Six of Scotland's artisan producers will supply eight* different gins to Lidl Scotland’s 94 stores from Thursday 3rd May.
A spokesperson for Lidl said the new collection, which will be available while stocks last, proudly showcases the craft gin landscape across the length and breadth of Scotland, with gins sourced from Shetland, Orkney, Perthshire, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Picture: Lidl
Four products are brand new to supermarket shelves - MAKAR Cask Matured Oak Aged, Strathearn Scottish, Shetland Distillery Simmer and Tide Line Gin - with Lidl stating that this will help these boutique Scottish businesses to expand their reach and give customers nationwide the chance to try their products.
Picture: Lidl
The move comes following a huge surge in craft spirit production, with Scotland’s gin scene continuing to grow and now currently accounting for 70 per cent of the UK’s gin supply.
Sales of Lidl’s gin range have increased by 41 per cent in the last year across UK stores; testament to the country's growing interest in the juniper spirit.
The supermarket chain looks keen to add to its gin range with its own premium Hortus gin range already popular and the pink ‘Rhubarb and Ginger’ and ‘Scottish Raspberry’ liqueurs, which sold over 400 bottles per hour when they first hit shelves in November 2017.
Lidl's head of Scottish buying, Paul McQuade, said: “At Lidl, we are firmly committed to supporting and championing local producers, and are incredibly proud of our expansive Scottish product range. With demand for gin on the rise, we felt it was the perfect time to increase our investment in local gin producers and bring together a unique, artisanal collection exclusively for Lidl customers.
Our inaugural Scottish Gin Festival is a fantastic collaboration of new and established distillers from across the entire country, offering great choice and excellent value for our customers.”
Colin Campbell of Ginerosity, Scotland's pioneering social enterprise gin said: "Ginerosity is a beautiful London dry gin with a big ethical heart. Our inclusion in Lidl's inaugural gin festival means we can bring our social enterprise gin to more gin-lovers across the country, and help more young adults access education, training and employment.
