Eden Mill St Andrews

clairey_fairy

13 May 2019

Gin Tasting Experience

5

5

Date of visit: April 2019

I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: moving around

Overall Rating

Excellent

Fantastic temporary build to enjoy gin and whiskey tasting experiences, accessible for wheelchair users.

Disabled Access In and Around

Excellent

At the entrance to where you do the gin tasting, there is a small portable ramp permanently placed to allow easier access for visitors who struggle with steps. You first enter into the Eden Mill gift shop which is spacious enough for wheelchair users and there is seats here for you to relax and finish off your drinks after your tasting session has finished. Some of the shelves are quite high for visitors to reach items for sale however, there is always a member of staff available to help. The till area was at a reasonable height for wheelchairs. You then go behind the gift shop and into another area where the tasting sessions take place. There was a small fabric ramp to help access here (see image). When I visited there were 3 tables set up however, only one was really accessible to me in my wheelchair and it was the one right in front as you entered. The tables and chairs are able to moved around though so, if you wanted to sit further in then I’m sure they would try to accommodate this. The tables are made out of old barrels and are quite high up, I am able to raise my wheelchair up but I did still struggle to reach my drink because of my footplates. Luckily I had my carer with me to help pass me my drink. You are able to see the area where staff present during each session. There are a few barrel tables available outside beside the carpark which is also quite spacious.

Parking & Transport

Excellent

There is parking spaces available on the grounds of Eden Mill, right outside the dome where you take part in the experiences. Lines aren’t painted on the ground to show designated accessible parking spaces but, there is plenty of space for at least 5 cars to be evenly spaced out though. I am not sure about the local transport in St Andrews as I am not from here however, it is at least a 10-minute drive outwith the city centre so I don’t think a lot of buses go past and you would have to get a taxi if you came into St Andrews by train.

Accessible Toilets

Excellent

There are two on-site accessible toilets available for all visitors to use that are accessed by a platformed ramp. The toilets are like porta-cabins but, very spacious. Any sized wheelchair would fit and you would be able to have numerous people assisting you. Although even though it's very spacious, the toilet is tightly located in the left-hand side of the room so wheelchair users would only be able to transfer at the right-hand side. Unfortunately, there isn’t a Changing Places toilet on-site and I’m not sure where the nearest one is.

Staff

Excellent

All staff during our visit were extremely welcoming and very friendly. Gemma was the staff member who presented during our session and she was great.

Additional Information

If you are driving when going to any of the experiences you get a non-alcoholic drink during your visit and get the tasting samples to take home with you.