Savills is bringing an exciting leisure business to the market, just 1.5 miles from Edinburgh’s city boundary. The Secret Herb Garden and The Secret Garden Distillery includes an award-winning sustainable premium gin distillery, extensive botanical herb garden, shop, bistro, award-winning events venue, parking for c.60 vehicles and a beautiful contemporary five-bedroom house with private gardens and orchard. This outstanding property is set within seven and a half acres at the foot of the glorious Pentland Hills Regional Park.
The current owners established the business in 2012 and it now encompasses the only Scottish premium gin distillery in the UK where the botanicals are grown, hand-harvested and hand-dried on site, where the gin is also distilled. The business is thriving, with an established international customer base, incorporating a number of blue chip venues, premier retail outlets and leading supermarkets.
This unique business includes trademarks, stock and licence for the events enterprise (currently let on a four year lease). Planning permission has been grated for a major new build distillery extension including new toilet facilities, visitor centre and offices. In addition there are numerous quirky buildings within the herb garden with a variety of uses, from warehousing and beekeeping facilities, to a yurt and a railway carriage which has been converted to an office for the bistro operators.
Earlier this year The Secret Garden Distillery was re-branded and the new look spirits range was introduced: the new packaging design showcases the Rooted in Nature brand ethos and sustainability credentials.
Luke French of Savills rural agency said: “The Secret Herb Garden, with its sustainability and lifestyle credentials, is just the sort of opportunity that has been catching attention of savvy investors during the pandemic - from life-style buyers to corporates. Having a ready-made reputation, idyllic location, established footfall, and of course Herb Cottage (a lovely residential property) thrown in, will only exacerbate demand.”
Katherine Wigham of Savills leisure and trade team said: “Voted as one of Scotland’s top 10 wedding venues, the property benefits from planning consent for a maximum of 20 weddings per year and 40 dinning events, all of which are facilitated by the café operator. Last summer the property was also noted in the Sunday Times as being one of the top 30 garden centres in the UK. This brief heritage has set fantastic foundations for a future operator and owner to build the business even further.”