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A serial entrepreneur from Blackwood has entered the drinks market with a new gin.

Ross Porter has several businesses in different sectors, such as recruitment, work wear and even a boutique candles.

Now he has partnered with tattoo artist James Williams, of Fairwater, Cardiff, to launch Jaro – a premium strawberry gin. The name comes from a combination of their first names.

Ross said: “While Most people used the lockdown period to relax and catch up on those home DIY chores we spent  our time developing our brand of gin to bring to market.

“Having been gin enthusiasts for a long time and with the guidance of  our wives, who were the real gin experts, we set out to achieve their dream. After 12 months of testing gin recipes and lots of jumping through official hoops to obtain the necessary licences and approvals, the Jaro journey began.

“Creating a premium gin has always been a dream of mine and when I mentioned it to my friend James, I discovered that he was as passionate about the idea as I was. The gin has been nearly a year in the making with plenty of experimenting and tweaks along the way, until we were happy with the end product.”

“We knew that it would be a challenge to introduce a new product to an already saturated market, however, we are really pleased with the way things are going.

“Our client base is growing steadily and we are hoping that more and more bars, clubs and pubs will stock our premium strawberry gin. Most importantly, the feedback we are receiving from customers is amazing; they’re loving the taste.

“The 37.5% proof gin, which is available on our website priced at £25.99, is made using fresh Welsh strawberries and distilled in the heart of Wales.”

James and Ross spent time with award-winning distillers to develop their recipe. They are already working on an additional flavour