With temperatures dropping, there’s no better seasonal activity than sampling gin – and luckily for York’s dog lovers there’s one venue in the city that lets dogs join in the fun.
, at 12 Pavement, in York, is an award-winning independent gin maker and supplier, which recently won the title of ‘England Gin Distillery of the Year 2021’.
And thanks to its welcoming attitude towards four-legged guests, exclusive coats for dogs and four doggy team members of its own, York Gin has also recently been nominated for the TeamDogs , in partnership with .
READ MORE: {}
TeamDogs user said: “They have their own Instagram account @yorkgindogs, they always make a fuss of dogs when they come into the shop and there’s always water for them to drink while their humans try the gin (so they don’t get jealous).”
Co-founder, co-director and marketing director Emma Godilava told TeamDogs: “Ever since we opened our shop in 2019, we’ve made a point of making sure dogs are completely welcome.
“Dogs bring a whole new level of happiness wherever they are, and with so many people owning dogs, it makes sense to welcome them.
“It makes life easier for dog owners who don’t have to leave someone outside with the dog, and it makes for a better atmosphere inside the business. Everyone wins when a business is dog friendly.”
She added: “As dog owners, we really appreciate shops, restaurants, pubs and other businesses welcoming dogs. The vast majority of dogs are very well behaved.
Most Read
“Not only do they often behave better than some humans, they also bring joy wherever they go. Speaking of joy, we are full of it at being nominated for this award – it’s brilliant!”
Set up by Emma alongside other founders Harry Cooke, Pete McNichol and Paul Crossman, York Gin offers six handmade, high-end gins in flavours like ‘Roman Fruit’, ‘Chocolate and Orange’ or ‘Grey Lady’ (Earl Grey), as well as tastings and masterclasses.
There’s also four doggy team members, who can be frequently found onsite at both the Shop and Distillery, as well as a separate dedicated Instagram for documenting their adventures – plus any other four-legged visitors to York Gin – called .
According to Emma, York Gin’s dog-loving journey began in 2019, when she got her pup Inigo, who is named after a character in ‘The Princess Bride’, and brought him everywhere with her, including into the store.
The ‘York Gin pack’ has since grown following the addition of black labradoodle Potus, who belongs to founder Harry, as well as distiller Kirsty’s French bulldog Bruce and team member Skye’s ‘little Eddie’.
“The dogs are an absolutely integral part of the team,” explained Emma.
“Potus is often to be found at the distillery and Bruce and Eddie have at least a day a week there. Inigo is a regular in the shop.”
Don’t miss
In fact, so ‘integral’ are the pups that they’ve all been given their own doggy coats, adorned with the York Gin logo, which customers can also purchase.
Though these have currently sold out, there’s plans to restock them again in November.
Emma added: “There is a long and distinguished history of dogs, the most faithful and loving of companions, being stalwarts of distilleries – and we are continuing that tradition with our York Gin dogs.
“None of us can imagine life without them, and they just bring so much happiness to our little company.
“As for the shop, we frequently take photos of our canine visitors and put them on our social media. They always just look so happy and proud to have their pictures taken!”
York Gin has another Instagram account, called .
Vote for York Gin or nominate a dog-friendly business for the TeamDogs near you .