Locksley Distilling and the Rise of Regional Gin Production

Sheffield built its reputation on steel long before it appeared on any modern spirits map. Cutlery, metalwork, and industrial production defined the city throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Against that backdrop, the establishment of Locksley Distilling Co in 2013 at Portland Works, a Grade II listed industrial site dating back to 1879, reflects a shift that is both local and national in scope.

The distillery did not emerge in isolation. By 2010, fewer than 100 active distilleries operated across the United Kingdom. Over the following decade, that number expanded to more than 400, with gin responsible for much of that growth. What changed was not only volume but geography. Gin production in Britain moved from concentration to distribution.

From the London Dry standard to a wider network

For much of the 20th century, British gin was defined by the London Dry method, a system built on neutral grain spirit and botanical redistillation, with no flavouring added after distillation. This framework shaped global expectations through producers such as Beefeater, Tanqueray, and Gordon’s, whose operations set both technical and stylistic standards.

The expansion of distilleries after 2010 did not abandon this structure. It extended it. Producers outside London adopted the same method while adjusting flavour profiles, scale, and identity. What had once been centred in a single city became distributed across regions that had no prior association with gin.

The method remained stable. The location changed.

Establishing Locksley Distilling in Sheffield

Locksley Distilling Co was founded by John Cherry, whose experience in the wine and spirits trade in France and New York informed the early direction of the distillery. His decision to establish production in Sheffield introduced distilling into a city without a historic link to gin.

Operating from Portland Works, the Locksley Distilling draws on a site associated with Sheffield’s industrial past. This connection is not incidental. It positions the distillery within a narrative of production, linking contemporary craft spirits with the city’s manufacturing heritage.

The release of Sir Robin of Locksley Gin in 2014 established the distillery’s presence within the expanding craft gin category. The name references the nearby Loxley Valley and its association with Robin Hood, creating a link between product and place that is cultural rather than historical in terms of distilling.

Production approach and botanical design

Locksley Distilling operates on a small-batch model, producing limited volumes to maintain control over consistency and flavour. This approach allows for adjustment at the level of recipe and process rather than scale.

The structure of Sir Robin of Locksley Gin reflects a balance between established and modified styles. While grounded in the London Dry method, the profile introduces a softer edge that draws on characteristics associated with Old Tom gin. Botanicals such as elderflower, pink grapefruit, and dandelion contribute floral notes, citrus bitterness, and a subtle underlying sweetness that shifts the balance without altering the fundamental structure. Difference is created through composition rather than process.

Place, narrative, and the construction of identity

Regional distilleries often define themselves through location, but the way that location is used varies. In the case of Locksley Distilling, identity is constructed through narrative as much as geography.

The reference to Robin Hood and the Loxley Valley does not reflect a historical gin tradition. It creates one. This approach is consistent with the wider craft spirits movement, where origin is expressed through story, landscape, or cultural association rather than long-established production history. Place becomes part of the product, not just its origin.

The distillery as a public space

Modern distilleries increasingly operate beyond production alone. Locksley Distilling functions as both a manufacturing site and a visitor destination, offering tours, tastings, and gin-making experiences.

This model reflects a broader shift in how spirits are presented. Rather than remaining behind distribution networks, distilleries now engage directly with consumers, allowing the process, ingredients, and identity of the spirit to be experienced in the same place it is made. The result is a closer connection between production and consumption, where understanding the spirit becomes part of the experience of drinking it.

Regional production as an industry shift

The expansion of distilleries across the United Kingdom has created a distributed production landscape. By the early 2020s, UK gin exports exceeded £700 million annually, with both large producers and smaller distilleries contributing to the category’s global presence.

Within this structure, regional distilleries operate differently from traditional large-scale producers. Their position is defined less by output and more by how they interpret the category. The choice of botanicals, the integration of local identity, and the ability to connect directly with consumers all shape how the spirit is positioned.

This does not replace the role of London or large producers. It expands the framework within which British gin is understood. Regional production has redefined competition from scale to identity.

Locksley Distilling is not defined by its size or distribution. Its relevance lies in how it reflects a structural change in British gin. Production is no longer centred in one place, nor is identity determined solely by method.

The rise of regional gin production extends the category without discarding its foundations. Techniques remain consistent, but their application is no longer geographically fixed. Gin is no longer defined by where it was made historically. It is shaped by where it is made now.