Our Story

Dorking Distillery was born from passion, purpose, and a bold vision to redefine modern craft spirits. From our custom-built distillery on the Denbies Wine Estate, we proudly continue the legacy of the world-renowned Gin Kitchen collection.

Our Team

Co-Founder

Mark Buckton

aka “Buck” is a grounding anchor within our team. Helping to drive the distillery’s expansion with his deep industry knowledge and trusted diligence. Mark strikes the perfect balance between encouraging our team’s creativity and growth, while keeping a keen eye on the figures and practicalities that underpin our success. His strategic insights are instrumental.

Co-Founder

Jacqui Hamlin

Queen of Production, fondly known as our "Jac of all trades," Jacqui brings wisdom, creativity, and hands-on expertise to every corner of our business. Her passion and dedication shine through in everything she does. She also leads our sustainability efforts, ensuring that Dorking Distillery grows responsibly, always with care for the environment and community at its heart.

Co-Founder

Serena Billinghurst


Serena is a driving force behind Dorking Distillery, a visionary leader with an instinct for innovation and an eye for opportunity. Her dynamic, creative approach inspires meaningful partnerships, bold collaborations, and exceptional experiences that shape the distillery’s distinctive spirit and enduring success.

Co-Founder

Jasmine Bilson

Jasmine effortlessly brings our team together with fun, laughter, and positivity. As our Creative Lead, she ensures every detail is beautifully considered and unmistakably “us” - from our visual identity to our unforgettable events. She elevates everything she touches, ensuring that every experience of Dorking Distillery is a truly memorable one.

art director

Charlotte Godfrey

Every beautifully painted element of Dorking Distillery, from our striking bottle designs to our exclusive art prints, comes from the hand of Charlotte, our in-house artist, content creator, and photographer. Charlotte shapes the visual heartbeat of our brand, capturing the spirit of Dorking Distillery both on canvas and on lens.

spirits creator & distiller

Reeba

The creative mastermind behind our drinks. With her exceptional attention to detail and intuitive understanding of flavour, she ensures that every creation is perfectly balanced - where aroma, taste, and finish come together in perfect harmony.

Her passion and precision make every bottle a true reflection of our philosophy: Spirits for the Senses.

Finance

Jax Bowes

Bringing positivity and organisation to our finances, Jax is our accounts lead, ensuring our books are accurate, our budgets are balanced, and our team can focus on crafting great spirits.

Our Extended Family

Since day one of our journey, we’ve been incredibly fortunate to work alongside some of the most brilliant, talented, and kind-hearted people we could have ever hoped for.

Each of them has gone above and beyond to help us get to where we are today, and we are deeply grateful.

We want to give special thanks to:

To the Surrey Business Growth Grant team for believing in us and getting us over the finish line!

Meg Mitchell – Thank you for helping us build our brand and website with such patience, creativity, and invaluable advice. We can’t wait to welcome you back to the stills when baby Connie is ready for Mum to return!

Thank you to all of the Denbies Team for making us so welcome.

Thank you Dane and Rob at H Webber & Sons for all your help getting us set up.

Kate Gregory - A very special thank you to Kate for her incredible help, guidance, and unwavering support. Her generosity and expertise have been pivotal in shaping Dorking Distillery, we genuinely wouldn’t be here without you!

Gill Barker – A founding member of the group, Gill was instrumental in our startup. We are so grateful for the time, love, and investment she has poured into Dorking Distillery.
She will always be a cherished and longstanding member of the DD family.

Maggie Law – The mastermind behind our distillery build. Maggie, we are eternally grateful for your exceptional organisation, planning, and the brilliant banter that made the process not only possible but enjoyable. You brought our vision to life at Denbies and gave us a home.

Huge thanks to Jim Stewart and the Shred & Butta crew, Duncan Billinghurst and the Armour team, our builder Josh, Rob and Laura from Inspiral Flooring, and Sam Crowe from OCR Surveying for helping us navigate the joys of building regulations and Tom at VKHP. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Kim Rowley – Your stunning photography brought our bottles to life. It was an absolute joy working with you.

Village Greens – Thank you for welcoming us into your farm shop every Saturday in the lead-up to our opening. Your warmth and support mean the world to us, and we’re so proud to now call you our neighbours!

Nick Webber – For your help with our initial logo designs and bringing your creative energy to the group

Ray, Anna, Emma and Fran for your help painting, moving and bar work!

All our friends and family, for bearing with us and allowing Dorking Distillery to become such a big part of our lives!

.