Independent Worthing gin distillery given thumbs up

Slake Spirits, which is based in Shoreham-by-Sea, will soon move to Upper High Street, after being given the nod by the council’s planning committee on Wednesday.

As well as producing gin, the new set-up will include tours and tasting sessions for visitors.

At a meeting on Wednesday (August 12), Thomas Martin-Wells, who runs the business with his father, responded to concerns raised by five objectors.

Mr Martin-Wells assured the committee the manufacturing process used would produce no noise and no smell and that all tours would be by appointment only.

He said: “It’s quite important to realise this is not a walk-in drinking establishment. This is a production facility that has tours when it’s able to do so around that schedule.”

Chairman Paul High said: “Personally, I feel we should support any kind of small business and I think this is a worthy enterprise.”

With no parking at the site, there were concerns about where visitors would leave their cars.

Members agreed that Mr Martin-Wells would produce a travel plan offering guidance to his customers about car parks and alternative ways of travelling to the distillery.

The application was approved by seven votes to zero with one abstention.

Martin McCabe (Lib Dem, Tarring) voiced his support – despite admitting that he didn’t ‘get’ gin – but had to abstain from voting after technical issues meant he missed some of the discussion.

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