‘The craft beer and gin bar has been welcomed by the independent quarter in the town’

In the independent quarter of Taunton town centre is a craft beer and gin bar that is celebrating its first birthday and they are celebrating the “real feeling of community” that has greeted their arrival.

Robin Pendleton and his partner Paula Robinson opened Ninkasi last year and with the bar about to enjoy its first anniversary, Robin has told Somerset’s Alive! about how they have been welcomed into the town and their hopes for the year ahead.

Talking about the inception of the business, Robin said: “I was inspired to open a Craft Beer Bar many years ago through my passion for craft beer.

“The lack of craft beer available in Taunton also inspired me to open a bar for like minded people who would of previously had to jump on a train and visit craft beer bars or breweries in Bristol or further afield.”

The bar owner continued: “My partner Paula has shown an interest in craft beer since we met four years ago, however her true passion is gin, which is why we specialise in craft beer and gin.”

Robin believed that while craft beer is being enjoyed by both sexes in other parts of the country, Taunton had a gap where there wasn’t the same opportunity.

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He continued: “When visiting cities around the country, we found that there is a very good following of female craft beer lovers, however the same can’t be said about Taunton unfortunately, so this was another good reason to specialise in gin as well as beer, in the hope that this would encourage females to visit as well as males and avoid a male dominated venue.”

Ninkasi was born and Robin’s thoughts about having a venue which everyone can enjoy has been bearing fruit.

He added: “This collaboration between Paula and I, and Craft Beer and Gin has worked well and we are delighted that we see many females as well as males in our cosy little venue.

“We will be hosting our third Tap Take Over this weekend as part of our Birthday celebrations, however we are also in talks with one of our distillers with a view to hosting a gin tasting session. Keep an eye on our socials for updates.”

Since opening, Robin has been pleased with the welcome they have received and how the bar has fitted in with independent businesses in the Riverside area of the town centre.

He told Somerset’s Alive!: “We have fitted in very well, in particularly into the Independent Quarter of Taunton, where we are surrounded by a number of independent businesses, restaurants and shops.

“We know many of the neighbouring business owners, all of which have been welcoming and helpful during our first year and we love the real feeling of community in the area.”

The bar’s clientele have also given a positive reaction to the new venue being added to their night out.

Robin said: “We have had many positive comments from our customers, many of which are now regular. We also see customers come in for a drink before or after and many times both before and after having a meal at one of the many great restaurants nearby.”

With the first year under their belt, Robin said that there are plenty of plans for the continued growth of Ninkasi with collaboration being at the fore.

He said: “In our second year we plan to have more events which will include more frequent Tap Take Overs from some great breweries, we are also working on gin tastings, live music events, charity events and working with a nearby business to supply us with food for our customers.”

Find Ninkasi at 1 Riverside Place, Taunton TA1 1JH.