history to date

In 2018 Bond Street Distillery Ltd, founded by Sally Faulkner acquired the old Bond Street Glass premises in Hinckley Leicestershire. This old Victorian building was originally part of the Brocklehurst Hosiery Company built in the early 1900’s. This timeline shows the journey to bring Hinckley’s first gin distillery to life.

Drawing inspiration from our Victorian surroundings the team at Bond Street that our distillery not only produces fine gins but that we ensure our guests the best experience and service when they visit.

2018
Breaking Ground

Breaking ground on this old building was a feat in itself, understanding what would be staying and trying to work with the building and its history to preserve and reveal the beauty of this industrial gem.

Smashing stuff / Stripping out

The Stripping of the building begins to see what will need restoring and what can be saved. The building has not been loved for a while and it shows, with staircases held in by a couple of screws and dangerous asbestos that is exposed and broken, needing removal. Finding an old window behind a wall and uncovering the most beautiful gable roof has been an absolute delight. I have been told by someone who worked in that top floor during the 60’s that it was affectionately known as ‘The Crows Nest’ which seems like a great name for what will be an incredible venue space.

Sand blasting

Simon the sand blaster has been in – taking off a Hundred years of dirt, grime and layers of paint to reveal beautiful beams, bringing the gable roof and brickwork back to life and restoring the industrial feel to this amazing building.

Framework

Now to start designing how to showcase this building’s heritage and breathe life back into it, creating a whole new history as Hinckley’s first Gin Distillery. Finally all the smashing, ripping out and clearing of the modern debris and thousands of unidentifiable cables has finished and the first new stud walls are going up – following a successful interpretation of my ideas in to plan. It’s exciting to think that in a few months this place will be ‘The Bond Street Distillery’.

2019
New stairs/studwork

Local Builder Rob Deacon of Deacon Builders has taken on the task of the building work with Martin Elliot and Simon Bond from Elliot Bond Electrical all making this building safe, bringing it up to date and future proofing it. We have a Master carpenter Jim Nickerson travelling from Whitby (formally from Leicestershire) providing some of the necessary and important restoration to the older building and Plumber Chris Dewden re-establishing a water and heating system throughout. It feels really good that local tradesmen are onsite getting excited with me about this building. A good week as the custom made staircase was fitted in the Distillery area. It finally means that everyone can get up stairs safely, the building is changing slowly but surely.

Creating a flavour

The copper still which is being handmade should be ready to install in June. Testing has begun, offsite at 45 West in Leicester, for Bond Street’s Signature Gin with the help of Master Distiller Jamie Baxter from Craft Distilling Services.

Rendering/outside work

Outside has finally been cleared and the rubbish strewn carpark is finally looking like a carpark. The rendering on the outside has gone up and passers-by have started to show an interest in what we are doing.

Talk of the town

The Hinckley Times/Leicester Mercury have published a brief article about the plans for the building and this has caused a social media stir, having looked at the comments online it seems like people are excited about a new local Gin bar and Distillery coming to Hinckley. On another note the still has finally arrived in the UK and is being given the once over before delivery in June.

Windows

Some of the new windows supplied by local company ‘Phoenix Windows’ have gone in and ‘WOW’ what a difference they make to the building both inside and out, we are really breathing life back into this beautiful place. Work inside continues in earnest with second fix electrics even happening in some areas.

Exciting deliveries
The first spiral staircase is being fitted and we have to tell you it’s looking gorgeous, Boss stairs have done us proud. Pete, Leon and the team have been busy – we know that people will enjoy this walk upstairs!
Some days you just need a bit of light and as they arrive Simon and Martin are definitely getting them working.
It’s here! Claire our 700 Litre copper still is here and she is gorgeous. Bond Street Gin’s Distilling team are chomping at the bit to get her fired up.
hard work paying off
The Joiners have been busy this week, doors, gates, more doors. In total 24 doors have been measured, planed and fitted.
They are shattered! Jim, George, Ash, Tom and Zac have been very busy with all things wood – Making a distillery has definitely been hard work in the heat.
So you may have seen them being stylishly modelled around town by our building team since the site T’s arrived, please feel free to ask them any questions. We’ve even had a few enquiries to purchase the T’s from some of our daily passers by, soon….. very very soon…..
Do you know how many litres of paint it takes to paint a distillery? We can tell you because the Painting team have been spraying, cutting in, undercoating and final flicking room after room….. It is really starting to look amazing!
On a mission

The big site clean up has begun, Hoovers, brushes, mops and cleaning products are out in floor as we begin to clear the dust. Our renovations team are slowly departing and we are on a mission to get the venue ready for the public.

Finishing touches

Now the dust has settled we are just adding some of finishing touches -The sign company have been up on ladders, cutting out letters and ensuring everyone knows how to get around the building. We’ve had lots of visitors who have loved the style and ambience of the place. 

Bar is being stocked

Staff interviews have taken place and we have a real treat instore for our guests, the bar is being stocked and cocktail techniques practiced. We had our first guests in a sneak preview of the Crows Nest function room, some of the things they said were amazing:

Not long now!

So we are here we have our VIP nights and I have to say our distiller has come up with some very good G&T’s and our bar manager has designed a sneaky little VIP cocktail menu to delight the taste buds. Not long till opening night!

The day finally came that we could distil our first batch of GIN – Bond Street Hinckley No1. It will be ready to buy in December just in time for Christmas

Opening & Christmas

We opened to the public. What the whole team has been waiting for. We were sold out right through until the 22nd .

We also sold out of Hinckley No1 our first batch of gin.

Christmas

The first ever Bond Street Xmas tree was purchased and the staff enjoyed decorating it and looked forward to our first Xmas bookings.

2020
Music & Football

A new year and a new Bond Street, what we thought may be a quieter period for us was busier than December and we have started work on our first flavoured gin.

Music nights started with the Fabulous Steve Faulkner who sold out his first night at Bond Street.

We also sponsored a local football team who now wear our logo on their shirts.

Valentines

Rebranded our signature London Dry and launched our Pink edition Raspberry Gin in time for Valentines.

Our music nights saw a big uptake in audience and have become very popular as we have launched different acts.

Our gin school launched and began booking out months in advance.

Mother’s Day & Lockdown

Mother’s day deliveries went down very well and everyone loved their gin boxes with afternoon teas.

LOCKDOWN

As the country went into lockdown we were on the news for other reasons. We had to close down the social and we were the first East Midlands based distiller to produce and send out much needed Hand sanitiser. We supported Hospitals, air ambulance crews, ambulance crews, blood bikes. Local doctors surgeries and the most vulnerable. We helped schools, care homes and the general public.

Award Win & Crisis Cocktails

As lockdown continued Bond Street is still making the headlines with its first ever award win as we win the GIN GUIDE 2020 award for Best London Dry and Best traditional gin. We are so proud of ourselves.

We did our first Lockdown gig with Steve Faulkner and had over 2500 people join us whilst delivering our first Crisis Cocktails and with the money we raised went to #wecareuk.

On-line Gigs

Lockdown has provided us with a whole host of new gin lovers and cocktail drinkers. Our on-line gigs reach new heights and the team diversify to delivery drivers, order takers and bar team.

COVID-19 Refit

As the lockdown on hospitality industry ends we begin our covid-19  refit to ensure we can open in the full knowledge that our customers will be looked after.

New flavours

We began the development of our new flavours and our rebranded bottles… We will have produced six products in less than a year. We are very proud.

Re-launch

The re-launch is happening and our new gins hit the public arena.

  • BREAKING GROUND

    September 2018

  • SMASHING STUFF / STRIPPING OUT

    October 2018

  • SAND BLASTING

    November 2018

  • FRAMEWORK

    November 2018

  • NEW STAIRS / STUDWORK

    January/February 2019

  • PAINTING CLADDING

    March 2019

  • RENDERING / OUTSIDE WORK

    March/April 2019

  • SCAFFOLDING

    April 2019

  • WINDOWS

    May 2019

  • OPENING & CHRISTMAS

    December 2019

2020
  • MUSIC & FOOTBALL

    January 2020

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