Hayman’s Gin triples capacity as it moves its distillery to London

Hayman’s Gin has moved its distillery back to London, more than trebling its capacity and unveiling a new packaging design inspired by its distilling heritage dating back to 1863.

Christopher Hayman, Miranda Hayman and James Hayman, with Majorie, the original still.

The English gin producer has moved its distillery from Witham in Essex back to London, taking up residence in Balham, after first announcing the move last year. 

Speaking to the drinks business at the official opening last week, fifth-generation owner James Hayman said: “We first viewed the site around two years ago. In 1863, our great, great grandfather opened a distillery in the capital, so the move back to London pays homage to our family history of distilling”.

The new look packaging.

The relocation is especially fitting given that Christopher Hayman, James’ father, is celebrating 50 years in the gin industry. In a speech at the opening, James paid tribute to his father’s commitment and important work “behind-the-scenes”.

The new distillery, situated around four miles from the original London site, now houses three stills. The original 450-litre still, called Marjorie after Christopher Hayman’s mother, was transported from the old distillery. It has been joined by Karin, a 1,000-litre still named after Christopher Hayman’s wife, and Miranda, a 140-litre still named after James Hayman’s sister, Miranda.

Head distiller, Sam Pembridge told the drinks business that Miranda will be used for limited-edition, small-batch gins.

While not revealing what these will be, Pembridge did say that he is seeking inspiration from the family’s history.

“Hayman’s Gin has a history dating back over 150 years and over the years, many records and recipes have been left behind.

“My task is to do something new, which at the same time compliments the brand’s heritage,” Pembridge said.

Speaking about the design for the new distillery, Miranda Hayman said: “We wanted this to be the home of English gin and have everything up close and in one area.

“Our upstairs mezzanine bar will act as a training area for the on-trade and will double up as a tasting area for consumers and distillery visitors.

“Downstairs, the laboratory lets us get a bit more touchy-feeling, allowing guests to explore what goes into our gin”.

Hayman’s is hoping to offer cocktail masterclasses and gin suppers in collaboration with local companies, having already developed strong ties with bars and restaurants in the area.

“We’re hoping that our new home will help to increase our UK presence and offer stronger support to the work we already do,” said James Hayman.

“Being in London, and specifically in Balham, means that we have great transport links making it easier for more people to visit us”.

Hayman’s has managed to retain its existing members of staff following its move and hopes to bring around 15 to 20 jobs to the area.

At the opening on Thursday last week, Hayman’s also unveiled its new look and branding, created by packaging design specialists Stranger and Stranger. While the bottles have not changed, the packaging has been refreshed with lighter colours and a William Morris-esque design on the bottle caps.

“The Victorian street lamps included in the design on our London Dry bottle caps helps to better reflect our family history of distilling,” added Miranda Hayman.

Hayman’s is opening up booking for distillery tours this week, with a 90-minute tour priced at £20 per person.