North Yorkshire based distillery, Harrogate Tipple, fear a huge blow to the UK spirits industry if Donald Trump’s administration imposes another round of punitive tariffs on popular British goods – including their famous ‘Downton Abbey’ gin and whisky.

The craft distillery who employ around 20 people in North Yorkshire only recently decided to take the plunge and invest in the appointment of a New York-based importer to secure stocklists there.

The British gin industry, which is predominantly made up of small and medium size businesses, is world renowned for producing top quality tipples, steeped in our rich heritage. UK gin brands like Harrogate Tipple have also benefitted from America’s love for hit shows like Downton Abbey.

The spirits are created using botanicals from the actual gardens of the 750-year-old Ripley Castle estate, which is also the home of the distillery.

More than 18,500 people are employed in the spirits industry in Yorkshire and the Humber – with many more involved in the industry’s localised supply lines. In total, there are 45 distilleries across Yorkshire.

Steven Green, founder of Harrogate Tipple Distillery, said:

“In America there is real thirst for products that are quintessentially British – like our beloved Downton Abbey gin. As a small business, we’ve been able to grow because of this.

“We’ve recently invested heavily in the business, and planned to employ more staff, but the threat of harsh tariffs from the US will mean we have to totally rethink plans.

“I hope the UK Government will back small businesses like mine who have created innovative and globally sought-after products.”