Shakespeare Distillery's Gin School has been named ‘Experience of the Year’ in the West Midlands Tourism Awards. The independent artisan spirit producer based in Stratford-upon-Avon picked up the top gold award at a ceremony held on 20 March at the Bear Grylls Adventure in Solihull. As a gold winner, Shakespeare Distillery will automatically be entered into the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, which takes place in June.

Shakespeare Distillery is no stranger to receiving accolades, in 2020 and 2022 the company won gold and silver in the West Midlands Tourism Awards for their destination distillery experiences. A TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice award winner, they were also voted as ‘Stratford’s Top Attraction’ in the Herald Business & Tourism Awards for the past two years running and named by the Spirits Business magazine in the top 10 UK gin distillery experiences in 2023.

The Gin School, which was launched five years ago, enables visitors to try their own hand at being a distiller and create their own gin using a miniature copper still and an array of botanicals, alongside expert tuition. After 3 hours visitors will have distilled, blended, bottled, sealed, and labelled their own unique bottles of gin to take away with them. Peter Monks, Director at Shakespeare Distillery said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won Gold in the West Midlands Tourism Awards. Winning this award is testament to our brilliant team whom we are so proud of, and who work incredibly hard producing our handcrafted spirits and delivering a five-star visitor experience.”

The awards are supported by the West Midlands Growth Company, the regions official destination marketing agency. Pre-pandemic, the tourism sector contributed £13.1 billion to the West Midlands economy, attracting 134 million visitors, and supporting more than 137,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

Andrew Lovett, chair of the West Midlands Tourism and Hospitality Advisory Board, said:  “This year’s West Midlands Tourism Awards gave us the opportunity to come together to applaud the talent, business acumen and hard work of our tourism sector. With an evening of celebration and entertainment, we paid tribute to the visitor attractions, events, accommodation, and hospitality venues, which have helped the region to secure record visitors, create jobs and grow the tourism economy.  These awards get better each year and I thank the judges for their dedication in drawing out the best of the best. Congratulations to the winners and runners-up in each category, all of whom can be extremely proud. We hope the winners go on to even wider recognition at the national awards later this year.”

Shakespeare Distillery, which was founded in 2015 by Simon Picken and Peter Monks, is Stratford-upon-Avon's only working distillery and produces a series of sprits including their signature Stratford Gin, Jester Rums, and distillery specials. But the experience doesn't end there, Shakespeare Distillery offers daily Tours, Cocktail Masterclasses, and River Avon Gin Tasting Cruises, ensuring there's something to delight every discerning spirit enthusiast. With their latest addition of a shop, Tasting Rooms, and Rum School nestled in the historic 1 High Street – once the residence of Judith, William Shakespeare’s daughter, and her husband, Thomas Quiney – visitors can immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Shakespearean history while savouring the finest spirits the town has to offer.

For more information about Shakespeare Distillery please visit http://www.shakespearedistillery.com/ For more information about the West Midlands Tourism Awards visit http://westmidlandstourismawards.com/