When Mark Austin retired at the end of October, he laughingly joked it was his co-workers who hoped he might be the one giving them gifts before he cleared his desk and headed out the door.

In the year leading up to his sign-off, Mark and his wife Wendy were not thinking about joining the "grey nomad" set; rather, they had been researching and preparing to indulge in a new venture: making a range of gins, liqueurs, whiskey, as well as vodka and brandy at their distillery in Tamworth.

Combining his love of spirits and the unique climate of the region, Mark's products are fast gaining the attention of discerning tipplers locally and from further afield.

Mark sources as much local raw materials as possible for the distilling process, which brought him into contact with Darren Megson near G

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