Miranda Hayman celebrates 20 years at Hayman’s Distillery

We speak to Miranda Hayman as she marks 20 years at Hayman’s Distillery, reflecting on family legacy, international growth, and what is often misunderstood about family-run gin distilleries.

Hayman’s Distillery is famously known as the longest serving gin distilling family in England, and in 2025 the business marked an important milestone – the twentieth work anniversary of Miranda Hayman, part of the fifth generation of the Hayman family.

Miranda’s career began in the wine industry, where she spent eight years. After relocating to Hong Kong, she started to consider her place at Hayman’s Gin with a role focusing on exports.

As she tells us: “I moved over to the family business at the same time as moving to Hong Kong in 2005 to build up our importers and exports in Asia-Pacific. I had little knowledge of exports or the Asia Pacific markets, so it was a steep learning curve!”

Working alongside her father, Christopher, and her brother, James, Miranda has helped guide Hayman’s continued evolution while staying true to its long-held principles of London gin.

This includes distilling ten botanicals over two full days in beautifully decorative copper stills named after female family members – Marjorie, Karin and, of course, Miranda herself.

Legacy is a constant presence at Hayman’s. Reflecting on her great great grandfather James, Miranda is certain of one thing he would immediately recognise today: “Our gin,” she says.

“We always say that if our Great Grandfather James came to the Distillery and tasted our gin, he would recognise it as his own!”

At the same time, Miranda believes he would have embraced the category’s modern success. “He was very entrepreneurial and experimented so he would have enjoyed seeing the rise of gin over the past 15 to 20 years.

I am also sure he would be very pleased that his gins are still being enjoyed all over the world.”

On the realities of running a family distillery, Miranda speaks candidly about what is often misunderstood: “We don’t have external investors nor are we are trying to build a brand to sell. Therefore, we operate in a different manner and don’t have copious amounts of money to spend.

It’s a marathon not a sprint.” She adds, “To some it’s probably not as interesting as those that have a high spend, but a family gin distiller is the mainstay of the category. What we do has to be timeless not always fashionable.”

Balancing tradition with progress remains central to Miranda’s outlook. “Each generation has to bring their own energy and passion as the landscape evolves but still always retain our signature style,” she explains.

However, for her, some things remain non-negotiable. When asked which tradition must never change, her standpoint is clear: “London Gin being made in London.”

As a member of The Gin Guild since she joined the industry in May 2013, Miranda describes its value simply as “bringing the community together.” She adds that one often-overlooked benefit is “the support you get from the community – we are working with the same goal – to preserve and grow the gin category.”

Standards, too, matter deeply. “Gin is not heavily regulated and London Dry is around the method of production rather than location,” Miranda notes.

“However, London Dry is the benchmark for global gin and it is essential to maintain standards to preserve the integrity of gin for future generations.”

For long-established producers within the Guild, she believes responsibility goes hand in hand with openness:

“To ensure we preserve the integrity of gin but also welcome newcomers and encourage them to uphold the same standards.”

Looking ahead, Miranda remains optimistic. She believes the Guild can best support the next generation through “gin education and a platform for sharing and building knowledge for gin distillers,” particularly as the industry moves into its next phase following unprecedented growth.

She concludes: “Gin is still healthy and an important category and an essential ingredient in cocktails which continue to rise in popularity.”

Twenty years on, Miranda Hayman’s contribution stands as a reflection of Hayman’s enduring family legacy and the values instilled by her father.

Quick-Fire Q&A:

Favourite botanical to work with? Juniper! there would be no gin without juniper.

Neat, G&T, or cocktail? That is difficult, but a G&T is technically a cocktail so I will choose cocktails.

Negroni or Martini? Martini.

Copper or steel? Copper.

Classic or contemporary gin? Classic.

Still house smell you love the most? The intense piney citrus and warming spice aromas that fill the Distillery during distillation.