TWO North Yorkshire businesses in the food and drink industry are teaming up for a new collaboration.

Michelin-starred restaurant, The Black Swan and Yorkshire’s self-built gin and whisky distillery, Cooper King Distillery, are working together on a new range of products.

The distillery, which launched its inaugural product, Cooper King Dry Gin earlier this year, will produce a range of bespoke spirits for The Black Swan, to feature throughout its famous drinks list at its Oldstead restaurant.

The spirits will also be featured at The Black Swan’s new restaurant, Roots York, opening in the centre of York this autumn.

Following extensive trial distillations, the first of the new spirits went into production on July 26.

Created using marigold flowers grown in the Black Swan’s kitchen garden, which are picked, delivered to the distillery and freshly distilled on the same day, the vacuum-distilled spirit was created in the hope of bottling a “summer-in-a-glass” aroma and floral flavour. More spirits will be distilled as other fruit, flowers and herbs come into season.

James Banks, co-owner at The Black Swan said: “It has been inspiring to follow Abbie and Chris’s journey in setting up Cooper King Distillery. With their infectious enthusiasm and meticulous attention to detail, it is no surprise that they are doing so well.

“These amazing distillates are enabling us to improve clarity, freshness and intensity of flavour to our drinks.”

With an aim to support businesses and increase tourism in the wider Yorkshire region, both The Black Swan and Cooper King Distillery work actively to collaborate with local businesses and have seen many previous creative collaborations with Yorkshire producers.

Based in Sutton-on-the-Forest, Cooper King Distillery was established by co-founders Chris Jaume, a chartered architect and Dr Abbie Neilson.

Whilst visiting Australia,the pair became fascinated by Tasmania’s eight operational whisky distilleries and the hand-crafted premium whisky industry, and set out on a mission to bring their discoveries back to England with an independent craft whisky and gin distillery.

Ms Neilson said: “We’re delighted to have partnered with The Black Swan and share in their passion for flavour.

“It’s fantastic to see that throughout its phenomenal success, the restaurant still remains passionate about collaborating with local, Yorkshire producers.”