Fleurieu Gin makes move to expand capacity to allow weddings and functions onsite

A multi award-winning distiller has lodged plans and grant applications to allow it to host more than 100 guests at a time.

A multi international award-winning Gin distillery has lodged plans and grant applications with the government to expand it’s capacity to host functions and weddings in the future.

Owner and founder of Fleurieu Gin Shane Magor said that the continued growth of his passion project Gin brand and new distillery site has seen numbers of function inquiries come through his door.

“We started to have a couple of inquiries for weddings, and we realised the current capacity of 75 people wasn’t enough,” the 50-year-old said.

Artist renditions of Fleurieu Gin's cellar door and distillery that is looking to expand its licensing capacity to cater to large group functions and weddings. Picture: Supplied

“Everyone wanted 100 or 120 people so we started losing a fair few inquiries for functions because the site wasn’t big enough.

“So we thought that we should pull the pin and lets get the approval up to the size and standards.”

Under the proposal lodged with Planning SA and the council of Yankalilla, Fleurieu gin would expand its capacity to accommodate 200 guests, more than 100 over the current license amount.

If approved it would also increase the number of carparking spaces to 72, extend regular opening hours, add a new terrace bar and internal fit out, and allow live music within the cellar door.

But Mr Magor said the changes are currently dependant on a grant application made under the State Government’s Economic Recovery Fund.

“We did economic modelling (for the grant application) and the benefits for the region and the state are a really big returns … the numbers were mind blowing,” he said.

Shane Magor, owner and founder of Fleurieu Gin says the local economic boost his brand could have is “mindblowing”. Picture: Supplied

“It would create in excess of 20 jobs so for the local people it's a significant uplift.

“Hopefully the treasury department can see the economic benefits to the area … it is in the millions.”

Fleurieu Gin started in November of 2022 as a hobby for Mr Magor and his wife Kylie and has since won gold in the 2023 Australian Gin Awards, Silver at the London Spirit Competition the same year and the 2022 Tasting Australia bronze medal.

I developed this love of gin and decided to take on the challenge of making it myself and we had a pretty special piece of land in the family,” Mr Magor said.

“We thought we would incorporate my new liking for gin and had recently been to a wedding and thought the area needed a wedding venue and merged the two concepts together.

“It was all built with this vision that one day it may expand … we built it big to start with in the hopes we might be able to do what we were one day hoping to.”

If all goes to plan, Mr Magor is hopeful the changes will be completed and ready for open in late August to early September this year to kick of the start of next years tourism season.