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Abertay graduate signs Westminster gin supply deal
The House of Commons has awarded an Abertay graduate the contract to be sole supplier of a House of Commons Gin
Dundee distillery Verdant Spirits, run by Food and Drink graduate Andrew Mackenzie, produced a special edition of their award-winning tipple for the project.
Verdant Spirits will not only provide their gin but will also deliver expert training and tastings for the House of Commons team and members.
Voted Scottish Gin of the Year at the inaugural Scottish Gin awards, Verdant Dry Gin, crafted in Dundee’s first distillery for almost 200 years, fought off a shortlist of five from a number of UK national brands.
Verdant won the prestigious tender after scoring top marks in the blind taste test and impressing judges with their presentation at the Houses of Parliament.
Their proposal, developed in collaboration with Dundee design agency Avian, put forward a new visual treatment and packaging concept marrying the Verdant Spirits and House of Commons branding.
Bespoke boxed packaging was created replacing Verdant’s original graphics with a specially-designed House of Commons treatment.
Andrew Mackenzie said: “We spent two years researching and finessing the perfect dry gin and we firmly believe in our product, but it still felt fantastic to win out in the taste test.
"To really show our commitment to the process, we didn’t want to simply add a logo or brand to the bottle, we wanted to create a truly co-branded product.
"We hope that this exciting new development signals a significant opportunity for the Verdant Spirits brand to be elevated to the next level, and also highlights and encourages the further investment and partnership we are currently seeking.”
Scott McCallum, Managing Director of Avian said: “By creating an entirely new label and specialised packaging solely for the House of Commons, we retained the integrity of both the Verdant Spirits brand and the historic House of Commons identity, whilst also creating shelf appeal.
"This balance of both brands in one product really resonated with the judging panel as they recognised the all-out effort to secure this prestigious opportunity.”
Verdant Dry Gin is distilled in small batches in a 500-litre pot still, embodying the spirit of its home city, Dundee, with the highest quality ingredients sourced globally reflecting the shipping and trading heritage of the city.
Pictured above: L-R Scott McCallum, Managing Director of Avian with Managing Director of Verdant Gin, Andrew Mackenzie
