Manchester Gin to build city centre distillery

English spirit brand Manchester Gin has unveiled plans to open a new distillery in the heart of its namesake city.

Manchester Gin will take over six railway arches beneath events space Manchester Central

Based in Watson Street in the city, the distillery will sit directly underneath conference and events venue Manchester Central in six grade II-listed railway archways.

Seb Heeley, co-founder of Manchester Gin, said: “It’s been an ambition of ours, since we started in our dining room, to give people the ability to come and meet us and see how we make our beautiful gins in person.

“The arches under Manchester Central will be the perfect mix of the old industrial heritage of Manchester with a contemporary look synonymous with our brand.”

The development of the site hopes to bring “life to an area of the city that has long been forgotten”.

Manchester Gin’s interior design concepts take cues from the brand’s Mancunian heritage, its core brand values and the inspiration behind its gin.

To open up the space, three of the six arches will have floor to ceiling glass windows – permitting passers-by to see into the working distillery.

Manchester Gin’s new distillery will cover 5,300 square feet, allowing the brand to start creating gin in a new 1,000-litre still – dubbed Wonder Wend. Plans for the distillery also include a bar and restaurant.

Shaun Hinds, chief executive of Manchester Central, said: “Since joining the business 18 months ago, I’ve been looking for the right opportunity to activate our arches and reinvigorate this part of the venue.

“In getting to know Seb and Jen [Wiggins] from Manchester Gin, I have been impressed with their vision for their business, which in many ways matches the ambition of Manchester Central and the city as a whole.”

The new distillery promises to bring visitors into central Manchester and to encourage new business in the area. The site will bring more than 30 jobs to the area, including positions in the back office and hospitality.

Subject to planning approval, the venue will launch in the summer.