A whisky distillery is not perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when thoughts turn to the crashing waves of Filey Bay. However, the Hunmanby based Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery is not only home to Yorkshire’s first whisky distillery, but it also produces the award winning Filey Bay Single Malt. It was recently awarded 95 out of 100 by world renowned whisky expert Jim Murray in the 2020 Whisky Bible.

The family behind the highly-regarded Wold Top Brewery at Wold Newton are the driving force of the Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery. The majority of the ingredients come from within a few miles of the distillery, in some cases from the field next door! All the barley is grown in Hunmanby, on the family farm, and they get their water from a well sunk deep into the chalk.

The whisky is matured in bourbon casks with a subtle sherry influence. Sixteen casks were laid down in the spring and summer of 2016, yielding just 6,000 bottles. The novelty of a Yorkshire distilled whisky and the short-run caused great interest and the Filey Bay First Release Single Malt rapidly sold out. Although at the time of writing both the White Lodge and The Star in Filey have some in stock. A second batch is in production and can be ordered via the distillery website. The distillery also offers regular tours and there is a coffee shop on site as well. Well worth the short trip to Hunmanby.