locally sourced spirits. We’re also planning more immersive tasting events, allowing people to experience our gin first-hand while sharing our unique stories and love for this wonderful spirit. Who knows, some of these tales might even inspire a new chapter in our journey! Additionally, we’re exploring international markets to fuel our next phase of growth, connecting with new audiences and spreading the Withers Gin experience to gin enthusiasts worldwide. The beauty of being a small family business is we can turn on a dime and grab opportunities as they present themselves without extensive debate. Quite literally anything is possible! You Might Also Like...
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