Angela Richardson visited the Surrey Copper Distillery on Friday (September 17) to hear about the state of the British spirits industry and to celebrate the success of the gin company based at Dunsfold Park.
The company began in 2017 as the venture of Chris and Katherine Smart and has now received awards for its small-batch artisanal gins.
Based out of its unit on Dunsfold Park, Surrey Copper Distillery gins are on sale online and through John Lewis, with three different expressions to choose from.
Angela heard about the success of the British gin industry and the various impacts of lockdown on businesses in the sector. She was also keen to hear about the company's ambition to tap into overseas buyers and how new trade agreements had opened up the Commonwealth markets.
"It's amazing to see what Chris and the Smart family has achieved," said Angela. "They are part of a boom in the UK gin market from 100 distilleries in 2017 to 700 today and it's great that we have them in the Guildford constituency.
"Chris is ambitious about business prospects overseas and the opportunities that trade agreements outside the EU can bring. I'm keen to see how businesses like his can be helped to open up these markets and really achieve benefits from our new global outlook."