THE makers of the famous NB Gin have been given permission to open a distillery which will be able to operate around the clock to meet international orders, as they look to expand their business.

NB Distillery Ltd, which produces the “Best London Dry Gin in the World”, applied for planning permission to build a bigger premises at Halfland Barns, near North Berwick, the site of a former mushroom farm.

The company, which was set up by husband-and-wife team Steve and Vivienne Muir, four years ago, has gone from strength to strength since it launched.

Originally producing the gin in their kitchen, they moved operations to a building on Tantallon Road but recently applied for planning permission to build a new, bigger premises to carry on their expanding business.

Vivienne Muir told a meeting of East Lothian Council’s planning committee on Tuesday that the company had successfully expanded to add NB Vodka to its catalogue and was now preparing to launch its own rum.

And she revealed the company plans to hold regular tours of the new distillery, including canapes served by award-winning North Berwick chef John Paul MacLachlan.

She said: “Our growth is significant and revenue continues a 60 per cent increase per annum.

“We are looking to launch a rum by the end of this year.”

Mrs Muir told the committee that the company’s current premises posed the biggest operational risk to its future because they had just a 30-day notice period on it.

She asked the committee to allow the new distillery to operate 24/7, despite restrictions on the current industrial premises at the former farm, which only allowed use between 8am and 8pm during the week.

She said that there were no plans for deliveries to come and go outwith 8.30am and 5.30pm during the week.

But, she said: “My husband Steven works full-time and occasionally may need access at night. We may also need access for packaging, it will not mean vehicle access.”

Council officials told the committee they had received five objections, with the main grounds being the round-the-clock operation and potential precedent for other businesses on the site, and additional vehicles on the road, impact of the building which is 18 metres long by 13 metres wide and 7.4 metres high.

Resident Nigel Imrie raised objections to the plans, saying the former farm should never have been made an industrial site and he had made numerous complaints about other people operating on the site already who, he claimed, breached the restrictions already in place, without any enforcement by the council.

Mr Imrie said there were potential sites in North Berwick which were better suited to industrial development and he raised concerns about a school bus which used the narrow road used by the industrial site workers, carrying 40 children daily.

Councillor Jim Goodfellow, ward member, suggested restrictions could be placed on the hours of operations at the distillery, as well as a condition to put higher shrubbery next to the building, which can be seen from the John Muir Way.

But his suggested amendments were not backed by fellow councillors, who moved to approve the planning application without any additional restrictions by 12 votes for and one abstention.

Council leader Willie Innes said: “This is a quality application from a quality company and we should not be putting things in the way of expansion.”

In 2015, NB Gin was voted the best London Dry Gin in the world.