Nestled in the heart of a Grade II* listed building at Portland Works lies one of Sheffield’s most unique distilleries. Founded by husband and wife team John Cherry and Cynthia King, Locksley Distilling Co has fast become a firm favourite amongst artisan gin drinkers and connoisseurs.
Sheffield-born John has over 20 years of experience in the drinks industry, spending almost half of that time working at several salubrious liquor stores in America. This experience was instrumental for a number of things: building valuable contacts, meeting some inspirational distillers and tasting winning products – all helping to sow the seeds that would eventually bloom into Locksley Distilling Co.
While living in the US, John and Cynthia witnessed the craft beer scene boom before heading over to sweep the UK a few years later. When craft distilleries began to grow in popularity Stateside, they had an inkling that the same formula would transcend across the pond. The couple had already planned to return to England for their daughter’s schooling, so they decided to put this prediction to the test and began laying the groundwork for their own distilling company launch.
In early 2013 the family stepped off a plane onto UK soil and the following day, Locksley Distilling Co was registered and flavour development began. Back then, there was only a handful of gins on the market – the usual suspects of Beefeater, Gordon’s, Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire and Hendrick’s (the latter if you were feeling a little adventurous). All these producers exclusively made dry gins, so John and Cynthia zoned in on a gap in the market to create the country’s first ‘sipping gin,’ and there began the legend – Sir Robin of Locksley. “We wanted to create something you could drink on its own, a liquid that didn’t need a boatload of tonic to counteract the dryness,” explains John. “We were looking for something with a similar mouthfeel to a whisky or a bourbon. We had quite a specific goal as to where we wanted the gin to be taste and quality-wise; each product we make has to have a longevity of at least 20 years.”
And so, the real hard work began. Using a small distilling pot (or ‘still’) plotted up in the attic of John’s parents’ home, the best part of four months was spent on getting the flavour right, coming up with around 104 variations of Sir Robin of Locksley in the process – compelling proof, if needed, of the Locksley ethos that when it comes to distilling, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Of the 104 variants attempted, 79 blends were created using different flavours and strengths. The winning recipe was number 61, which you’ll find referenced on the bottle, combining five traditional ingredients (juniper, cassia, angelica, coriander and liquorice) with three contemporary (elderflower, dandelion and pink grapefruit) for the unctuous mouthfeel that moved it away from the dry gin category. It was an instant hit and, to this day, remains the company’s best-selling product. Following the success of Sir Robin of Locksley, and with their prediction of the so-called UK ‘ginaissance’ coming to fruition, John and Cynthia are always exploring ways in which they can diversify to stay ahead of the competition. Recently they have collaborated with a number of local companies such as Foundry Coffee Roasters, Thornbridge Brewery and Bullion Chocolate to create an exclusive range of drinks, which they now sell on their website. However, it’s the emergence of their distillery tours and gin experiences that has been the success story of 2021. “Being able to open up our distillery and welcome groups from all around the world to witness, taste and immerse themselves in all the Locksley magic has been a real treat for us,” said Cynthia. “People just love to come and look around our extraordinary building, experience the quirky gin-making equipment and invent their own distinct potion. I can’t believe how popular they’ve become.” Along with the distillery tours and gin-making experiences, Cynthia is busy creating gin-based cocktail recipes every week, which she shares on the website and through their various social media channels. “As we emerge from the Covid pandemic, we are all excited by what the future holds,” said John. “Moving forward, we won’t be just limited to gin. It was only the starting point. Over the next 5-10 years, all sorts of exciting stuff will be coming out of Locksley Distilling Co. Watch this space!”
