Two bartenders have become brand ambassadors for Half Hitch Gin to help the brand grow in the on-trade.
They are Martin Bilsborough from the Railway Kitchen & Bar in Alderley Edge in Cheshire and Maya Tarrant from JKS Restaurants, owner of London restaurants including Gymkhana, Bubbledogs and Hoppers.
They will work with bartenders in their cities of Manchester and London and around the country to deliver bespoke training, interactive masterclasses and consumer and trade tasting events.
It marks a new stage of growth for the premium gin which is made in a copper pot still at a distillery in Camden Lock, north London, with botanicals including Malawian black tea, Calabrian bergamot, English wood, pepper and hay alongside the juniper.
Mark Holdsworth, founder of Half Hitch gin, said: “After what has been a whirlwind couple of years, with a number of awards along the way, since I launched Half Hitch gin, I am really pleased to be able to announced that Maya Tarrant and Martin Bilsborough have both joined our team to lead bar training and education in London and Manchester respectively.
“This coincides with us now being represented in the UK trade by Catalyst Brands which we hope will take us to the next level of success.”
Maya started her career at The Milk Thistle in Bristol before moving to London where she joined chef Jason Atherton’s restaurant and bar group, working at City Social and Blind Pig.
She said: “I love gin and, while there are a lot of interesting options out there, the unique approach of mixing the modern and traditional production methods of copper pot still, vacuum distillation and tinctures alongside distinctive botanicals really makes Half Hitch gin stand out in the category, and I’m delighted to be working for them.”
Martin was most recently head of bar at the five-star Hotel Gotham in Manchester but previously worked in bars both in the UK and overseas including Mumbai, Amsterdam and the Cayman Islands where he trained bartenders and provided drinks service consultation.
He said: “Half Hitch gin has a unique personality and isn’t shy about its bold flavour and distinct appearance which really sets it apart from other gins, and I’m really pleased to be representing it.”
