Lawyers raise their glasses to distillery

A Northumberland distillery has been sharing its recipe for success with dozens of women lawyers.
Some of the lawyers enjoy a tipple during their visit to Hepple Gin.Some of the lawyers enjoy a tipple during their visit to Hepple Gin.
Some of the lawyers enjoy a tipple during their visit to Hepple Gin.

Around 45 members of the Women Lawyers Division North East (WLD) toured Hepple Gin to find out more about the process behind the development of its bespoke products.

The visit included a tour of the distillery, a presentation on its history, samplings of various drinks and cocktails made with the spirit and a visit to the surrounding hills on which the juniper that is used for the gin grows wild.

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Hepple Gin was set up in 2014 by a group of drinks industry experts who wanted to use their varying skills to capture the fresh ingredients found in the Northumberland National Park more perfectly through novel distilling techniques.

It has quickly established itself as a favourite in a range of high-end North East hotels and restaurants, and is the spirit of choice for the Connaught Hotel in London’s best-selling martini.

Plans are currently being put in place for Hepple to take its gin to the US market.

Walter Riddell, co-founder and managing director, said: “Our product is carefully crafted to clearly showcase the source of the flavours and we use bespoke distilling techniques and equipment to create spirits which are being increasingly well-received by customers in venues right around the country.

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“We don’t open our doors like this very often, but it was a pleasure to host such an interested and well-informed group and their visit will help to spread the word about the work that we’re doing further around the North East business community.”

The WLD is a networking group for solicitors, barristers, trainees and paralegals and has grown to a membership of around 150 since its inception four years ago.

Chairman Clare Thompson, a partner at Hay & Kilner Law Firm in Newcastle, said: “Our organisation aims to create new and better relationships across different parts of the North East legal sector which wouldn’t necessarily come together all that often.

“The continuing growth in our membership shows how useful regional solicitors, barristers and other legal professionals find it, and informal events like this provide a great chance for our members to find out more about each other’s work.

“Gaining this kind of insight into the creation and production of something so familiar was absolutely fascinating and the feedback has been that this was one of the best ever WLD events.”