Shed One Distillery nominated in Great British Food Awards

A small-batch artisan spirits producer from Cumbria, Shed One Distillery is known for its unique and innovative creations.

Their Martini Gin and Yiayia Gin have both made the shortlist.

The latter product was designed in collaboration with Greek chef and Masterchef 2019 winner, Irini Tzortzoglou.

The Martini Gin and Yiayia Gin (Image: Shed One)

The Great British Food Awards, held annually, champions the country’s premier artisanal produce and appreciates the dedicated people behind the scenes.

The judging panel proudly boasts renowned personalities from the culinary world including Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux Jnr, William Sitwell, and Olly Smith.

This year, the winners will be announced on October 28 and will be mentioned on the awards' website as well as in a special edition magazine.

Irini enjoying the Yiayia Gin (Image: Shed One)

Shed One Distillery takes pride in being the solitary distillery from the Northwest to have two gins nominated in the Gin category.

Both products now have the honour of being tasted by a panel of judges comprising celebrity chefs, writers, influencers, and buyers.

Zoe Arnold-Bennett, owner and co-founder of Shed One Distillery, said: "It’s a real honour to get not just one but two of our spirits in front of some of the most respected names in the food and drink industry.

"We’re thrilled that, after some rigorous testing in the application process, we’ve been shortlisted for two very different gins, but ones that wholly reflect our business and stand out from other mass-market gins currently available.

"Yiayia was a special female-led project with Irini Tzortzoglou, which involved taking the culinary flavours of her homeland, then mixing and blending to create Crete in a glass.

"Andy and I used to distil the odd bottle of Martini Gin for personal use as it’s my favourite cocktail.

"Finally, we were persuaded by tasters to make it an official Shed One Gin, and both gins have become very popular and gained loyal customers."

Every drop of gin and vodka from Shed One Distillery is crafted, distilled, and bottled by the couple - Zoe and Andy Arnold-Bennett - at their distillery located in a former old calf shed in Ulverston, at the edge of the Lake District.

Many of the botanicals they use are grown in the area and foraged.

The couple's spirit-making process, from fields and shorelines to the still, was featured in Channel 5's docu-series, Cumbria: The Lakes & The Coast, aired on Wednesday evenings.

The Great British Food Awards not only acknowledge exceptional producers across the UK but also provide them substantial prestige as the only awards fully devoted to discovering the finest British food and drink products.