Didsbury Gin Original Crisp & Zesty, No Additives & Vegan Friendly - 70 cl

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Entrepreneurs Liam Manton and Mark Smallwood had just three minutes to convince Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Jenny Campbell and Tej Lalvani their small batch spirit was worthy of their cash. The pair had been deliberating whether to serve the would-be investors a single or a double measure of gin as they waited in the green room for their turn. From hired gun to falling in love with the firm: how former boss of Hollyoaks studio helped transform Ultimate Products Because it was booze we had to go in last, so we were there from 5am in an entrepreneur green room. We just sat and watched Only Fools and Horses whilst everyone else went mad. Inspired by the summer, the liqueur has a hint of shimmer and features flavours including raspberry jelly and creamy vanilla and custard.

Six months later, and Alderman's Didsbury Gin had appeared on the shelves of Harvey Nicholls. And, after an appearance on Dragon's Den three years ago, the business spiralled with the help of a five-figure investment from dragon, Jenny Campbell. From March 16, shoppers will be able to get their hands on gin liqueur flavours including summer trifle; strawberry lemonade; raspberry, vanilla and coconut; and raspberry and watermelon. The range saw success last summer with flavours including passion fruit gin liqueur and Parma Violet Shimmer Gin. Jo Hilditch made her first batch of cassis in 2005, and secured a contract with Fortnum & Mason a few years later in 2008. The brand launched in November 2018; its portfolio includes the overproof Grenade rum range and the Two Swallows brand.Mark and Liam started out making the gin in Liam's Didsbury living room in 2017 while juggling full time jobs.

Dragons' Den investors Touker Suleyman, Jenny Campbell, Deborah Meaden, Tej Lalvani and Peter Jones (Image: BBC/Andrew Farrington) It was a quite intense situation for everyone but for me it was a national disgrace that hospitals like the Christie - who have just been treating my dad for the past two months - didn’t have access to the bare essentials to do their job." I was approached by the Mayor's office and then Sacha Lord who said the NHS were struggling to get any hand sanitiser and I thought maybe we could make some," Liam said. And this year, the range has been extended with four new flavours of gin liqueur and one new vodka liqueur.Jenny has taken a 33.3% stake in the business, with the promise of helping them to reduce costs and increase production, so they can offer the right price point to take their gin to bigger retailers and restaurant and bar chains.

Mark said: “We loved having the opportunity to appear on the show, and when Jenny offered to invest, everything just seemed like it was coming together. It's been a tough year for business amid the pandemic, but Didsbury Gin has reported a record year.It was also despite pivoting to producing millions of bottles worth of hand sanitiser at the height of the pandemic, all before of a single tweet. Read More Related Articles

Liam said he and Mark were motivated to help after seeing a number of businesses profiting from selling hand sanitiser to businesses at an inflated rate during the pandemic. This is a staggering 1295 per cent increase since the duo behind the company landed investment from entrepreneur Jenny Campbell in 2018. Just over a year after their appearance on the BBC show, the coronavirus pandemic hit. Overnight, the business lost 80 per cent of its revenue, as bars and restaurants across the country were forced to close their doors.But the most exciting thing for the business is, in January we will be announcing another product. We’re not able to say anything yet, but you may be surprised to hear that... it isn’t gin.” But a day or two after them both losing their jobs, the show approached them again and their offer was accepted. The duo started their gin journey with a desire to encapsulate the spirit and charm of Didsbury within a bottle. After numerous attempts and meticulous tweaking, they devised a formula that does precisely that. Didsbury Gin marries traditional artisan methods and innovative flavours, offering a smooth, crisp, and nuanced palate that appeals to both traditional gin lovers and newcomers alike.