‘We never planned to take the gin route – luckily, everyone has gone gin mad!’
MIKE and Kate Kindred’s award-winning business might have seemed almost like destiny.
They were not originally planning to open a gin bar. In fact, it wasn’t until they had actually taken over the properties that were to become their business that they decided on the gin focus.
“We had never actually really intended on going down the gin route,” explains Kate. “While we were working with our design guy, before we had actually opened, we were thinking about a name for the business and a logo and we discovered that there had been a gin distillery at one time along Market Street, so this is where the name Ginhaus developed from. And all the gin.
“Now we currently stock more than 400 different gins from around the world.”
It was when the Olive Branch Deli on Market Street in Llandeilo became available that the couple first started looking into their own project.
At the time Kate was working with Mike’s brother managing The Angel Inn in the town, while Mike was running his building firm.
When the French furniture and accessories shop next door also became available, fate seemed to have played its hand.
“We knew that the deli side was closing and that it would be available to rent,” explains Kate.
“Originally we thought we would just take over the deli and take over that side.
“However, as we were looking into it, the French furniture shop decided to move out too, and suddenly the whole ground floor was available.
“Initially we were a bit apprehensive about taking on a much larger space and a much bigger, costly refurbishment and set-up project, but we decided to go for it.”
It was Mike’s other business that helped the pair reach a very tight opening day deadline.
“We had something like four weeks to totally rebuild the space,” recalls Kate.
“It was very busy, building the kitchen, bar, moving the toilets, etc.
“There were lots of very long, busy days and our daughters were only four and six at the time, which made it more challenging.
“I remember we were still wiring the lights as people were arriving on the opening night.”
They did open on time, however. It was also the couple’s 10th wedding anniversary.
And while 10-year anniversaries are traditionally celebrated with tin or aluminium, Kate and Mike had gin. And lots of it.
“Lucky for us, everyone has gone a bit gin-mad recently,” laughs Kate.