Tucked away in a lush floral garden; on a tiny street in Northowram, next to the rolling hills of the Shibden Valley, is Peter Speight’s shed. Nestled below a great Horse-Chestnut tree and surrounded by a cornucopia of wild flowers and creeping vines. The shed houses the Speight’s family run distillery, where an elegant copper pot still produces small batches day in day out of the flavorsome floral nectar named after the family - sp8 gin.

There are 14 botanicals used in sp8 gin, most of which are kept under lock and key, to ensure the recipe is a Speight family secret. There is Juniper, of course, alongside, Hibiscus flowers, elderberry, rose petal, wild rosehip and locally sourced hand-picked Bilberry’s and Rhubarb. The overall taste is a floral bouquet and is like walking in to a flower garden on a hot summers day where the sweet scent hits your nose. Peter is obsessed with quality and sourcing natural products and he spends many hours developing future flavours from local products through his understanding of how the botanicals influence the Gin. Having developed his unique bends, there are rigorous tasting sessions, which are carried out by his wife Angela and his daughter Victoria; to establish which tonics and flavors are needed to get the full enjoyment and experience from the Gin.

A family run business; this isn’t just by- the-book gin making, it’s a full-on family passion. Alongside his son-in-law Daniel, his distilling partner, and his son Simon who drives the business and marketing; anyone who has met the family will tell you how much they care about what they do. A family tradition means producing spirits and beers is in their blood. The family’s great love is nature and all it has to offer which helps produce this fine spirit, encapsulating a summers day in a bottle.

Part of the future development will be to provide open distillery tours with tasting experiences and Gin making classes. Alongside SP8 gin, Peter will be producing his signature honey roast hams, cooked in his smoker at the bottom of the garden, which would be perfect to order for any special occasion.