Award-winning family-owned Herefordshire producer crafting small-batch gin liqueurs from real local fruit, quality British gin and traditional slow-steeping methods.
Location: St Owens Cross, Hereford
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Our Story
Gun Dog Gin is rooted firmly in the Herefordshire countryside, where orchards, farms and hedgerows provide both the inspiration and much of the fruit behind its award-winning collection of artisan gin liqueurs.
The business began in 2016 and is run now by local farmers, Julie and Mark Green. It is based at Ditton Farm, St Owen's Cross, near Hereford, with the family business continuing to build its reputation for distinctive fruit gin liqueurs made the slow way.
That Herefordshire connection is much more than a location on a label. Gun Dog Gin sources fruit from local growers across the county, including farming friends and family, bringing together the region's fruit-growing heritage with quality British gin.
The range has developed into a collection of distinctive liqueurs celebrating both familiar British fruits and more unusual discoveries. Damson, rhubarb and quince sit alongside flavours such as chuckleberry, with each fruit allowed to bring its own character to the finished drink.
For Good Food Scout, this is exactly the kind of British producer worth discovering: independent, family owned, closely connected to its local landscape and committed to making something properly rather than taking shortcuts.
Meet The Team
Julie and Mark's connection with the countryside is particularly relevant to the Gun Dog Gin story. Mark is a Herefordshire farmer as well as a gin producer, while the fruit used by Gun Dog Gin is sourced from growers across the county, including farming friends and family.
Julie has become a public voice for the business, proudly representing Gun Dog Gin as its liqueurs have collected an increasing number of prestigious food and drink awards. Despite that national recognition, the business remains firmly connected to its Herefordshire roots.
That combination of farming, local fruit, family involvement and artisan production gives Gun Dog Gin something increasingly valuable: genuine provenance. These are drinks with a clear connection to the people and countryside behind them.
How It's Made
Gun Dog Gin's approach begins with something refreshingly simple: real fruit.
Rather than relying on concentrates or manufactured flavourings, fresh fruit is slowly steeped in quality British gin and given time to release its natural flavour, colour and character. Gun Dog Gin uses no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives in the process.
The fruit itself is an important part of the story. Gun Dog Gin sources quality fruit from local growers across Herefordshire, connecting each bottle directly with the county's rich fruit-growing landscape.
Different fruits naturally require different treatment. Gun Dog Gin's Damson Gin Liqueur, for example, is made by steeping whole Herefordshire damsons, including their stones. This contributes a subtle almond-like depth alongside the characteristic rich damson fruit.
Its unusual Chuckleberry Gin Liqueur follows the same philosophy. Fresh chuckleberries are slowly steeped in British gin, allowing the natural combination of redcurrant, gooseberry and darker berry characteristics to develop without trying to recreate them artificially.
The philosophy is uncomplicated: real Herefordshire fruit, quality British gin and time.
Sustainability
Gun Dog Gin's strong connection with Herefordshire extends to the ingredients at the heart of its drinks. Fruit used in its artisan, small-batch production is sourced from growers across the county, including farming friends and family.
Its approach also places real ingredients ahead of manufactured alternatives. Fresh fruit is slowly steeped in British gin rather than relying on fruit concentrates, artificial flavours, colours or preservatives to reproduce the same characteristics.
From damsons and quince to the more unusual chuckleberry, the result is a collection that celebrates British fruit, traditional methods and the agricultural landscape surrounding Gun Dog Gin's Herefordshire home.
Awards
Gun Dog Gin has built an impressive collection of awards, giving this small Herefordshire producer considerable independent recognition for the quality of its fruit gin liqueurs.
Its Damson Gin Liqueur received the coveted maximum Three Stars at the 2021 Great Taste Awards, while its Rhubarb and Quince Gin Liqueurs each received two stars in the same year.
Further Great Taste success followed, culminating in another prestigious Three Star Great Taste Award in 2024, this time for Gun Dog Gin's distinctive Chuckleberry Gin Liqueur.
Only a small proportion of products entered into Great Taste achieve the maximum three-star accolade, making Gun Dog Gin's repeated success particularly impressive for an independent producer.
The awards provide independent recognition of the philosophy behind Gun Dog Gin: start with excellent real fruit, combine it with quality British gin and allow time rather than artificial flavourings or shortcuts to do the work.
Where You'll Find Us
Gun Dog Gin is based at Ditton Farm, St Owen's Cross, near Hereford, surrounded by the countryside and agricultural landscape that play such an important part in the story of its drinks.
Herefordshire is one of Britain's great fruit-growing counties, making it a fitting home for a producer specialising in real-fruit gin liqueurs. Gun Dog Gin strengthens that connection by sourcing fruit from growers across the county..
What customers think
Why Good Food Scout likes Gun Dog Gin
Gun Dog Gin is a particularly good example of what we look for when scouting independent British producers. There is a genuine connection between the people, the ingredients, the product and the place it comes from.
We particularly like the importance placed on real fruit. Herefordshire has a rich fruit-growing heritage and Gun Dog Gin makes that part of the drink rather than simply part of the marketing, sourcing fruit from growers across the county and slowly steeping it in British gin.
There's also something appealingly uncomplicated about the production philosophy. Whole fruit, good gin and time do the work rather than concentrates and artificial flavourings.
The range is interesting too. Traditional British fruits such as damson, rhubarb and quince sit alongside less familiar flavours such as chuckleberry, making Gun Dog Gin a producer where there is always something new to discover.
For us, that's what makes Gun Dog Gin worth scouting: a family-owned Herefordshire business producing distinctly British drinks with local fruit, traditional methods and a real connection to the countryside around it.
FAQs
What is a chuckleberry?
A chuckleberry is an unusual fruit hybrid involving redcurrant, gooseberry and jostaberry. Gun Dog Gin uses fresh chuckleberries to create its award-winning Chuckleberry Gin Liqueur.
Is Gun Dog Gin a British producer?
Yes. Gun Dog Gin is an independent British producer based in rural Herefordshire.
Does Gun Dog Gin use Herefordshire fruit?
Yes. Gun Dog Gin sources fruit from local growers across Herefordshire, including farming friends and family. Individual products include fruit such as Herefordshire damsons and quince.
How are Gun Dog Gin liqueurs made?
Real fresh fruit is slowly steeped in quality British gin, allowing time to extract its natural flavour, colour and character.
Does Gun Dog Gin use artificial flavourings?
No. Gun Dog Gin states that its liqueurs contain no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives and are made without fruit concentrates.
Is Gun Dog Gin vegan?
Yes. Gun Dog Gin describes its fruit gin liqueurs as vegan-friendly.
How should Gun Dog Gin liqueurs be served?
Depending on the flavour, they can be enjoyed neat, over ice, topped with soda or ginger ale, added to Prosecco or Champagne or used to bring real fruit character to cocktails.
Has Gun Dog Gin won Great Taste Awards?
Yes. Its successes include Three Great Taste stars for Damson in 2021 and Three Great Taste stars for Chuckleberry in 2024, alongside awards for other liqueurs in its range.
