A gin distillery is still waiting for a licence to sell alcohol despite opening last month.

Piston Gin, which made its return to Worcester this year, opened a new flagship store at a former boathouse in Diglis in August but does not yet have a full licence to sell alcohol.

Despite making its homecoming, the gin makers will have to wait for a decision from Worcester City Council’s licensing committee on whether it can sell its products from the new venue.

Piston has been using temporary licences to sell alcohol since opening, according to Worcester City Council.

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The committee meets in the Guildhall next Thursday (September 28) to make a decision on whether to give Piston Gin a full licence.

The original application had asked for permission to sell alcohol between 9am and 10.30pm from Monday to Thursday, 9am to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 10am to 5.30pm on Sundays.

After holding a meeting with its neighbours, Piston Gin then changed the application to 9am and 9.30pm between Monday and Wednesday, 9am and 10pm from Thursday to Saturday with the Sunday hours remaining the same.

As many as 17 people supported the move saying they welcomed the new venue as part of a regeneration of the Diglis Basin.

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One supporter said: “Piston Gin is a prestigious local company, who have made the decision to return to their roots in the city. The previous location of the bar, at the Worcester Porcelain Factory proved them to be a quality, niche venue and I am sure that this new location would be the same.”

A total of nine objections were made by residents who said the venture would result in more noise and anti-social behaviour and its waterside location was “inappropriate.”

Piston Gin said there would be room for up to 24 people in its classes, up to 75 people for private events and a maximum of 150 people for ‘rare’ ticketed events.

A spokesperson for Piston Gin said: “In Diglis we have found the perfect base for our flagship store and gin school.

“Our return to our home city is thanks to the support of everyone who, since our founding here in 2018, has enjoyed our award-winning Piston Gin and our highly popular gin classes. 

“We are aware that a small number of local residents have raised some concerns about the distillery seeking to run occasional events for our customers from this base, and these will be heard and responded to at the licensing hearing next week.”

Earlier this year, Piston Gin revealed it would be coming back to Worcester and opening a new ‘flagship’ venue after a long-anticipated homecoming was given the green light.

The new base at the ‘Danks 2’ former boathouse at Diglis Basin off Diglis Road will allow Piston to continue to host its popular gin classes, which include cocktail masterclasses and distilling sessions, with a hope of producing small batches of ‘white label’ gins in the future.