A love of Wales along with a keen interest in botanicals, hedgerow fruits and fermentation has inspired Daniel Dyer to discover the art of distilling and open his own distillery in Newport.

A £50,000 start-up micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales has been used to fund the fit-out of the Spirit of Wales Distillery that Daniel has set-up to create his award-winning authentic Welsh spirits – Steeltown Welsh Gin, Steeltown Welsh Vodka and Dragon’s Breath Spiced Welsh Rum.

Having first started distilling spirits as a hobby, Daniel and head distiller James Gibbons now produce affordable premium spirits that celebrate their Celtic roots and Wales’ industrial heritage of steel production, coal mining, agriculture, and fishing.

With two 600 litre Dragon Steel stills, Daniel says that his passion is inspired by the people of Wales.

He said: “We wanted to create something unique that would pay tribute to the people and places in Wales that inspire us. We are a small-batch distillery that makes crafted Welsh gins, vodkas, and rums.

“We started in our distillery with a blank canvas to create our space where we conjure up flavours that pay tribute to the steel, coal, and mining industries that built Wales. Our online store is already growing in popularity and we have started welcoming visitors to the distillery so that they can experience a tour and tasting session.

“The loan from the Development Bank has meant that we’ve got the business off the ground and we can now focus on scaling up our recipes and Welsh flavour combinations so that we can prosper long-term.”

The micro loan for Spirit of Wales was arranged by Alun Lister of the Development Bank of Wales.

Having first joined the Development Bank in 2014, he now helps customers to access micro loans up to £50,000.

Alun said: “Our job is to make it easier for businesses and entrepreneurs like Daniel to get the finance that they need to start-up, strengthen and grow. Daniel’s passion for distilling and his love of Wales means that he has created an exciting brand and some great tasting spirits.”

The £30 million Wales Micro Loan Fund is financed entirely by the Welsh Government. Loans between £1,000 and £50,000 are available with repayment terms ranging between one and ten years.