One of the country's finest chefs is opening a Manchester restaurant - Michelin star winner Tom Kerridge tells us why But their efforts were nearly scuppered before they even entered the lair at Old Granada Studios when they accidentally washed out their gin glasses with foul-smelling stagnant water. The business has also created bartender-quality ready-to-drink (RTD) products - securing listings in Co-op, Booths and WHSmith, as well as selling direct to consumers. Read More Related Articles

The ex-banker and business turnaround specialist said: "Didsbury Gin is all about Mark and Liam. They instantly drew me in with their charm and I thought this could work.

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From hired gun to falling in love with the firm: how former boss of Hollyoaks studio helped transform Ultimate Products Simon Wood said: "We’ve been big fans of Didsbury Gin from day one at my restaurant Wood Manchester. I love to support local brands and when Liam and Mark asked if I wanted to collaborate with them, I couldn’t wait to make Tutti Frutti into a gin! Read More Related Articles This is a staggering 1295 per cent increase since the duo behind the company landed investment from entrepreneur Jenny Campbell in 2018. We were both working full time jobs and we were approached to go on Dragon's Den so we turned it down," recalled Liam, 35, who is originally from Collyhurst but now lives in Ancoats.

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.”It's been a tough year for business amid the pandemic, but Didsbury Gin has reported a record year. Since then, the company has gone from strength to strength. In November 2020, the membership club hit 100,000 members – boosted by the rise in at-home drinking.

The brand launched in November 2018; its portfolio includes the overproof Grenade rum range and the Two Swallows brand. 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. And if vodka is your tipple of choice, Aldi will also be selling a strawberry and watermelon crush flavoured vodka liqueur.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."