Whitby Folk – the owner of Moor & Tide Whitby Gin Shop
Whitby is full of interesting people. Through their daily work they help keep the town ticking and help make it a great town to visit.
Shoreline Cottages has interviewed a number of these ‘Whitby folk’ to find out why they love the town so much and how they think it’s changed.
Today we meet Amanda Shaw, the owner of Moor & Tide, a fabulous shop in Whitby that sells a wide selection of spirits and unique gifts.
Do you mind telling us how old you are? 53 years old.
Have you lived in Whitby all your life? I’m originally from Northumberland but I moved here with family 40 years ago.
Can you tell us a little about your job? I am the shop owner and my job is to source, buy and sell the stock. I’ve been doing this for 3 years and I like meeting people and chatting to them. This shop used to be the Yorkshire Gift Shop selling and stocked all Yorkshire made gifts. I went to a food festival and came across Masons Yorkshire Gin. I stocked it for a while in the Yorkshire Gift Shop but due to massive demand I decided to turn the shop into the Whitby Gin Shop and I now sell a range of regional and local gins. The most popular is Whitby Gin.
What do you love most about Whitby? I love being on the coast and by the sea. Whitby has a nice holiday atmosphere and people are generally happy.
What do you like least about Whitby? I live in the valley so the worst thing for me is the winter months when it snows and I have trouble getting into town. The parking in Whitby needs improving too!
What has changed in the town over the past 10 years or so? Whitby has got a lot busier. People seem to visit from much further away – there’s lots of Japanese, Chinese and Americans. There is a much broader range of shops now.
Do you have any children? Yes, I have 2 boys. Alex is 20 and he’s at Newcastle University. Tom is 23 and is a mechanic. Tom has settled in Whitby but I don’t think Alex will come back here to live.
In your spare time what do you like to do? I enjoy gardening and walking.
Will you ever leave Whitby? I’d like to go back to Northumberland and will probably retire there but I do really like Whitby.
