THE owners of an artisan gin distillery are raising their glasses to success in one of the biggest food and drink awards at the first time of entering.

Gun Dog Gin, based at St Owen’s Cross near Ross-on-Wye, was awarded a rare three-star premium honour in the Great Taste awards for its Damson liquer gin.

And its sister drinks Rhubarb and Quince weren’t far behind, scooping two star awards.

The Great Taste judges described the three-star Damson as a "well-crafted damson gin with well-judged sweetness and an expressive damson flavour".

The called it "perfect" and hailed it as "luxurious", "gorgeous" and "sophisticated".

The Rhubarb Gun Dog Gin liqueur was labelled "a beauty" and "very refreshing and easy to drink".

Quince Gun Dog Gin liqueur was praised as "delicate and inviting" and "a really beautiful expression of quince in a spirit".

The business uses fruit from county growers, including farming friends and family.

Co-owner Julie Green said: "To receive three separate Great Taste awards in our very first year of entering is absolutely incredible.

"We always believed our gin liqueurs were of the best quality because of the ingredients and processes used.

"However, to receive these glowing endorsements from such a prestigious organisation as Great Taste, means that retailers and customers can be very confident they are purchasing from Gun Dog Gin a truly delicious product of the highest quality."

The 27-year-old Great Taste awards are organised by the Guild of Fine Food, and are regarded as the world’s largest, longest standing and most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food producers.

No less than 355 judges blind-tasted this year’s 14,113 entries from 108 contries, with less than two per cent getting two stars under 10 per cent two stars.