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JO AND NINA
HOWDEN GLYN AND LLOYD
Silver Circle Black Mountains
Distillery Botanicals
Catbrook The Golden Valley
We met while working in the music industry We have been good friends for a decade;
in Berlin. We both ran our own companies, Glyn is a landlord and owner of an award
which were focussed on different areas winning pub and B&B, you would have
of marketing for bands but also events seen him on TV’s Four in a Bed and in
and drinks businesses. There was a lot of The Guardian many times. Lloyd was
synergy between our careers and interests a technical director for a mechanical
which over time morphed into Silver engineering company and has pushed
Circle Distillery. liquid through pipes all of his life. Trying
some craft spirits out we decided we could
Moving from Berlin to the Wye Valley was produce an award winning range of our
a big life change but, having both grown own and four years ago launched our gins
up in the countryside, it was also a return and vodka, adding more products every
to nature. We wanted to do something that year. This is the best liquid Lloyd has
would help us embrace a new lifestyle here ever pushed!
and be more in tune with the seasons. We
launched the distillery three years ago with Being a small, robust and highly motivated
our flagship product Wye Valley Gin and company we adapted quickly to Covid,
that’s why it has six foraged botanicals in it. firstly by getting licensed to sell hand
We were reconnecting. sanitiser. Giving away 4000 bottles to key
workers and NHS staff, we went on to sell
Then Covid struck about nine months later at pre-pandemic prices for 12 months. We
so it’s been an adventure! The distillery has also hugely improved our e-commerce
been around for a lot longer with Covid capability and embraced the dynamic shift
than without it and it’s hard to imagine it any that was presented to us.
other way now. We had to adapt and be
flexible throughout the lockdowns, so any We have grown from four products to
early long term plans we had went out of 11, including our new coffee liqueur, and
the window. It showed us how resilient we intend to build the business further with
could be. more distributors on board. Everything
we produce is made on-site and we use
We already have our Gin School and our local cider apples to make our base spirits.
next adventure is our new pop-up tasting We’re delighted to have won several
room now open in Chepstow, which is really Great Taste awards and others including
exciting. We’re doing various experiences gold medals in San Fransisco and coming
and events with the emphasis very much 1st and 2nd in the UK London Spirits
on tasting. That’s what it’s all about afterall, competition. The Gin School is a great
discovering new and delicious things. experience for visitors and we welcome
Herefordshire and the Wye Valley is just groups. We also have a coffee company
stunningly beautiful isn’t it? And the Wye is with personalised blends.
undeniably special.
What’s not to love about Herefordshire, it’s
Their note for success: Running a business the food destination of the UK. We love
is a lifestyle so make sure it’s something you the fantastic people and many characters,
love doing.
and outstanding scenic countryside.

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