TWO gins from an artisan Cornish distillery are to appear on supermarket shelves for the first time.

Bottles of Tarquin’s Cornish Dry Gin and Tarquin’s Rhubarb and Raspberry Gin are to be stocked at Tesco stores across Devon and Cornwall from this week.

The supermarket listing is the latest chapter in the success of Tarquin’s, whose products are produced in small batches at the first distillery to open in the south west for 100 years.

The distillery was founded by classically-trained chef Tarquin Leadbetter, 31, who set up the business at the age of 24. Entirely self-taught in the art of distilling, his thirst for experimentation with botanicals from around the globe has produced the unique taste of Tarquin’s products.

His gins have won a host of accolades, including the World’s Best Gin at the San Francisco Spirit awards. Demand from discerning gin drinkers has seen the business expand to become the UK’s third largest family-owned distillery, employing 35 people to hand-fill, hand-sign and hand-wax more than 2,000 bottles of its premium gin a day.

Now the distillery has teamed up with Tesco, bringing its products to supermarket shoppers for the first time.

The specially-created 50cl bottles will be sold in 40 Tesco stores across Devon and Cornwall.

Shoppers will be able to pick up Tarquin’s Cornish Dry Gin – a contemporary take on a traditional London dry gin. Having won double gold at the IWSC spirit awards and wider international acclaim this gin has begun to cement itself as a firm favourite for traditional gin fans.

Tesco customers will also be able to put Tarquin’s Rhubarb and Raspberry Gin in their trolley. Created with the Cornish Dry Gin as its base, Tarquin then adds fresh-pressed British rhubarb and raspberries to create a balanced fruit gin at 38 per cent ABV.

Tarquin said the listing with Tesco was an important new step in the growth of the business.

“We have reached a very exciting time as we launch Tarquin’s Gin into supermarkets this Autumn,” he said.

“With an amazing team, we have grown Tarquin’s Gin from a small distillery with one still, selling gin from the boot of my car with just my parents and my sister by my side, to employing more than 35 people.

“We are incredibly excited about taking the next step forward as a company and reaching more customers through our supermarket partners.”

Matt Downes, Tesco’s buying manager for the south west, said he was delighted to put Tarquin’s gins on the supermarket shelves for the first time.

“We are always looking for the very best Cornish products to offer our customers, so we are really glad that we are the first supermarket to stock Tarquin’s,” he said.

“I am sure that we will convert more than a few discerning Tesco shoppers in Devon and Cornwall to this award-winning brand.

“I very much hope that these new listings will be the first step in a long-term partnership between Tesco and Tarquin’s.”

Both Tarquin’s Cornish Dry Gin and Tarquin’s Rhubarb and Raspberry Gin are available in larger Tesco stores in Devon and Cornwall from September 2.