Fire Hits Distillery Where Plymouth Gin is Made

The BBC is reporting that a restaurant fire at the historic 15th Century Black Friars Distillery in Plymouth, England, has been contained and did not damage the distillery section of the complex where Plymouth Gin is made.

The Barbican Kitchen Brasserie, owned by U.K. celebrity chefs James and Chris Tanner, was severely damaged, but quick work by fire crews and the heavy construction of the centuries old building halted the spread of the blaze.

Residents living close to the distillery were evacuated when the fire was discovered in the restaurant kitchen as a precaution because of the proximity of the distillery to the flames.

Formerly a monastery for Black Friars, the distillery has been the home of Plymouth Gin since 1793.