Lincoln Gin distiller’s gesture is a real tonic for the city

Lincoln Gin founder Matt Felgate has turned business problems caused by coronavirus into a positive for vulnerable people around the city.

He’ll be making hand sanitiser that he plans to give away to people who need it most. Faced with the sudden loss of customers for his gin, and the cancellation of 17 events at which he would have been promoting and selling his product, he was left with 50 litres of high-strength alcohol he could’t use.

But Matt, a member of St Hugh Lodge in Lincoln, said: “With some very emotionally charged times ahead for all of us we wanted to put our talents and resources to good use, and decided to use our high strength alcohol to make hand sanitiser instead of gin at The Lincoln Distillery.

“We plan on making more, in larger quantities, and to give it to those working with or caring for individuals who are vulnerable or have underlying health problems.”

He said the he’d ordered in extra ingredients to convert the alcohol into hand gel, as well as bottles to put it into ready for distribution, and is being bombarded with ideas from customers about community groups, care workers, elderly neighbours, and other vulnerable people who could benefit from it.

Matt, currently Junior Deacon at St Hugh Lodge in Lincoln, and his wife Jen turned to gin production two years ago when their son was born and they sold Bunty’s Tea Room on Steep Hill. Matty had been ‘front of house’ and Jen had done the baking.

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