THE man behind a local gin range made in the heart of a South Lakes town has unveiled his creation.

On Monday at Virginia House, in Ulverston's Queen Street, former Shakespearean actor Andrew Arnold-Bennett launched his gin.

Speaking about the launch of Shed 1 Gin, Mr Arnold-Bennett said: "The launch went very well. There was a very positive response.

"The gins all went down well, and plenty of people took some away."

Mr Arnold-Bennett created three gins, distilling them in his garden shed - the origin of his brand's name.

The three drinks on offer are Cuckold's Revenge, Giggle in the Ginnel and Festive Tipple.

Because he only distils in small batches, it allows Mr Arnold-Bennett to be bold with his flavours - his motto is "big flavour, small batch".

Cuckold's Revenge is full of citrus and cardamom, but Giggle in the Ginnel has more delicate flavours of angelica and elderberry.

After months of planning, Mr Arnold-Bennett is glad his product is finally out in the open. He has had positive talks over supplying businesses in Manchester, and he will be selling to the public very soon.

He said: "The response from local business has been fantastic, there's been interest in Ulverston, Manchester, and in Lancaster."

There were still some nerves about how his gin would go down, but Mr Arnold-Bennett is confident people will love his product.

He said: "I'm confident in the product, but you will always worry what other people may think of it.

"We're just putting the final touches on the website, later on today people will be able to purchase the gin online."

Read more:

Find out about Mr Arnold-Bennett and his gin line

Read our review of Virginia house, a sophisticated hidden gem in the middle of town