A city-founded gin company will be unveiling its swanky new academy in the heart of Norwich this summer, it has been confirmed.

Gyre and Gimble, currently based in Charing Cross, is the latest tenant to move into the Royal Arcade.

Craig Allison and Rory Smith have been running the business since 2019 from its bar and distillery in Charing Cross.

Their new presence in Unit 6 in the historic arcade will enable them to increase the number of gin school sessions on offer and extend their in-person retail offering.

And the pair have now revealed they will be throwing open the doors in early June.

Craig said: "Because of its location, footfall and ambience, the Royal Arcade will make our business much more of a destination experience.

"People can book a session at the academy as part of a full day out where they can also enjoy some of the other delights on offer in the arcade.

"Our gin academy sessions are great fun and bring an extra dimension to a day out in the city.

"The unit in the Royal Arcade will give us enough room to be able to provide a fuller retail offering with our own products as well as drinks from all over the world. We’re aiming to have Norwich’s largest selection of spirits under one roof."

Gyre and Gimble’s academy teaches customers what ingredients make the best gin and distil their own concoction which is bottled for them to take home as part of the experience.

Footfall figures for the Royal Arcade continue to rise as more people return to the city centre.

The week leading up to the Easter weekend saw the year’s highest footfall, with more than 42,000 people passing through.

In the 12 months to April 17, just under two million shoppers have visited the Royal Arcade.

Simon Ashdown, director of LPC1 - the property management company running the Arcade on behalf of the owners - said: "I am delighted that Gyre and Gimble have joined the Royal Arcade community.

"It’s a really positive sign that demand for our units is high.

"We are well on the way to securing a number of other new tenants to join the attractive mix of independent retailers that call the Royal Arcade their home."