A County Durham distillery has announced a partnership with Auckland Palace on an exclusive gin with ingredients from its garden.

WL Distillery will be producing a Lemon Balm Gin, infused with ingredients from the palace's 17th-century walled garden.

Auckland Palace, previously known as Auckland Castle, is the historic residence of the Prince Bishops of Durham.

Scott Wilson-Laing, founder and managing director of WL Distillery, said: "Auckland Palace is such a historic landmark in County Durham and we are delighted to announce this collaboration.

"Ingredients have always taken centre stage at WL Distillery and each bottle is infused with nature using handpicked and measured botanicals to ensure the freshest, and most authentic taste.

"Working with Auckland Palace is a perfect pairing for our brand ethos, and it’s a very special concept to infuse the lemon balm from the 17th century walled garden into our distillery process."

(Image: David James Wood)

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The lemon balm used in the gin is grown in the palace's newly renovated gardens.

Andy Nesbitt, head curator of parks, gardens and landscapes at The Auckland Project, said: "The lemon balm used in the new Lemon Balm Gin are grown in the heart of Auckland Palace’s newly renovated gardens.

"One of the goals when transforming the gardens was to ensure as much is harvested and used throughout the community – we have produce and herbs sent to Park Head Hotel and Bishop’s Kitchen, veg boxes donated to communities and most recently the lemon balm being used by WL Distillery to make the ultimate North East gin."

WL Distillery, which entered the market in 2020, has already made a name for itself in the UK gin market, receiving numerous awards and recognitions.

The collaboration with Auckland Palace marks the distillery's second brand partnership in recent weeks.

The palace is part of The Auckland Project in Bishop Auckland, a cultural destination that also includes the Faith Museum, the Spanish Gallery, and the Mining Art Gallery.