Masons distillery to reopen after fire ‘destroyed everything’

English producer Masons Yorkshire Gin will open its new distillery in 2020 after a fire gutted the original site earlier this year.

Masons Yorkshire Gin founders Karl and Cathy Mason

The original Masons Gin distillery went up in flames on 2 April, destroying everything.

A 24-hour emergency contingency plan was put into action and as a result, production of Masons Yorkshire Gin was able to continue.

The new distillery will be based just outside of the original Bedale site at a purpose-built unit on Leeming Bar industrial estate, north Yorkshire.

The distillery will cover 12,368 sq ft and feature an open-plan layout with production, bottling and offices all in the same building. After its initial opening, members of the public will be invited to visit the distillery at a later date in 2020.

Karl Mason, co-founder and director of Masons Yorkshire Gin, 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.

“The most important things for us immediately after the fire were the safety of the staff and the continuation of our business.

“We built this business on love and care, and that was incredibly important to us throughout sourcing our contingency plans.”

Mason co-founded Masons Yorkshire Gin in 2013 with his wife, Cathy Mason. The brand produces more than 400,000 bottles of gin per year.