A new Lancashire gin company which was born in lockdown is ready to launch their signature edition gin.

Ellis McKeown and Liam Stemson, founders of No.1 Fairham Gin, have been working hard to release their signature edition gin which they hope will make their mark on the gin industry.

The pair, who are from Penwortham, are gin lovers and during lockdown, they decided to try and make a unique gin.

Ellis, 26, who comes from a social media and marketing background, said, "We're huge gin fans and it's always been on our minds to make our own. Lockdown gave us time to perfect this and has allowed us to make our move into the craft gin market."

No.1 Fairham Gin’s name is a nod to the address where the idea was thought of and where the recipe of their Signature Edition gin was first infused together ans as the business grew with a need for more space, distillation and packaging is now running at a unit in Leyland.

Liam said: "People have said to us that there's a lot of gin brands out there and aren't we worried about the competition, but we wouldn't just be doing it if we didn't think we could add value and bring something different to the market."

Titled as Penwortham’s Original, the pair are keen to highlight the area where they live and where the gin is from. As well as looking to work with local business in the Penwortham and surrounding areas.

Ellis also highlights: “We have big plans for the future and despite our current unit only being down the road from our home address, we would love to move our production permanently into the heart of Penwortham and firmly put our home town on the gin map. Watch this space!”

Ellis and Liam knew that as a new business they wanted to be aware of their footprint on the environment. One way they have combated this is by using Flexi-Hexi, a sustainable packaging company who have created a 100% plastic free alternative for packaging suitable for gin and other spirit bottles.

Liam said, “We’re proud to be using an eco-friendly product which doesn’t compromise on quality and functionality. To us, it’s important to be aware of this type of thing and it’s a high priority of ours as we move forward”.

As the business grows, the two men are looking at ways to be more eco-friendly including cutting down the waste of unused fruit during their distilling process. They welcome suggestions on how they can improve and would urge people to get in touch if they’d like to discuss this in more detail.

After a year in the making, No.1 Fairham Gin is due to release its first small-batch craft gin, with details of how you can buy their Signature Edition Pre-Order Bundle being released before the end of March. Visit www.no1fairhamgin.com or keep up-to-date via their social media.