Silver Circle Distillery Moves to Penallt
Nina and Joe Howden
Husband and wife team Nina and Joe Howden set up Silver Circle in 2019 in Catbrook. MCC approved their plans to install the micro-distillery in a modern agricultural barn. Outdoor Street Food events and visitor experiences have also been held at the distillery.
However, the Council rejected a retrospective planning application in July 2022 which would have allowed the use of the larger barn as a bottling plant, for visitor experiences and the retention of hardstanding for a parking area.
The enforcement notice required the use of the larger barn to stop and for the hardstanding to be removed within three months. The ground should be returned to its former condition also.
It was clear that the distillery was not a good fit for its location – access was not easy via narrow lanes and it was too close to local residents. More space was needed for the distillery itself and also for events and visitor experiences associated with the business.
An appeal against the Council’s decision to reverse their expansion was not upheld (decision November 2023) so the business faced an uncertain future. As Nina Howden said at the time, “the business is doing well and as we can’t use the larger barn we will either have to relocate or find another storage solution.”
The new barn at Humble by Nature
Relocation it turned out to be, as a great fit was then established with Humble by Nature at Meend Farm. The distillery could use the Aquaponics Solar Greenhouse, built some ten years ago and re-purposed as part of a centre for rural skills courses in the meantime.
MCC approved their plans in February this year. The owners have been moving fast since then and they plan a Opening Day Party on Saturday 18th May.
The building gives the business better facilities, including underfloor heating and improved access for visitors year-round. The facilities include a light-filled and airy distillery space and an outdoor yard, which will allow for the return of Silver Circle’s popular "Street Food Saturday" events.
It will house a shop and a bar area with the still, tanks, bottling equipment etc behind, as shown by the floor plan below.
Layout of the new Silver Circle plant