Shake, Stir, Sip: Gin Cocktail Recipes for a Spirited Evening

Are you ready to embark on a delightful journey through the world of gin cocktail recipes? Whether you're a seasoned mixologist or a novice bartender, there's always room for some gin-spiration in your life. So, grab your shaker, dust off those fancy glasses, and let's dive into the world of gin-tastic concoctions!

 

Classic Gin and Tonic


Let's start with the basics, shall we? For a classic Gin and Tonic, all you need is gin, tonic water, ice, and a slice of lime. Simple, right? Just remember, the key to perfection is in the balance of gin and tonic. Go easy on the gin for a refreshing sipper.

Gin Fizz:


Feeling a little bubbly? Combine gin, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and soda water. Shake it up, and you've got yourself a fizzy, zesty delight. Perfect for brunch or a sunny afternoon by the pool.

Gimlet


This one's for the lime lovers. Mix gin with sweetened lime juice, and voilà! You've got a tangy, citrusy masterpiece. It's like a burst of summer in your mouth.

Negroni


If you're in the mood for something bittersweet, try a Negroni. Equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth, this cocktail is a harmonious symphony of flavors. Don't forget the orange peel garnish for that extra oomph.

Aviation


Let's wrap up our gin-tastic journey with an Aviation cocktail. This delightful blend of gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice is like a fragrant bouquet in a glass. Elegant and aromatic!

Using Gin from Shed One Gin in these cocktails is a fantastic idea that promises to elevate your mixology game. Shed One is renowned for its premium quality and unique botanical blends, which can add a distinctive and delectable twist to your favorite gin cocktails. The artisanal craftsmanship behind Shed One ensures that each sip is a journey through carefully curated flavors, making your cocktails truly exceptional.

Cheers to your gin-spired adventures, and may your evenings be filled with laughter, good company, and plenty of gin cocktail delights! So, which one will you be sipping tonight? Gin and Tonic, or perhaps an Aviation for a touch of elegance? The choice is yours, my gin-loving friends!

Click here for more serving suggestions.

Shed One Yiayia Gin Launch

YiaYia Gin

Purchase Yiayia Gin here.

A very special collaboration between Zoe of award-winning Shed One, and Irini Tzortzoglou, Masterchef Champion.

Made with botanicals inspired by Irini's birthplace: Heraklion, Crete and dedicated to all the Grandmothers, their strength and support. Yiayia (Greek for Grandmother) has been inspired, created, distilled and bottled by women. Zoe, Lindsay & Thea from Shed One and Irini.

"Yiayia Irini was hospitable and a feeder. Yiayia Stavroula was tender, warm and generous. Grandmothers are valued and revered figures, passing on life lessons, treats and wonderful memories. Yiayia is truly loved by all." Irini Tzortzoglou

Made with botanicals inspired by Irini's birthplace: Heraklion, Crete and dedicated to all the Grandmothers, their strength and support. Yiayia (Greek for Grandmother) has been inspired, created, distilled and bottled by women. Zoe, Lindsay & Thea from Shed One and Irini.

A blend of juniper, fig leaves, olive leaves, rose pelargonium, vine leaves, oregano, lemon leaves and more.

Review of Yiayia Gin

Great sipping gin and as a classic serve G&T.
Alone: Good balance of rich and lighter. Nice mix of flavours: herby, countryside, savoury, citrus. Well balanced with a breadth of flavour. Good mouth feel and finish.
As a G&T: Opens up, top notes come through. Richer savoury still present. Longer finish with citrus.

You can find out all about Yiayia Gin here.

Purchase Yiayia Gin here.

VisitEngland Awards for Excellence

Exciting news for gin lovers and tourism enthusiasts alike! Shed One, the popular gin distillery in Cumbria, has been announced as a finalist in VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. The national finals will see the distillery compete for the bronze, silver, or gold prize in their category. Shed One's success follows their recent win of Cumbria's Visitor Experience of the Year award, cementing their position as a top contender in the tourism industry.

The finals will take place on June 7th, at Warner Brothers Studio, London.

Gins

Shed One Gin Gift Set_10cl

At the heart of Shed One is our fantastic range of gin, which is crafted to perfection, making it a favourite among gin enthusiasts. The range include contemporary London Dry Cuckold's Revenge, Fancy Frolic, Giggle in the Ginnel. If you're into spice, fruit, floral or something more traditional, Shed One has a gin for you. Crafted by us, the owners and distillers Andy & Zoe. We are ably assisted by our team-Lindsay, Gin Elf; Thea, Botanical Pixie, and the newest Shedder, Greg, aka Juniper Sprite! We also create bespoke, artisan gins for special occasions, company milestones and business own label. Watch out for a very special gin launching in June; a collaboration with a Masterchef Champion.

Experiences

Gin Tasting_Making_Visitor Space_Shed 1 Gin

This isn't just any gin distillery, however. Shed One offers a range of gin experiences, including the popular Make Your Own Gin workshop, botanical-inspired Afternoon G&Tea, and informative Distillery Tours and Gin Tastings. We've also made sure our facilities are accessible to all visitors. We have wheelchair access throughout and hands-on tours for visually-impaired guests. Groups are kept small so every guest can relax and feel free to ask questions and be involved. After visits from a Mystery Shopper, Shed One won Cumbria Tourism's Experience of the Year. It's due to this award that we were put forward to VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

Feedback

"It's no surprise that Shed One has made it this far in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. Their commitment to quality and innovation is evident in every aspect of their business. From their handcrafted gin to their exceptional customer service, they've truly earned their place among the best of the best. Congratulations to Shed One and the other seven Cumbrian finalists for making it this far."

To find out more about all the finalists, including the SEVEN Cumbrian businesses, go to VisitEngland Awards for Excellence website.

Earth Month

Earth Month, April 2023

 

From our partners, Ecologi:

Earth Day aims to highlight the power that we hold as individuals, as each and every one of us can really make a difference together – through the power of collective action.

More than 1 billion people in 192 countries now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.

You could also register for an Earth Day event near your hometown or join a Cleanup. Earthday.org also provides 52 Ways to Get Involved with Earth Day to help you choose an action.

If you’re looking to start making a positive impact on the environment today, you can also read our Ecologi guide to Environmental activism, which also talks about making your personal finances greener, and for businesses head to our Ecologi Zero page to learn more about our real-time carbon footprinting product for every business.

Earth Day is April 17th.

But you can make a difference any day of any month!

This is our Environmental Sustainability Infographic showing actions we have taken. We've also added a second hand IBC to store our "waste" water to be used to water our pallet garden. Our team take part in face to face workshops and online eco-training. This keeps us all up to date with latest developments, plus can inspire us to add more green initiatives.

For more information about our initiatives, read our Sustainability Commitment.

Awards

Shed One, Winner of The Gin Guide's Environmental Sustainability Award: 2020/2021 & 2022.
Green Small Business Certified. Audited yearly.
Green Tourism Silver Award

environmental sustainability business

 

North West Family Business Awards

Lake District micro gin producer is a four-time finalist in the North West Family Business Awards 2023!

Shed One, a small batch craft gin producer on the edge of the Lake District has been named as a finalist in four categories at the North West Family Business Awards 2023.

Co-owned and run by husband and wife team, Andy & Zoe Arnold-Bennett, Shed One has seen off strong competition with a record number of family businesses entering the awards from across the entire North West region.

The Ulverston-based business has been successfully shortlisted in each of the following categories:

This year’s North West Family Business Awards ceremony will be held at The Concorde Conference Centre near Manchester Airport on Friday 19th May. The first class event will be co-hosted by Dave Clarkson and Sue Howorth of The Family Business Community, alongside renowned food and drink writer and presenter, Nigel Barden.

Andy and Zoe_Shed One Gin Distillery_Cumbria

Overwhelmed!

Shed One co-owner and founder, Zoe Arnold-Bennett, said: “It’s quite overwhelming to be finalists in as many as four categories, which just goes to show the many facets of Shed One. With our ever-growing range of gin-based experiences at the distillery, we’ve developed into so much more than when we originally started as a gin producer.  And of course we’re delighted the North West Family Business Awards judges have recognised this too.

“We’re a true family business in every sense and many of our loyal customers tell us they feel proud to be welcomed in as part of the Shed One family. In fact, back in 2019, we received the ‘Going Places’ accolade at these very awards! So, four years on, we hope to prove them right and will be looking forward to the event in Manchester!”

Shed One

Shed One produces eight premium gins, gin liqueurs, and gin jelly marmalade from a former old calf shed distillery in Ulverston. The award winning visitor attraction also hosts distillery tours and gin tastings, Afternoon G&Teas, intimate weddings and gin elopements, and a wide range of gin-based experiences.

North West Family Business Awards

Co-founder and Director of The North West Family Business Awards, Sue Howorth, said: “We were inundated with some incredible entries, and we have been burning the midnight oil to get through them as they came in right up to the wire. The judges had extremely difficult decisions to make so the finalists should be extremely proud of themselves!

Co-director, Dave Clarkson added: "A huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to fill out an application form and enter. We’ve been absolutely blown away by the strength and diversity of applications.”

Sue Bagguley from Siemens PLC near Manchester, and who were the hosts of The North West Family Business Awards Judging Day, said: “The number and quality of applications from across the North West has been outstanding, the businesses are clearly proud to be family businesses and the detail in many of the entries has demonstrated that they are very progressive and innovative.”

Shed One Gin Shed Experiences Visitor Space

The finalists will now receive a visit from a specially selected panel of expert judges before the final decisions are made. The winners will be announced at what promises to be a fun and vibrant awards celebration on Friday 19th May 2023. You can find out more about the awards by visiting: https://www.northwestfamilybusinessawards.co.uk.

Artisan Workshops at Shed One

We love to showcase local and we're pleased to announce even more artisan workshops at Shed One.

Developing Shed One

Launching in our Garden Shed in 2016, we have come a long way. Since being in The Old Calf Shed, since 2019, our bigger distillery and visitor space/bar/shop has given us more opportunities. We can share it with other artisans and showcase some of the amazing talent that is around us. In 2022 we co-hosted candle-making and abstract printing workshops. These artisan workshops at Shed One proved very popular, and we contacted more talented craftspeople.

 

Jess Levine_Gelli Plate_Abstract Printing_Shed One_Cumbria

 

So far, in 2023, Jess Levine has returned with her abstract gelli-plate printing and Sally Whittaker has needle felted a long-eared rabbit. To come includes Sarah Atkinson creating herbal ointments, Thea returning with her eco-botanical candles and we're chatting to Gemma, from Nature's Gem Tours, about co-hosting nature walks (ending at Shed One for a chat and a G&T). Situated on the side of Ulverston Canal and with our green credentials, it's a great partnership

 

Needle Felt_Sally Whittaker_Shed One

Special Events Page

All the details can be found on our Special Events page. As well as artisan workshops at Shed One, you'll also see dates for our Cocktail and Cakes events. These are monthly, on a Friday between 3pm and 7pm. One gin cocktail and 3 bite-sized cakes from our Afternoon G&Tea menu. Below is an example of what's on offer. Different cocktail each month.

 

Canalside Cocktail Shed 1 Gin Cocktail and Cake Fridays

 

Future Events

Do check on our special events page for updates to artisan workshops at Shed One. Plus, if you are a local artisan, get in touch if you'd like to co-host a workshop. We're always up for new ideas.

Gin Experiences

Of course, we continue to host our Gin Experiences on a regular basis. Distillery Tour & Gin Tastings, Botanical-inspired Afternoon G&Teas & our Gin School. All run by us, Andy & Zoe, the owners and distillers of Shed One. Ably assisted by our brilliant Gin Elf & Botanical Pixie. Link to those is here.

Valentine's Day-Not Just For Lovers

Love it or hate it, Valentine's Day is almost upon us!

 

 

Shed Loads of Love

In 2017, we created a gin called Shed Loads of Love. We combined floral and fruit with a hint of chilli to create a sumptuous celebration of love! In 2018 we entered it in the Great Taste Awards and we were so chuffed that the judges agreed with us. Zoe also makes a Shed Loads of Love marmalade. As with all our marmalades, we donate part of each sale to charity through our Marmalade Fund

 

But what does Valentine's Day mean to you? Many people think of it as being too commercialised, that perhaps it's become more about things than feelings. This could be true, but we also think that having a day that encourages positive, kind feelings and an appreciation for others isn't such a bad thing.

 

 

Put it in the diary

With all the best of intentions, finding time to spend quality time with the people we care about it can be challenging. For Andy & I, and our friends, there's only one way of making sure we put time to one side and that's "Put it in the diary". Whether arranging a phone call, a dinner date or a gathering, Valentine's Day is one of those times that easily lends itself to that diary entry.

It's the same for taking care of ourselves. Show yourself some love and make time to have that relaxing bath, light a botanically-scented candle, read a book, or just close your eyes and breathe. Regularly checking in with yourself and touching base with how you feel is something many of us neglect.

 

 

Lovers, Friends, Family, Yourself

 

Valentine's Day is not only a day to celebrate your significant partner. It's a time to celebrate everyone important to you, including yourself, and those who are no longer with us. Any day that puts love and kindness at its fore gets our vote. It doesn't have to be about splashing the cash. We love these Valentine's Cheques you can download from MoneySavingExpert. Let your imagination run wild! You can also find Valentine's deals on the site, too.

 

However, you choose to celebrate, or not, we wish you a lovely day. We will be raising a glass to all our loved ones, including those who are no longer with us. Cheers!

 

Shed One Gin_Afternoon Tea_Special Events

2023 at Shed One

We've decided to have a very ginspirational 2023 at Shed One!

New Gins

As well as creating new gins for Shed One, we're working with some very special people on small batch, limited edition, bespoke gins. Plus, since producing our Ulverston gin, made with botanicals foraged around the neighbourhood, we have plans for another locally-foraged gin in collaboration with a local beauty spot. It will also give us a year round supply of ingredients to use in our gins and Afternoon G&Teas.

 

A bottle of Ulverston Gin on a table with the foraging map and botanicals behind.

 

2023 at Shed One

In 2022 we started our "Crafternoons". Usually a Sunday, sometimes another day, we invite a local artisan to host a workshop. We provide the venue, the G&T and a few sweet treats. Thea guided a couple of groups through the art of candle-making, using eco-soya wax and natural oils.

 

Candle, gin still, scones

 

Jess Levine encouraged us to all get messy with her Abstract Printing Workshop. Both will be back in 2023 at Shed One for more. So far, they'll be joined by Medical Herbalist, Sarah Atkinson and Needle Felter, Sally Whittaker.

For more information about our Crafternoons, head to our Special Events at the Shed. We're just finalising details and dates and if you want to be kept in the loop, please contact us and we will add you to the Crafternoon mailing list.

 

Crafternoon at the Shed. Abstract printing with Jess Levine.

 

Cocktail & Cakes

Talking of Special Events at the Shed, we're adding more dates to our Cocktail & Cakes events. Available on a Friday (once or twice a month) we'll be mixing one kind of cocktail and including 3 mini cakes. A nice, end of the week treat for you and your friends & family.

More dates will be added.

 

 

Arguably, the most special events in 2023 at Shed One...

Gin Elopements & Weddings

Specialising in Gin Elopements, we've been honoured to host a few wedding celebrations and we're looking forward to more.

Just the couple, with us as witnesses, or up to 30 guests, Shed One has proved to be a perfect place for a stylish and slightly quirky celebration. It's definitely unique!

 

 

Environmental Sustainability

Finally, whatever we do in 2023 at Shed One, we will continue to be environmentally sustainable including more researching and implementing of green initiatives. We already have a couple of ideas for saving more water and sourcing a greener bottle. We're also pleased to say that we're continuing our partnership with the charities, Furness Homeless Support Group and Cumbria Action for Sustainability through our Marmalade Fund.

Thank you for all your continued support.

 

Awards_Shed 1 Gin_Cumbria Experience of the Year_2022

Gin Shed Highlights from 2022

 

We hope you enjoy some of the gin shed highlights from 2022. 

It's been great to remind ourselves of so many great times in and out of our gin shed.
Ulverston's Dickensian Festival was a great excuse for dressing up, as were a few award ceremonies. We were blown away when we won Cumbria Tourism's Experience of the Year for our Gin School.
The gin shed highlights from 2022 will always be our lovely visitors, both human and canine! The shed has been full of laughter, smiles and even quite a bit of knowledge gathering. We created a charity/community gin: Ulverston Gin, which became a true labour of love. It's also been ginspiration for some 2023 projects...watch this space!

Charity Marmalade Fund

Shed 1 Gin Charity Marmalade Fund

Many of you know we have a Marmalade Fund. Money we raise goes into the fund and is then donated to charity. Our charity partners are Furness Homeless Support Group & Cumbria Action for Sustainability.

We are so pleased to tell you that one of the best gin shed highlights from 2022 was, we raised over £3,000. This was through selling our gin jelly marmalade, Ulverston Gin, donations from community group Gin Talks and a couple of awareness raising events at the Shed. Each charity has received 50% of the total and we did a £250.00 shop for FHSG for their community festive meals/presents. Cannot thank you all enough for helping us to support our community.

 

We also made financial/product donations to the following charities and groups:
Another Fine Fest, Ulverston
Great Ormond Street
Heron Mill
Farmers Arms (Grizedale Arts)
Vision Support, Barrow & District
St Mary’s Hospice
MacMillan
CHOC
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)
Myton Hospice
Glasson Community Association
Croftlands Junior School
South Lakes Citizens’ Advice
Furness Refugee Support
The Roxy Cinema Collective
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

 

Ecologi

 

Our forest is growing!
We won The Gin Guide's Environmental Sustainability Award for the 3rd year running in 2022! As well as our green initiatives we continue to plant trees and support humanitarian and environmental projects through out partnership with Ecologi. You can visit our forest here.

 

 

2023

 

Bring it on!
2023 is already looking like a big adventure for us Shedders. We'll be hitting the year running. Of course, we can't ignore the many issues facing us, and so many small businesses and individuals, but we've come this far and we have no intention of giving up. The Shed makes us smile, it is our refuge, and sharing it with all of you is a privilege. We're looking forward to you joining us for many more highlights.
Cheers!

Best wishes,
Andy, Zoe, Lindsay, Thea & Gertie "distillery dog"
"The Shedders"

Festive Hamper Giveaway

Our Festive Hamper Giveaway is very simple.

Gin orders (online and at The Shed) from November 1st until December 15th, will be entered into our festive hamper giveaway.

Products and experiences, included.

Up to two entries per person.

 

 

 

What's in the Gin Box?

20cl Shed 1 Festive Bramble Gin Elixir. Made with foraged and locally-grown blackberries, Heritage Apples, Plums, Sloes and Damsons. World Gin Awards winner: Flavoured Gin & World Liqueur Awards: Fruit Liqueur.
10cl Shed 1 Festive Tipple Gin
2 x Gin Jelly Marmalade* We use fresh zest in our gins. We take the fresh fruit and mix with botanicals, then boil and add a splosh of Gin!
1 x Shed 1 Hand Sanitiser*
1 x Shed 1 Festive Greetings Card
1 x Shed 1/Wavy Grain Keyring*
Tasting Notes & Coasters

 

How many Hampers?

Seeing double?

Shed 1 Gin Festive Hamper Double

Not one, but TWO Festive Hampers are up for grabs. So, if you don't win in the first drawer, you'll automatically have a second chance!

For more ginspiration, check out our Shop.

 

Individually, the products in our Festive Hamper Giveaway would cost over £60.00.

*Part of every sale of these products goes to charity. We will be adding that amount to our Marmalade Fund on your behalf.

We will post/courier the hampers to arrive before Christmas.

You must be over 18.
Delivery only to UK addresses.

Cocktail and Cakes

Come and enjoy a cocktail & cakes at the Gin Shed!

What's on the menu? Each Friday, in December, there will be one type of Cocktail on offer (see the dates below), plus 3 mini cakes from our Afternoon G&Tea Menu*. If you like a cocktail and you like cake...you're going to love our cocktail and cakes events!

 

 

Dates for your diary. CLICK THE DATES to purchase tickets.

Friday, December 2nd: Festive Bramble

Incorporates our Festive Bramble Gin Elixir.

Friday, December 9th: Ulverston Kiss

Made with our very special, limited edition, Ulverston Gin.

Friday, December 16th: The Canalside

This cocktail makes use of our Fancy Frolic Gin.

Friday, December 23rd: Shed 1 Breakfast Martini

At The Old Calf Shed's Grand Opening in 2019, these went down a storm! Includes our Festive Tipple Gin and Festive Tipple Gin Marmalade.

 

*Extra drinks can be purchased during your visit.

 

 

 

Kindred Spirit Cocktails

 

Tom, owner of Ulverston's Kindred Spirit Cocktails, helps us develop our cocktails. We've had quite a few giggly afternoons at The Shed trying this and that. Adding and tweaking, until we create a cocktail that we all love. It's a difficult job, but we're very glad we get to do it!

If you have any questions about our cocktail and cakes events, you can contact us via email or phone.

 

National Launch of Limited Edition Ulverston Gin

National Launch of Limited Edition Ulverston Gin

As of Friday, September 23rd, our very special, limited edition, Ulverston Gin is available nationwide through our online shop.

Since we launched locally, we have sold about a third of the 300 bottles available. With the national launch of limited edition Ulverston Gin, we're now able to share our latest creation with you, wherever you live in the UK. Postage is free with 2nd class, or we can send via 1st class for an additional fee.

Reviews from our Local Launch

The feedback for Ulverston has been great.

“Yet another exciting new gin, full of wonderful local flavours from the surrounding countryside. Congratulations!”

“Smooth, beautiful design, a bit too easy to drink! A-MAZE-GIN! Thank you.”

“The subtle botanicals enhance the gin to a beautiful finish. Fabulous concept and package-such skill and artistry.”

“Just love both the design and taste. V. clever indeed. Will study, learn and enjoy. Congratulations all involved.”

Review from Paul Jackson, Founder of The Gin Guide

"Ulverston Gin brings together herbal, herbaceous and floral notes in a showcase of local Cumbrian botanicals that is flavoursome, skilfully balanced and has a charming sense of provenance. The fresh herbal notes intertwine with the savoury herbaceous notes, while the floral botanicals have presence but without being overbearing. It is a gin that has been a labour of love for Andy & Zoe and this really shows in the finished product - a gin that Ulverston can be very proud of."

 

Ulverston Gin Bottle on a table with the foraging map and botanicals all around

Link to Purchase
You can purchase Ulverston gin directly from the Old Calf Shed in Ulverston, or order from our online shop.
The Full Story
For all the details about this project, the botanicals we used, and the people and groups involved, please click here.

Cumbria's Experience of the Year

We only went and won Cumbria's Experience of the Year!

The Mystery Shopper looked at every aspect of our small business and wrote a lengthy, and very useful, report. Their conclusion was...

"...All in all the experience was excellent. It was well curated but informal in style. It felt intimate and relaxed. It was fun and yet we learned so much along the way. The others on the visit seemed to equally enjoy their afternoon..."

“The winners of the Cumbria Tourism Awards 2022 were announced on Wednesday 6 July at a glittering award ceremony at the Castle Green Hotel in Kendal.  Due to the pandemic, this was the first time the awards have been held since 2019 and 260+ guests came together in an evening of celebration to honour and recognise our high-achieving tourism businesses. The awards celebrate the very best of Cumbria’s vibrant tourism economy and the winners have shown that they are offering fantastic quality, service and care to our visitors against a backdrop of one of the most challenging periods in the industry’s history. The majority of winners (including us!) will now go forward to represent Cumbria at the Visit England Awards for Excellence in 2023.”

Cumbria Tourism Awards Winner

How was it judged?

At some point, two mystery shoppers visited the Shed and took part in our "Make Your Own Gin" experience. We love hosting our Gin Experiences and this one is very hands-on. Keeping groups small we start with a welcome Gin and distillery tour. Then settle down in our unique and quirky Visitor Space. We, the owners and distillers, guide you through your choice of botanicals. show you how to measure and blend and then your mix goes into a mini-still where the alchemy truly begins.

While your Gin is being distilled here at Cumbria's Experience of the Year relax with a few elements of our Afternoon G&Tea. The next phase is finding your perfect ABV%, again helped by us. Finally, provide us with an image and name and we create a personalised label for your very own, signature, London Dry Gin.

Make Your Own Gin Experience of the Year

Thank you for all your support and encouragement. We can't wait to host you here at The Old Calf Shed.

Shed 1 Gin Awards

We are so pleased to announce that Shed 1 Distillery is a winner of The Gin Guide's Environmental Sustainability Award, for the THIRD year. As a small (micro!) business, we are well aware of the obstacles companies like us face regarding environmental issues.

To be recognised for our efforts not only feels good, but also helps us spread the environmental message. For example, Zoe was invited to be on a panel at Bread & Jam's Future Summit in London along with representatives of Tesco, Innocent, Cotswold Fayre among others! Shed 1 Distillery was definitely the smallest (by a million miles!) business speaking.

As a small business we don't have the budgets and staff that bigger companies have so we have to think outside of the box and figure out green initiatives that we can implement with our limited funds. On the positive side, as we are small things we do in our own home can be transferred/combined with the business; like composting our botanicals in our garden composter. Find out more about our Sustainability Commitment here.

In other news...It was only in March that our Festive Bramble Gin Elixir won a Silver Award in The World Gin Awards (Flavoured Gin) and now it's won a Bronze in the World Liqueur Awards. Created with  foraged and organically-grown local fruits we're looking forward to the next batch this autumn. Colin

And the cherries on the cake is we're finalists in THREE Cumbria Tourism Awards categories: Experience of the Year, Makers & Producers Award and Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Tourism Award. We'll find out the results in July. Fingers crossed. You can see the full list of Cumbria Tourism Finalists finalists here

Can you help us win?

We're very excited to be finalists in The North West Family Business of the Year in not one, but TWO categories!

The North West Family Business Awards champion family businesses across the North West, recognising their achievements and celebrating their successes in style!

1. Finalist in Food & Drinks Producer 

The North West is home to some fantastic family-run food and drink producers, and this award recognises their achievements in putting our region on the culinary map.

2. Finalists in People’s Choice – Cumbria

It’s time to let your local community have their say. This award allows each region to choose their favourite family business through an online nomination and public vote.

You can vote for us here. The banner states that applications are closed. That means that voting can begin!

As a small business, reviews and awards are very important to help encourage those who have never heard of us to take a chance on our products and experiences. We survived the major lockdowns and we’re rebuilding and starting to see some growth. We were recently able to take on 2 part time team members (our first employees!) who are brilliant! This is down to your support and we are very grateful. Thank you!