Unique gin bottle to be auctioned for charity

A CRAFT gin distiller is to auction a bespoke Swarovski crystal-encrusted bottle of gin in aid of a local charity.

Brentingby Gin, based in the village near Melton, will auction the unique 700ml bottle of its London Dry Gin in aid of the Matt Hampson Foundation.

Launching on March 10, the bottle will be up for auction with online auctioneers The Grand Whisky Auction.

To create the one-off bottle, Brentingby Gin collaborated with Swarovski craft stoner, Black Swan Embellishment, which applied between 5,000 and 6,000 crystals.

Brentingby Gin founder Bruce Midgely said: “I wanted to not only highlight our London Dry offering but I also wanted to create one of the best-looking bottles on the market.

“This bottle definitely stands out from the crowd and has enabled us to be creative and has given us the capacity to produce something positive.

“It has been a focal point in helping us to keep positive and to be resilient when there is so much negativity out there.”

All of the proceeds of the auction will go to the Matt Hampson Foundation, set up to inspire and support young people seriously injured through sport.

The former Tigers and England Under-21s rugby player was left paralysed from the neck down in a sporting accident in 2005.

He set up the foundation in 2010 aiming to provide advice, support, relief and treatment for anyone suffering serious injury or disability which has primarily arisen from participation in or training for any sport or sporting activity.

It provides expert physiotherapy and specialised personal training from its gym as well as nutrition and health advice.

The auction runs until March 15.