A CHOLMONDELEY-based gin firm is celebrating after being commended at one of the world's largest and most trusted food and drink awards.

Three Wrens Gin recently took home a three-star award from the Great Taste Awards for its apple crumble gin, and also received stars for three of its other gins in this year's awards, including bloody apricot, original dry and bison grass flavours.

These commendations mark a significant achievement for the business' very first entry at the Great Taste Awards, which saw it in competition with more than 14,000 different products entered from 108 countries.

Fewer than two per cent of those entrants achieved three-stars, and Three Wrens Gin will now be able to display the recognised Great Taste black and gold logo.

Master distiller Nick Wadeson said he was delighted with the award.

He said: "This is without doubt our biggest accolade yet, a three-star rating is incredibly rare, and the holy grail for every food and drink producer.

"We are incredibly proud to be one of a small handful of craft gin producers ever to achieve it.

"The fact that we are small family business distilling everything ourselves makes it even more special."

Nick took six months to complete the trials for the gin, which has also won two international gold medals at the world gin masters and world gin awards respectively.

Although the exact recipe remains a secret, the flavour is made by macerating toasted oats in the base spirit before distilling with juniper, Cheshire apples, nutmeg, cinnamon and sweet orange peel.

Each batch takes three days to make by hand.

The entries are tasted blind, with this year's judges speaking highly of the finished product.

They said: "What a fascinating concept, brilliantly executed.

"Toasty buckwheat porridge with a drizzle of honey and a lift of citrus – and then waves of undulating smoke, toast, barley-sugar, honey, and something intriguing.

"We didn't want to spoil it with tonic, but in the interest of research we did add some.

"And it wasn't spoilt – rather there was a lift of citrus and a grounding earthiness combined with inspiring sippability.

"Quite extraordinary."

The apple crumble gin is available to buy direct from www.threewrensgin.com and from most notable Cheshire retailers.