Obviously nothing says Xmas like GIN! Well I know, it’s pretty tenuous, but hey gin’s good any time of year and I know I’ll definitely be consuming a fair few over the Xmas period.  With our fingers on the pulse of all things Tring we decided that we could wait no longer to meet with the new kids on the block…well actually its been 6 months… but we’re not letting that stop us getting excited about Tring’s very first gin and craft beer bar!  Let’s see what Sarah and Darrell have to say about their welcome to Tring.

Congratulations on Craft Yard it’s been a huge success. What gave you the idea to open a beer/ gin bar and shop?

Darrell loves beer and all the new microbreweries are doing amazing stuff.  I love gin and never stop being excited by the never ending imagination of the distilleries. We want people to know and enjoy great drinks at the Craft Yard and in their own homes. Our family and friends have helped us all the way.  My father did the shop fit, Darrell’s sister did the graphic design and branding, and Darrell’s best friend Glen laid the floor and sprayed the barrels.  Our sons, daughter and their friends work with us whenever they can to help during the busy periods.

What were you both doing prior to opening the shop?

We both worked full time when we initially opened in June.  Darrell was an IT Technician for a web development company until 4 weeks ago.  He still works for some long standing customers both onsite and remotely.  I still work full time but shifts allow me to still work hard for the Craft Yard both behind the bar and at our home office.  I’ve also been making gin and beer hampers like they’re going out of fashion in the preparation for Christmas and I’m continually looking for the next best gins to introduce at the Craft Yard.

It’s a tough job Sarah…if you ever need some help..? (Not on the gift wrapping obvs)

We absolutely love your decor where did you get your inspiration from?  

I wanted to create an industrial brand. The whole London look really inspired me – so with help of our eldest son Jamie who lives there and had ideas for lighting – I researched endlessly to get it right.

What’s next for Craft Yard?

I’m hoping to continue to find new products for our customers to enjoy. In the New Year we’re hoping to change the rear of the shop to include a small comfortable seating area and change our outside furniture. We’re considering a delivery service so customers can enjoy our products at home as well. I’d also like to organise gin evenings with a local gin expert who will talk about the process of making gin. This should be a great, fun way for customers to find out how their drinks are made.  We ran our first beer tasting evening on Wednesday 29th November with our fully qualified beer sommelier. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for upcoming dates of tastings.

What advice would you give a customer looking for the perfect beer or gin?

We always wanted it to be about the experience, so we like to introduce new and exciting gin and beers to our customers. We will always try to offer a taste of 2 or 3 available at the time before they buy.  We continuously change our beers and introduce new gins in order to keep the experience fresh for our customers.  We also have a couple of “stayers” as we know all our customers will love them no matter their taste 

Thank you Sarah and Darrell so nice to meet you both and so glad you bought Craft Yard to Tring.  It’s such a fantastic facility for the town.  You guys are very brave moving to the area and opening a brand new business from scratch.

The people of Tring have been so kind and friendly towards us both, we are overwhelmed by the support we’ve received since opening. When we first opened we really didn’t know what we were doing and even now we sometimes struggle, we hoped that customers would appreciate our honesty. Customers’ patience has been amazing and we are truly grateful for that, thank you.

Images by Matthew Bishop Photography.