The Sunderland gin firm which is raising a toast to success on Wearside - and it is expanding

Ginka will reach its second birthday next month but it is already expanding. The firm which started out in the Galleries in Washington now has a second permanent base inside Jacky White’s Market at The Bridges in Sunderland.

Founder Kelly Miller explained how Ginka has grown and adapted during the coronavirus by doing deliveries as well as growing into new premises.

She said the business started when she grew ‘tired of working night shifts in factories whilst also looking after my two children. I started to sell my gins and vodkas to family and friends at first and then it grew from there.

"Although we were based in the Galleries in Washington, Ginka has had to work hard to adapt to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We self-isolated which we did for the first three weeks, but we needed to earn money to keep us going and so we started delivering instead, since we weren’t able to open the shop.”

Hundreds of flavours are on offer with Sarsaparilla among the favourites and Kelly added: “The delivery service has gone really well for Ginka. We’ve had 3,500 new likes on Facebook so our profile has really been raised since lockdown began.

"The delivery service has gone so well that it is definitely something we will continue with.”

Other flavours offered by Ginka include key lime pie, lemon drizzle, battenburg and mint choc dip.

Shaun Cuthbertson and Claire Davis also help to run the business and Kelly added: “We’re definitely going to keep up with the delivery side of things and since we’ve been doing so well we have moved permanently into The Bridges inside Jacky Whites Market."

But there is another popular member of the team as Bruno the boxer dog is a big hit with customers.

Kelly added: “He comes with us on our deliveries but is way too excited with all the food smells to take him to markets.”

She added: “We will take him again this year, definitely a work in progress.”

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