Martin Miller, inventor of his namesake gin, was a bon viveur and connoisseur of the finer things in life. A maverick, iconoclast and an entrepreneur, his first business venture was publishing an etiquette guide called Success with the Fairer Sex.

The following years saw Martin dabble in photography, organize pop concerts and then his love and knowledge of antiques led him to publish the famous Miller’s Antique Price Guides. Martin diversified into property and bought a string of boutique hotels in London and the country.

Martin also founded Miller’s Academy, the arts-and-science lecture venue in London, fashioned on a Victorian salon. Extremely popular it attracted many celebrity speakers from the world of the arts. He gave this up in 2008, “bored by the overexposure of all things Victorian Burlesque”.