ONE of the county’s leading tourist attractions has expanded its offering with the launch of a brand new café.

The Bombay Sapphire Distillery last week announced the long-awaited opening of the Mill Café at its site in Laverstoke Mill.

The project has been in the pipeline for over a year and a half, with plans lodged in late 2017 before being granted in May the following year.

Prior to the opening of the Mill Café, the distillery had relied on the Manydown double-decker bus café to provide snacks and refreshments for guests. But now visitors will be able to enjoy the facility’s new locally sourced menu from within one of the site’s grade II listed buildings.

The café is located in what would have once been accommodation for the former paper mill’s workers, and while the interior has been renovated the exterior remains.

A statement from the distillery said the team has chosen “the highest quality ingredients possible, whilst keeping their carbon footprint and ‘food miles’ low” and also partnered with local producers in the area to create a menu that “celebrates local suppliers”.

Those local suppliers include the distillery’s neighbours at Laverstoke Park Farm, who produce the café’s buffalo milk cheeses, and the Hampshire Salami Company, in Wolverton, who produce salami for the charcuterie platters.

Char Teas and River Coffee Roasters, both from Winchester, will provide the teas and coffees, with the latter based on a unique botanical blend associated with the brand’s gin.

The café is available to ticketed visitors only, so booking in advance is recommended.

For more information go to distillery.bombaysapphire.com.