Judges

Meet the judging panel

INDUSTRY JUDGES

Industry judges come from various backgrounds, including on-trade, off-trade, hospitality, food and tourism. Industry judges will all have a level of insight and understanding of the production of gin along with an understanding of the spirits supply chain. Some will be more focused on flavour with some more focused on marketing, but all will provide valuable industry feedback.

Allison Strydom

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Allison Strydom is a gin and travel enthusiast who shares her passion through her virtual gin tours on her website, GinSquares. During the lockdown period, she entertained her followers with virtual travel and tastings featuring gins from her extensive gin collection.

She covered Europe, went on an 80-day virtual tour around the world, and celebrated International Scottish Gin Day by exploring Scotland’s gin scene in 2020. For Allison, gin is not just about juniper; each gin has a unique flavour profile, story, and brand, making the gin world a diverse and exciting spirit category.

She has contributed cocktail recipes to various drinks-related publications and offers a freelance drinks photography service. In 2023, she was ranked 29th in The Top 50 Cocktail Influencers on Feedspot and judges various spirit and gin competitions. She holds a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 1 Award in Spirits.

Andrew Barr

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Originally from Northern Ireland, Andrew first discovered gin with his parents at the yacht club on Strangford Lough. Andrew moved to Edinburgh in the early 2000s and spent the next 20 years working in the hospitality industry, including work for the Kitchin Group and Dean Banks Group, as well as bars and clubs throughout the city.

Studying for a WSET diploma helped him gain a great appreciation for gin as a spirit, as the quality and variety increased over the years. Andrew currently works for Cockburns of Leith, Scotland’s oldest wine and spirits merchant established in 1796.

Andrew enjoys a classic gin and tonic or any number of classic gin based cocktails.

Archie McDiarmid

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Archie McDiarmid, a native of Glasgow, moved to St Andrews in the late 1990s and spent much of his free time working as a bartender at the university. During this time, he learned more about the wide range of beers, spirits, wines, cocktails, and the on-trade sector. His experience helped him discover, learn and refine his palate and knowledge of the drinks industry.

With over 20 years of experience in the drinks industry, Archie is the manager of Luvians Bottleshop St Andrews, voted Scotland’s Best Independent Wine & Spirits Merchant by Harpers for three consecutive years. Luvians Bottleshop is also consistently ranked among the UK’s top 10 wine and spirits retailers.

Archie has written for various drinks publications and has had the privilege of serving as a wine and spirits judge at competitions, including Scottish Field and Wines of Germany.

Carol Brown

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Carol Brown DipWSET is a wine expert and a proud member of the Association of Wine Educators and the Circle of Wine Writers. She completed her WSET Diploma in 1996 and has since been sharing her knowledge and passion for wine through teaching, tasting events and writing about wine, beer and spirits for various publications.

Originally from Southport, a Victorian seaside resort in the North West of England, Carol studied Hospitality Management at colleges in Southport and Blackpool. After working for Boddingtons in Manchester, she spent four years in Guernsey before moving to Aberdeen, where she continued her passion for the drinks industry with her Wine Uncorked Education business.

Claire Filer

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Claire Filer is a spirits consultant, drinks judge, and writer in London. She works as a Specialist for International Drinks Specialists, providing feedback to producers about their drinks’ qualities. Claire has been a drinks judge across multiple spirit categories for the World Drinks Awards, Global Spirits Masters, IWSC, and NZ Spirits Awards.

She is originally from New Zealand and is an associate member of Distilled Spirits Aotearoa. She has previously judged The Junipers Gin Awards and was a taster for the Guide to New Zealand Gin 2021 and has a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 3 Award in Spirits with distinction.

Darren Buck

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Darren Buck’s passion for the wine and spirits industry started when he was living and working in the Champagne region of France in 2011.

Darren currently works for Inverurie Whisky Shop where he supports sales and runs tastings and events both in-house and at various locations in the North-East of Scotland. He also provides advice and guidance on the shop’s wine offering.

Darren also works in HR in the hospitality industry as People Partner for Artfarm which owns properties like the luxury, 5-star hotel The Fife Arms in Braemar and award-winning restaurant Fish Shop in Ballater.

Darren holds a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 2 in Spirits and Level 3 in Wines.

Darren Ross

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Freelance/private chef Darren has worked in some of the world’s best kitchens under the tutelage of Albert Roux before having stints at Relæ and Pearl Morissette.

More recently, Darren has held the position of Resident Chef at Croft3 on the Isle of Mull and the Head of Food and Beverage at Inverlonan, where he specialised in off-grid BBQ cookery.

From tasting menus to casual dining and wood-fired pizza, he approaches things in a minimalistic way that showcases flavours, aromas and fresh and seasonal produce.

Elaine Wrigley

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Situated within railway arches, Atlas Bar is a Manchester icon. Opened by Elaine Wrigley and her husband Mark in 2014, Atlas has matured into an elegant mecca for gin drinkers with over 570 gins from around the world behind the bar, one of England’s largest gin bar selections.

The bar also features a range of other drinks, including craft beers, cocktails, food, Gin Masterclasses, Gin Supper Clubs, meet-the-maker events and more.

Investment in the team’s training and offering a curated selection of gins have all played a role in the bar’s success.

Emma Mykytyn

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Emma Mykytyn has been writing about food, drink, and travel since starting her original blog in 2007, which initially focused on Glasgow. Today, Emma and co-founder Mark run the Foodie Explorers website and magazine.

Foodie Explorers covers food, drink, and travel through original editorial features, reviews, and more. Emma is also the food and travel editor for Snack Magazine.

She is a member of the Guild of Food Writers and British Guild of Travel Writers and is a seasoned food and travel judge. Emma holds a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 2 Award (Merit) in Spirits.

Hope Blamire

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Originally from Ayrshire but now based in Bath England, Hope Blamire is an artist and illustrator that specialises in original artworks that capture the Scottish landscape.

Her illustration work includes both commercial and personal projects and she has worked on a number of Scottish Gin and spirit related projects, including illustrations for packaging.

Hope is a long time gin connoisseur and is passionate about Scottish food and drink along with Scottish tourism and spends most of her time touring Scotland capturing images of the landscapes that form her original artworks.

Iain Faller

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Iain Faller along with his wife Mary is co-founder of The Island Spirit Whisky Shop in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. Iain is passionate about all things whisky and gin and turned his hobby into a business in 2020.

He works closely with many of Scotland’s craft gin distilleries and is a stockist for many Scotch whisky brands too. Iain is expanding his spirits knowledge with lots of research for gin and whisky tasting events, which he hosts throughout The Western Isles.

Jay Sebode

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Currently General Manager of Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration, a late night cocktail lounge in Covent Garden. Jay’s journey in the gin world started in 2012 when, then bar manager of a gastro pub in the city, Jay decided to scale up the gin offer from 2 to 150 bottles behind the bar.

From there, Jay ran several gin bars in London and Sydney including the award winning Worship Street Whistling Shop and Mr Fogg’s Gin Parlour where he ran training events and consumer masterclasses as well as developing gin recipes.

Jay participated in several gin cocktail competitions and obtained his WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 2 Award in Spirits in 2019.

Joe Cadzow

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Joe Cadzow has a wealth of experience in the Scottish hospitality industry. Starting in high-end restaurants and moving on to high-end, high-volume bars like The Tippling House and Revolution in Aberdeen.

Joe has held a number of General Manager positions for venues owned and operated by Highland hospitality operator Cru Holdings including Scotch & Rye in Inverness, where Joe has helped the bar win a number of high-profile industry awards and had his cocktails published in Pickering’s Gin Cocktails at Home book. Joe also managed Playback Bar in Inverness and is currently the General Manager at Scran Kitchen located in the Eastgate Centre in Inverness, where bold, globally-inspired street food meets the casual vibes of Inverness. The Scran Kitchen also features a bar serving a range of local Scottish Gins and cocktails.

Joe has also collaborated with a number of breweries and whisky distilleries and has worked with a number of local gins to establish the Highland Gin Academy.

Julian Vallis

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Julian Vallis runs Martini Club and established the official World Martini Day, a day that celebrates the classic cocktail on the third Saturday in June each year.

Since 2010, he has developed a passion for spirits and cocktails working with brands along with providing his palate as a judge for a variety of competitions. Julian also runs Barspoon, an online marketplace for spirits and cocktails.

Julian holds a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 2 Award in Spirits with distinction and is awaiting the results of his WSET Level 3 in Spirits exam.

Laurie Howells

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

With over twelve years behind the bar, Laurie has built a career defined by precision, creativity and connection. Currently leading the team at Archive & Myth in London, she is known for innovative serves that merge technical mastery with storytelling and emotion.

Her work spans from crafting multi-sensory competition-winning cocktails to mentoring emerging bartenders and shaping a supportive, excellence driven culture.

Having won multiple national titles including FIOL Master GB, KAY Sake, Cadello and Everleaf, and representing the UK on global stages, Laurie brings both artistry and analytical depth to spirits judging. Her approach balances curiosity with respect for craftsmanship, celebrating how each spirit reflects place, process and passion.

Mark Wrigley

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Following a successful career in wholesale and retail for over three decades, Mark took over Atlas Bar with his wife, Elaine, in 2012. He led the team through a full refurbishment and started Atlas’ gin journey, opening with 28 gins, 21 more than the next largest offer in Manchester City centre.

Starting out on this journey, prior to the gin “boom” years, Atlas has now grown its offering to over 570 options for its customers to enjoy.

What sets Mark and Atlas apart is the relationships that he has with hundreds of their suppliers, allowing them to share provenance and the real stories behind the gins they offer from all over the world.

Mary Faller

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Mary along with husband Iain is the co-founder of The Island Spirit Whisky Shop in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, operating since July 2020; specialising in Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Scottish Craft Gin and other premium spirits and wines.

Mary is passionate about promoting Scottish Gin and has enjoyed learning more about the spirit as their business develops, through attending and hosting gin tastings and meet the maker events.

Mary also loves learning about the people behind scenes making the gins and loves relaying their stories to customers.

Matthew Pauley

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Matthew Pauley is the brains and nose behind Distillers Nose. Combining science with theory and real-world experience to help distillers improve their production methodology to create better products.

After graduating with an honours degree from the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Matthew worked at a number of distilleries, including Thames Distillers and Bombay Sapphire, before returning to the ICBD as a full-time lecturer, now Assistant Professor, teaching future generations of brewers and distillers.

Matthew has also provided his expertise, experience, and knowledge as a judge for a variety of spirit competitions, as well as contributing to a range of editorial features about the world of spirits. Matthew has also conducted a range of research projects and published related scientific papers.

Max Hayward

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Max Hayward is the award-winning head bartender and bar manager at Lab 22 Cardiff, which placed number one on the Top 50 Cocktail Bars list for 2022.

Max has worked in the world of cocktails and hospitality for a number of years and has been an integral part of Lab 22 since he started there in 2018, originally as a bartender before working his way up to head bartender and bar manager.

Max has focused on learning, creating and developing cocktails menus that combine theory, skill and flavour, pushing things forward and having a lot of fun whilst showcasing Lab 22 as one of the UK’s more innovative and creatively diverse cocktail bars.

Paul Jackson

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Paul Jackson is founder of The Gin Guide and The Gin Guide Awards. Launched in 2014 by Paul, The Gin Guide website provides an online guide to the world of gin featuring a variety of resources covering news and features, reviews, guides and more.

Paul has a genuine passion for gin, spirits and cocktails and is an active member of the gin community as well as a prominent speaker and consultant actively working with a number of producers and brands through The Gin Guide membership and awards programme.

Rosalind Erskine

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Rosalind Erskine is a Glasgow-based magazine editor turned digital editor, content creator and broadcaster currently working at the Scotsman.

After stints in London and Dubai, she returned home where she started with The Scotsman newspaper covering the growing Scottish food, drink and hospitality sector.

Amongst a number of TV appearances Rosalind is also the host of The Scotsman’s food and drink podcast Scran, where she discusses the latest developments in the world of Scottish food and drink, along with interviewing various industry figures.

Sandra Lim

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Originally from Malaysia, and having lived in New Zealand and Singapore, Sandra Lim, also known as ‘Juniper Chick’ online, has called London home for the last two decades.

Through her travels, she’s discovered some amazing spirits and bars, continually looking to discover and experience new spirits and meet mixologists. One third of the team behind Martini Club UK and World Martini Day, Sandra is well versed in cocktail history and techniques, as well as being a big foodie.

Sandra along with partner Julian Vallis support and work with a number of spirits brands and producers, helping them develop signature cocktails for their spirits. Sandra holds a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 2 Award in Spirits.

Sara Jane Eichler

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Sara Jane Eichler, also known as ‘Love Gin & Rex’ online, and known as SJ to her friends, is a spirits and drinks judge, writer and active drinks commentator with over 30 years experience in hospitality and on-trade.

Sara Jane was the driving force behind the The Oliver Conquest, one of the original gin bars in London that promoted and showcased the virtues of the juniper spirit long before the current gin renaissance.

Sara Jane is passionate about sharing her love of spirits and cocktails with others and founded Negroni Club UK and is responsible for the annual Negronivent, a festive Negroni themed collaboration event that sees various businesses and individuals from the world of gin, spirits and hospitality provide a range of Negroni’s that can be purchased often accompanied by an online tasting event.

SJ holds a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 2 Award in Spirits and a WSET Level 2 in Wine.

Sean Murphy

The Gin Cooperative Awards Industry Judge

Sean Murphy is a Scottish based author and journalist specialising in food, drink, hospitality and tourism.

Sean has worked for several of Scotland’s leading newspapers and publications, covering new Scottish Gin releases, whisky news, distilleries and distilling, restaurants, food producers and more.

Sean is also the author of two books about Scottish Gin, the most recent being the Scottish Gin Bible, which provides insight into 100 Scottish Gin producers, cocktails, the distillation process, botanicals, and more.

Consumer Judges

Consumer judges cover a wide range of gin drinkers, from collectors to gin drinkers who have recently discovered gin. Consumer judges have been carefully selected based on data we have collected through our content and website.

Alison Irvine

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Alison Irvine was born and raised in rural Aberdeenshire and currently works in HR in the oil and gas industry.

She has been a fan of gin most of her adult life and in 2020 began sampling and collecting Scottish Gin with a focus on buying Scottish Gins that were locally produced, seeking out interesting stories and Scottish Gins that have a connection to the local area. Alisons childhood home was also a mere 100 yards from a local Scottish Gin distillery.

Alison is partial to a gin cocktail with friends on a sunny Saturday afternoon in the garden with a negroni or a bramble.

Callum McCrorie

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Callum is a Project Engineer for an Electric Distribution Company living in Angus, Scotland, with his partner and their cat Frigg. He is an avid home bartender, sharing cocktail creations on his Instagram account ‘@callumscocktails2016’.

He enjoys learning more about classic cocktails and creating his own original recipes, which have led to collaborations with several spirits brands and producers.

Callum first discovered gin through the classic gin and tonic, but now uses gin extensively in cocktails, favouring the Bramble. This simple cocktail takes on many forms depending on the gin used.

Dan Cox

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Dan Cox created the ‘Ginteresting Times’ blog and social media channels to share his thoughts on gin, spirits, and cocktails. His inspiration came from a Ginvent Calendar, which contained a different gin sample for each day in December leading up to Christmas. This encouraged people to share their tasting notes and thoughts about each gin online.

Attending a gin event hosted by Rory Faiers, The Gin Lord, further expanded Dan’s knowledge about the different expressions of gin. Since then, Dan has continued to enhance his understanding of the industry through distillery visits, participation in gin events, and insightful conversations with producers and brand owners.

Although in 2024 Dan decided the time was right to call time on his blog and website, he is still a very active and vocal advocate for the world of gin and continues to attend gin events and seek out new and exciting gin brands and gin releases.

Dawn Todd

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Dawn Todd is a Northern lass living in Cornwall who enjoys a gin and tonic most evenings before dinner in a quest to live more like a 1920s socialite.

Dawn has been drinking gin since her 20s, but it wasn’t until she visited the Plymouth Gin Distillery in 2017 for a friend’s birthday and saw the vast secret gin display in the Plymouth Gin Distillery tasting room that her interest in gin was truly piqued.

Dawn sought out new gins to try and add to her growing collection. During the COVID lockdowns, Dawn discovered the #ginstagram community, which provided her with the perfect excuse to set up her ‘@gin_quisitive’ Instagram account, where she shares her photos and thoughts about the world of gin and distilleries.

Helen Donnet

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Helen Donnet joined a gin subscription service in 2018 to explore new gins. This experience helped her learn about botanicals, the gin production process, and various gin styles.

As her interest in gin grew, Helen was drawn to Scottish Gins. Attending gin events and speaking with distillers and brand owners online has helped her further her knowledge of the gin category.

Helen documents her journey through her Instagram account ‘@scottishgingirl’.

Holly Butler

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Holly Butler is an HR Business Partner for a Media company and, at the weekend, can be found relaxing and enjoying a gin and tonic or two.

Holly is an avid gin collector with over 200 bottles in her collection. She shares her collection and passion for gin through her Instagram account, ‘@gin_obsessed_ girl’.

Holly also enjoys home mixology and visiting local bars to discover new cocktails and new gins.

Jennifer Buchan

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Jennifer Buchan, a born-and-bred Aberdonian now living in the High Peaks, Derbyshire, is passionate about Scottish Gin.

She has been a gin drinker for several years, developing her palate and understanding of gin-making.

Her discerning palate and knowledge of gin, spirits and cocktails inspired her to set up her Instagram account ‘@ginwithjen1’ during lockdown.

Jill Cooper

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Jill Cooper currently works as the Deputy Head Teacher at a nearby primary school, a job that comes with a very busy work schedule.

Jill enjoys spending the weekend with her family, entertaining and socialising. She originally discovered gin when working as a student in the hotel industry and has gone on to build a curated collection of gins.

Jill enjoys gin as a spirit and likes to spend her spare time learning more about the stories behind the gins she enjoys and collects.

Keeley Leach

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Keeley Leach is a mother of two and runs a multi-award-winning micro-pub, The Penny Farthing, in Kent with her husband Stuart and has several years of experience in the hospitality and drinks sectors. She also works for an essential oils company in London.

Keeley loves gin and is a member of four gin clubs. She shares her passion for gin through her Instagram account ‘@gin_thursdays_’.

She also recently completed The Science of Alcohol at The Open University.

Kirsty Couch

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Kirsty Couch’s love of gin took off after a trip to Bombay Sapphire in 2016 when she became fascinated by the process of making spirits.

A keen traveller and F1 fan, every trip is complete with a visit to a distillery or brewery where she enjoys hearing the back story and the unique quirks of the brand.

Living in Bristol with her husband and two grown-up boys, there is an excellent selection of local gin offerings.

Kirsty has enjoyed sharing her love of gin through her social media channels, ‘TheOrGINiser’. Kirsty holds a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 2 Award in Spirits.

Leigh Andrews

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Leigh Andrews discovered her passion for gin in her 30s and likes to discover new gin brands to support.

She is also interested in the art of distilling and dreams of starting a craft gin distillery in retirement. With over a decade of experience in agricultural science, Leigh writes a regular gin column for the online magazine arm of Amazon Prime TV’s The Three Drinkers.

When she’s not working or writing, you can find her in her garden with a glass of gin, surrounded by her other passion, her small flock of backyard chickens.

Maggie Page

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Maggie Page, also known as ‘Mags’ to her friends, developed an interest in gin after stumbling upon a mysterious blue bottle at her local liquor store. This blue bottle turned out to be Bombay Sapphire, which has been a gateway to the world of gin for many enthusiasts.

Soon after, Mags and her husband Phil attended a gin blending course at Portobello Road Gin Distillery in London. From that point on, their love for gin continued to grow.

They have since amassed a diverse collection of gins, vodkas, vermouths, and more. Mags regularly participates in gin events and festivals, searching for new and classic gins.

Martin Finbow

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

With Scottish roots from his father’s side of the family, Martin Finbow is a self-proclaimed “tech-nerd”, always looking out for that next gadget to fill his spare time!

Spending most of his teen years in lights on the local stage as a thespian, his tap shoes are currently hanging in the wardrobe, waiting for that special show to pull him out of retirement!

A rare opportunity to see a photo of Martin, as he is camera shy; however he always seems to find the opportunity to photo-bomb when the opportunity arises! While he generally only drinks on special occasions, Gin is his general go to drink!

Mary Hawes

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Gin has been Mary Hawes’ tipple of choice for more years than she can remember.

An avid gin drinker and collector, like many consumers, Mary first discovered gin thanks to Gordon’s, before the likes of Bombay Sapphire came along.

Her appreciation of gin grew thanks to attending Junipalooza and evenings at the old Gin Foundry studio and distillery, refining her palate and knowledge of gin.

Murdette Price-Davies

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Murdette Price-Davies first tried gin in her early twenties, thinking herself “a proper grown-up”. She admits it was pretty mainstream stuff but pleasant enough.

Murdette has enjoyed the growth of the gin category and finds it much more exciting than it used to be.

Trying a new gin is always a delight for her, from appreciating a beautiful bottle to enjoying the flavours of the gin itself. “I love that there is so much variety – a good gin can say something special about the place it comes from and the people who make it.”

Olivia Roach

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Olivia Roach is Scottish, lives in London, and has been drinking gin for longer than she cares to admit!

She loves trying new gins and says “that browsing The Gin Cooperative website has been the easiest way to discover the best new gins that Scotland has to offer.”

Her collection of gins is impressive, and she’s always looking for unique and obscure bottles to add to her collection.

Olivia believes in balance in all things in life. She mixes her enjoyment of gin with her love of the gym, hiking and box-set binging (which pairs perfectly with a lovely gin, of course!).

In addition to her passion for gin, Olivia is also a self-proclaimed lover of terrible ‘dad’ jokes: “I tried to say no to gin – but it’s 42.5% stronger than me.”

Paul Warren

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Paul Warren is South West born and bred. He works full-time as a primary school teacher.

In his spare time, Paul enjoys day trips and weekends with family and friends or sitting in the garden with a cider, gin, or rum.

Paul’s love of gin grew with the gin boom as he discovered more gins and brands through social media and cocktails. Negronis and Martinis are among Paul’s favourite cocktails.

Paul has a collection of over 600 gins, including over 100 Scottish Gins. Paul loves showcasing distilleries and brands through his Instagram account ‘@sleep_teach_gin_repeat’.

Philip Page

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Philip Page is a passionate consumer gin and spirits advocate based in Hertfordshire. After swapping pints of beer at the rugby for gin and tonics several years ago, Phil has watched the gin category closely, seeking new brands and releases.

Phil shares his musings about gin, spirits and more through his blog, ‘The Ginasium,’ and social media channels.

Phil has also pushed himself to learn more about many other aspects of the drinks industry and has a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 3 Award in Spirits

Rachel Fisher

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Rachel Fisher, originally from Lancashire, lives in beautiful Dorset with her husband and two teenage boys. She enjoys days at the beach and spending time with friends and family, including her identical twin.

Rachel has held a variety of gin subscriptions over the years and initially fell in love with the juniper based spirit back in 2011.

Since then, she built a modest gin collection, which inspired her to share her collection through her Instagram account ‘@seaside_gin_tonic’ in 2020.

Her Instagram account has also allowed her to connect with other gin drinkers, bloggers and brands. Rachel loves visiting new distilleries and learning more about the people and products.

Stephanie Aldis

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Steph Aldis has lived in Scotland for over 20 years after moving from Yorkshire. Although she has been a gin drinker for a number of years, her interest in small batch gin started when she won a bottle of Scottish gin in a competition.

A keen home mixologist, Steph loves making cocktails and experimenting with different flavours, always searching for the perfect serve. Her go to classic is the Clover Club. When she’s out, she enjoys seeking out quirky speakeasy style bars with interesting menus.

Steph also enjoys travelling, which often results in detours to small distilleries and gin bars.

Stephanie Wood

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Steph Whitbread-Wood moved from Birmingham to the Leicestershire countryside, where she lives with her husband and three sons.

Having worked in the pub industry since she was 16, spirits and cocktails have always been a passion, but her love for gin, in particular, really took hold after taking her Dad to a gin festival in 2015.

She set up her Instagram account ‘@Happyhour_at_thewhitwoods’ in 2023 to share her collection and connect with other avid gin lovers.

She loves a gin with an interesting story and loves to sample as many local brands as she can when visiting somewhere new.

Stuart Fyvie

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Stuart Fyvie has developed an appreciation of spirits, including whisky and gin, and is an avid craft beer drinker.

He wanted to expand his knowledge of Scottish Gin and subscribed to The Gin Cooperative’s monthly subscription service.

With a large extended family and a busy career, Stuart enjoys relaxing with friends and family and sharing a G&T or a cold beer.

Sue Hay

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Sue Hay’s gin journey started in 2015 during a ‘Gin Journey’ event in East London. Since then, she has been collecting gins from around the world, sharing them on her Instagram account ‘@mumslovegin’.

Sue, originally from Newcastle and living in South Lincolnshire, also enjoys collecting ceramics, baking, and spending time in the garden with family and friends. She runs a mum taxi/chauffeur service for her youngest daughter!

Tracey McDonald

The Gin Cooperative Awards Consumer Judge

Tracey McDonald currently manages the family property rental business, along with an additional job which involves supplying and installing TVs for private hotels and hospitality clients and electrical appliances for the timeshare and leisure sectors.

All this keeps her extremely busy, but her downtime is equally as busy socialising and making time for friends and family or weekends away exploring Scotland in her caravan.

Tracey’s love of gin has grown over the last ten years, and so has her gin collection, which features over one hundred Scottish Gins.

Tracey enjoys the variety of brands and different flavours and loves trying new gins, learning more about the story behind each gin, and when time permits, visiting the odd distillery.

Gin Community Judges

Community judges come from the online communities for gin, food, travel and hospitality, including reviewers, bloggers, content creators and amateur mixologists. Community judges are all passionate individuals who are active online and use their blogs, websites and social media channels to showcase and talk about gin and their areas of expertise.

Adele Conn

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Adele Conn, known online by the name ‘Tartan Spoon’, is a travel writer, food critic, and content creator based in Edinburgh, Scotland.

She is a Guild of Food Writers member and is deeply interested in food, whisky, gin, spirits, and wine. She is a big supporter of Scottish produce and creates content that promotes and celebrates Scotland’s food and drink producers.

Adele also has a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 1 Award in Wines and a gin diploma from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy.

Anna Bones

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

It was after an exhausting bike ride Anna Bones was introduced to the wonder of gin. A bartender suggested she try a gin and bitter lemon as a refreshing reviver, which sparked her interest in gin. This fascination grew as she attended various gin festivals, enabling her to bring her love of gin to her job.

Anna hosted gin parties for Waitrose and John Lewis in person and virtually during the pandemic. She also played a crucial part in bringing a limited edition cocktail-at-home box to the market.

She established her enterprise, Gintuition, where she shares her passion for locally produced and regional gins with other gin enthusiasts. Anna has a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 2 Award in both Spirits and Wine.

Anthony Brimacombe

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Anthony Brimacombe, also known as Brim & Tonic online, discovered gin in 2016 when his work colleagues introduced him to the spirit on a night out. Around the same time, he visited Duke’s Bar and tried one of Alessandro Palazzi’s famous Martinis. This experience sparked Anthony’s interest in cocktails and spirits.

Since then, he has been expanding his knowledge and understanding of mixology. He shares his passion for spirits, cocktails, and mixology through his social media channels. Along with Julian Vallis and Sandra Lim, Anthony was one of the founding members of Martini Club UK.

In 2023, Anthony launched his own Brim’s Gin range of English Gin, a passion project which has allowed him to learn more first-hand about the gin and spirits sectors.

Carol Farnocchi

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Carol Farnocchi is ‘the chemist’ in the Scottish Alchemists, having spent half her working life in the chemicals sector and now completing the second half in teaching chemistry.

Her first foray into gin was many years ago at the Cowal Games in Dunoon, where a bartender served her a well-known gin mixed with bitter lemon. Carol says, “It took many years to recover from that first introduction to gin.” Still, when she began seeing new Scottish Gins appear, it ignited her interest in the gin category.

As part of The Scottish Alchemists podcasts, Carol features in Chemistry Corner with the chemistry of gin and related sundries. She is a huge fan of Scottish Gin and continues seeking new Scottish Gins to add to her growing collection.

Chloe Payne

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Chloe Payne is one half of wee3gins on Instagram along with her partner Paul Wark. Originally from Kent and now living in Glasgow for the past 13 years, she is an accountant by day and a passionate gin enthusiast by night.

Her love for gin began many years ago with a bottle of Bombay Sapphire and quickly turned into a growing collection.

Over time her interest developed into a deeper appreciation for the craft, flavour profiles and creativity within the gin world.

Dan Doherty

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Dan Doherty is a massive ‘foodie’, having spent eight years living and travelling around the world. During this time, he discovered a passion for rich and exciting flavours, ingredients and the unique stories and culture that have shaped many of the world’s finest cuisines. This passion has spilt over into the worlds of wine, coffee, cheese, chocolate and gin.

Dan started his blog ‘Manchester Food Tourist’ when he returned to the UK and found himself to be a tourist in his new home, Manchester. His search for good places to eat soon turned into a passion for spreading the word about everything related to food and travel.

More recently Dan launched his ‘Gin.Tourist’ Instagram account where he shares his latest gin discoveries.

Dan holds a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 2 Award in Spirits and a WSET Level 3 in Wine.

Dominic Scullion

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Dominic Scullion is a passionate gin enthusiast and content creator driven by his love for food and drink. His journey began on Instagram, where he embarked on an exciting gin adventure using the name ‘ginanddomic’.

Dominic has hosted numerous gin tasting and garnish events across Scotland, helping consumers to get more out of the gin in their glass. As his creative skills and reputation have grown, he has nurtured several collaborative partnerships, creating a variety of signature serves, cocktails, and content for brands such as Aldi and Irn-Bru, showcasing various products through his original and engaging content.

Dominic currently works as a content creator and channel marketing executive for Patisserie Valerie along with running his own freelance content and marketing business.

Hayley Smithers

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Hayley Smithers had been enjoying gin for several years. During the first COVID lockdown, she shared her growing gin collection and thoughts about the spirit on her ‘@gin_obsessed_hayley’ Instagram account.

It became a self-imposed challenge to style her photos and learn more about the gins in her growing collection of over 400 gins.

Working in the NHS, doing a job she loves, and balancing family life brings challenges, including finding time to post content.

Still, Hayley enjoys a gin and tonic when time permits and loves discovering new gin brands.

Jade Fawcett

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Jade Fawcett has worked in Scotland’s hospitality and tourism sectors for over a decade.

While studying at the University of Stirling, Jade worked as a mixologist at a local bar and restaurant, where she was responsible for mixing and preparing cocktails for guests. She has also worked as a historian and re-enactor with Living History Scotland and more recently worked as a tour and tasting guide for a local distillery.

In 2020, Jade returned to her hometown in Dumfries and Galloway. With a passion and interest in history, gin, and whisky, she launched her ‘@castles_and_casks’ Instagram account in 2021.

Through this account, Jade shares her adventures, showcases the spirits she enjoys, and connects with like-minded individuals who share similar interests.

Jenny McLaren

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Jenny McLaren is a gin, spirits, and cocktail blogger who resides in the South East of England. She began blogging at the end of 2014 and has reviewed and written about over 200 gins, tonics, and mixers.

Jenny is passionate about helping people discover great gins, spirits, and cocktails, writing her tasting notes in an original, relatable, and accessible manner.

In addition to her blogging endeavours, Jenny is an events manager for a specialist digital and live events company.

She holds a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 1 Award in Spirits and a Level 2 Award in Wines.

Joyce Matthews

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Joyce Matthews is one-third of The Scottish Alchemists, a trio of knowledgeable gin enthusiasts who organise gin-related events that blend science, education, and fun.

Based in the Scottish borders, Joyce’s extensive travels for work and family commitments allow her to sample gins from every country she visits.

A former PE teacher and now an award-winning leadership development specialist, Joyce is dedicated to sharing her passion and knowledge about the world of gin with others who share her enthusiasm.

Katie Hughes

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Katie Hughes is an experienced blogger focusing on gin, spirits, cocktails, travel, and food. She shares her adventures through her blog, ‘What’s Katie Doing?’ and social media channels, creating original content to enlighten and entertain her audience.

Katie’s content includes guides to places she has visited, gin tastings, distillery visits, and other gin, spirit, and cocktail-based experiences.

She’s always on the lookout for new gins, spirits, cocktails, and local dishes wherever she travels.

Laura Storr

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Laura Storr is the face behind ‘Storry Telling Gin And Tonic’ and ‘The Ginside Storry’. Laura has been keenly interested in gin since a specific Yorkshire brand first re-launched their gin many moons ago. Since then, she has invested her time in discovering new gins, brands and distillers.

Attending gin events and visiting cocktail bars has also provided the opportunity to learn more about the world of spirits and meet like-minded fans and supporters of the world of gin.

During the various lockdowns, Laura met up online with work colleagues, encouraging them to make cocktails and get together to socialise and discuss.

Lorna Hart

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

After a successful career managing luxury boutique hotels and fine dining restaurants in Scotland and the USA, Lorna Hart decided to train the next generation of hospitality leaders and customer service experts as a lecturer at Motherwell College/New College Lanarkshire.

Her love of gin and spirits has seen Lorna curate a collection of spirits, including over 300 gins. She actively promotes the world of Scottish Gin through her ‘Made Gin Scotland’ social media channels and dedicated Scottish Gin group on Facebook.

Marc Prince

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Hailing from South East London, Marc Prince was originally a rum and whisky drinker before his wife Syretta introduced him to the wonderful world of gin.

The diversity of gins, brands, and distilleries captured his attention, encouraging him to delve deeper into the gin category, using every opportunity at gin events to learn more from producers.

Marc shares his passion for gin through his Instagram account ‘@gintogetherstaytogether’ with his wife, Syretta Prince, and likes to spend his free time chilling with a gin and tonic, cooking, socialising with family and friends, and listening to music.

Matt Burton

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Matt Burton started his blog, ‘The Gin Shelf,’ in 2016 to share his love and interest in gin, spirits, and cocktails.

As a keen writer in his spare time, the blog also allowed Matt to incorporate his opinions, blended with anecdotes from his personal life, into his content and gin reviews.

Matt enjoys attending gin events, visiting distilleries, meeting producers, discovering new cocktail bars, and seeking out new gins and spirits.

Nicola Glassford

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Nicola Glassford set up her blog ‘Nic’s Gin & Beer’ after discovering gin at a food and drink festival with her family.

She made it a priority to visit her local gin bar, where she learned more about food and gin pairings and tried a variety of gin styles.

Nic has grown her gin collection to cover brands from all around the world, but, hailing from Glasgow, ultimately, Nic has a soft spot for Scottish Gins.

Nicola prides herself on integrity, honesty, fairness, and transparency in her reviews and blog.

Oscar Zammit

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Oscar Zammit is one half of The Ginfluencers UK, along with co-founder Scott Zammit. Oscar has worked in hospitality for over 35 years and, during that time, discovered plenty of gins, spirits, and cocktails and witnessed the gin category evolution.

The idea for The Ginfluencers UK came about as Oscar and Scott sought out and enjoyed more gins, discovering brands and learning about the industry; they saw an opportunity to share their views with other keen gin drinkers.

They established their brand and took to YouTube, producing videos and sharing their insightful and honest opinions about the gins they were drinking, quickly amassing a vast and varied gin collection along the way.

Pam Lorimer

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Pam Lorimer is a blogger, baker, mother, railway signaller (that’s the day job), and gin, spirits and cocktail lover all rolled into one.

Pam is a Scottish mum of two who lives in the southwest of Scotland and works full-time in the rail industry. She loves writing reviews about drinks and gin in her spare time.

Although she has been a gin drinker for several years, it’s been in the last few years that she developed her interest in the broader aspects of the industry.

Pam enjoys attending gin and drinks events, meeting the makers, discussing their products and educating others through her blog and social media channels.

Pam holds a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 1 Award in Spirits.

Paul Wark

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Paul Wark is one half of ‘@wee3gins’ on Instagram along with his partner Chloe Payne and has a career in accountancy and is a dedicated gym goer.

Paul’s career has included time with Heineken, giving him valuable industry insight and a deeper appreciation for the world of drinks.

His introduction to gin came thanks to Chloe, after he taught her how to split the G, marking the start of his own gin journey.

As their collection grows, so does his knowledge and a growing interest in flavours, botanicals and distillation.

Richard Spence

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Richard Spence, also known as Spence, hails from North London and, like many people, discovered gin thanks to Bombay Sapphire.

A keen photographer, foodie, gin, spirit and cocktail drinker, Spence enjoys the social aspect of gin, which can bring people together to share ideas, chat, and learn.

He uses his blog, ‘Gins Magic,’ and social media channels to highlight the gin brands and people he’s met, connecting with producers and brands and getting to know the spirits in the bottle.

Rory Faiers

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Rory Faiers, known as ‘The Gin Lord’ online, has been actively promoting the gin category online for several years.

He has organised and hosted gin tasting events across East Anglia, written about gin, distilling and is active in the gin community.

With a rectifier license, he enjoys learning about the distillation process and experimenting with distilling foraged botanicals, particularly herbs, fruits, and juniper.

In addition, Rory hosts the ‘Thirst of All’ podcast, where he interviews producers and individuals from the world of gin and spirits about their passion for drinks and spirits.

More recently Rory has taken a step back from the social media side of the gin world to focus on his young family, however is still actively engaged in the world of gin and spirits.

Scott Zammit

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Scott Zammit is one of the duo behind The Ginfluencers UK, where he shares his passion for gin through The Ginfluencers UK YouTube channel along with his partner Oscar.

They provide unbiased reviews and aim to help consumers navigate the ever-growing gin category. Together, they have built a vast collection of spirits, including gin, that spans all gin styles and brands, including a selection of Scottish gins.

Scott and Oscar buy all the gins they review, so there is no hidden agenda or outside influences, just honest and unbiased reviews.

Syretta Prince

The Gin Cooperative Awards Community Judge

Syretta’s passion for gin and the beginning of her gin journey started with a bottle she received as a wedding gift.

Fast forward many years, and the collection has vastly grown and includes gins and spirits from around the world. Syretta shares her love of Gin on her Instagram account, ‘@gintogetherstaytogether’ with her husband Marc.

She enjoys discovering new spirit brands of spirits, including new gin releases. She also loves attending gin, food and spirits events and festivals.

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