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If Romeo & Juliet switched fair Verona for Scotland and added in sex-obsessed grannies, violent gangsters and a killer soundtrack, then you’d likely end up with Mint.
The new BBC drama is a story of two star-crossed lovers from rival families, with a stacked cast of fresh talent and TV stalwarts.
Mint is created, written, directed and executive produced by Charlotte Regan, the filmmaker who won critical acclaim for 2023’s Scrapper.
Here’s everything you need to know about the gripping drama.
What is Mint about?
Mint tells the story of a gangster family that is torn apart when chance encounters lead to forbidden romances, gang rivalries and family secrets.
To say much more would quickly veer into spoiler territory. Expect the unexpected and then some.
Set in the shadows of a rural Scottish industrial town, the series grapples with themes of trust, violence and identity against the backdrop of a typical gangster drama, mixed with a Shakespearean romance.
Who is in the cast of Mint?
Emma Laird (The Brutalist) portrays Shannon, the princess of the crime family and the anchor of the series. As well as The Brutalist, viewers might also recognise the actress from the 28 Years Later movies, Agatha Christie whodunnit A Haunting in Venice, or her role as Iris in Mayor of Kingstown.
Shannon’s parents are played by Sam Riley (Maleficent) and Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad), while Lindsay Duncan (H Is for Hawk) stars as formidable family matriarch Ollie, who fears losing the family empire that she built.
Musician Ben Coyle-Larner makes his acting debut in Mint, stars as Arran, the man whose return to Scotland triggers gang war over his romance with Shannon.
Where was Mint filmed?
Grangemouth is the beating heart of the drama
Mint was filmed on location in the Scottish town of Grangemouth, around 35 minutes outside of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The town is home to Grangemouth Refinery, the UK’s oldest oil plant. It was closed in April 2025, but can be seen looming large throughout the series.
‘We were looking at post industrial landscapes,’ says producer Theo Barrowclough. ‘Grangemouth was originally a dock and a munitions town during the war and then it became an oil refinery after that. It was the beating heart of the community.’
Auchinleck station is where the star-crossed lovers first meet
Inchyra Station is the fictional name for the train station where Shannon and Arran first meet in the opening episode.
The actual location is Auchinleck Station in Ayrshire. It’s 60-odd miles from the show’s setting, but its architecture was a close match. ‘From the beginning of the script process, we had this romantic idea of them standing on a bridge above the trains,’ says Barrowclough. ‘We searched for something that felt a little more old-fashioned. That station is one of the last remaining ones in Scotland with that design. We had to shoot after midnight once the trains had stopped running.’
The couple have a secret date in an abandoned West Lothian shopping centre
When your budding romance threatens to tear apart two rival gangs, you’d best keep your dates to the shadows.
In episode 4, Shannon and Arran sneak off to the site of a derelict shopping centre for a romantic afternoon. These scenes were filmed at the Five Sisters Freeport Shopping Centre, near West Calder. The 50,000 square-foot outlet, which opened in 1996, has been derelict since 2004.
Inchyra Park is where Arran and Shannon go flying and sparks fly
Located in the heart of Grangemouth, Inchyra Park is where the lovebirds take to the skies in a moment of Charlotte Regan’s trademark magic realism in episode 4.
‘We had cranes and they were flying on wires which were then edited out,’ says Barrowclough. ‘We had to close off the park – it gets complicated and expensive because it would be so easy to ruin the park [when you’re using] cranes.
‘We got very lucky that the weather was amazing for those days. If it had been raining, we would’ve been fucked.’
Charlie Chan’s restaurant is where a date takes a shocking turn
As part of their secret rendezvous, Shannon and Arran meet for a meal at a Chinese restaurant.
Filmed at Charlie Chans in Cumbernauld, on the outskirts of Glasgow, the location provides a setting for a pivotal moment in the couple’s romance.
‘The appeal of that place was largely to do with that neon lighting being quite atmospheric,’ says Barrowclough. ‘The encounter at the restaurant is where they feel most in tune with each other as a couple, and there is something about the lighting of that restaurant that made it feel heightened and perfect for that moment.’
When can I watch Mint on BBC iPlayer?
All eight episodes of Mint are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.
For traditional TV fans, episodes will air on BBC One from Monday, April 20, with two 30-minute episodes from 9pm.
The final two episodes of the series are set to air on Monday, May 11.
Is there a trailer?
Yes, take a look at the clip below for a taste of the explosive drama.
