Inaugural Glasgow gin festival attracts sponsor

Leading intellectual property firm Marks & Clerk has been named the official corporate sponsor of an inaugural gin festival in Glasgow happening this week.

True OriGINs – the Scottish Gin Festival – takes place on Friday 31 May and Saturday 1 June at The Briggait in the city’s Merchant City and is expected to attract some 1,500 people.

The event is the first of its kind in Glasgow to showcase only Scottish distilled and bottled gins – and Marks & Clerk is proud to toast its sponsorship of the unique gathering with organisers MFGF Events Limited.

Occasional tipplers and connoisseurs alike will be able to discover over 70 gins selected for their distinctive makers’ stories and brand style as part of a bespoke gin journey, including tastings and masterclasses.

Eight separate festival ‘regions’ will showcase gins from across Scotland – from the Highlands and Islands to the Borders, and all points in between.

True OriGINs is also a proud champion of Scotland’s thriving street food scene and will have a selection of vendors on hand offering the chance to sample tasty wood-fired pizzas and other sumptuous dishes.

The event is all topped off with an eclectic selection of great live music, including some of Glasgow’s best acoustic performers.

Mungo Finlayson, co-founder of MFGF Events, said: ‘We’re delighted to have the opportunity of launching in Glasgow, utilising the wonderful backdrop of the city’s former fish market – now a vibrant home for visual artists and cultural organisations – while tapping into its thriving gin scene.

True OriGINs co-organisers Mungo and Guy Finlayson raise their glasses

‘At its heart, the festival is just a great place to discover new and unique Scottish produce, whether it’s selections from our booming gin industry, something interesting for foodies to try, or fantastic local music.

‘Essentially, we’re striving to provide those attending with clear cut stories of honest products made by real people in a fun, interactive, discovery-led environment.

‘We’re working closely with the distilling community, the makers and mavericks, to bring attendees all that is new in gin, with the occasional surprise from other distillers.

‘However, none of it would be possible without vital sponsorship deals with supportive companies which help to ensure our sustained growth.

‘We’re therefore delighted to have Marks & Clerk as a key corporate sponsor. It’s great to have the firm on board, particularly as we share the values of nurturing Scottish producers and helping to put unique ideas on the map.’

Marks & Clerk has offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen, and the sponsorship deal was struck by its Edinburgh office.

Jason Chester from Marks & Clerk said: ‘The True OriGINs Festival in Glasgow is a perfect fit for us as we work closely with a number of breweries and distilleries, providing advice on brand and innovation protection.

‘We continue to see an upsurge of gin producers in what has become an increasingly competitive and innovative market.

‘We are proud to sponsor this thriving local event and hopefully can look forward to seeing it grow in the years to come. It’s not the first time that we’ve partnered with MFGF Events Limited and we hope to continue working closely together.

‘The relationship first came about when we became the proud sponsor of their Banchory Beer Festival in 2017, and we’ll be supporting it again this coming August.’

More information on the festival can be found at www.trueoriginsco.com