Adverts for a gin made in partnership between a Fife distillery and Gordon Ramsay gin have been banned.
The adverts were for Ramsay’s Gin, made by Eden Mill in partnership with Michelin star chef Gordon Ramsay.
They were published on Facebook and Instagram in March this year.
However, the adverts have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for making unauthorised claims about the spirit’s honeyberry ingredient.
The posts for Ramsay’s Gin said the honeyberries that made up its “botanical foundations” were grown in fields a few miles away from the Eden Mill distillery near St Andrews.
The ads read: “Here, the farmer follows a philosophy of natural growth meaning the Honeyberries retain the rich flavours and micro-nutrients that come from Scotland’s wonderful terroir.
“With more antioxidants than blueberries, more potassium than bananas, more vitamin C than oranges and a flavour like a mixture of blueberry, plum and grape, these might be the tastiest Honeyberries in the world.”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) challenged whether the claims about honeyberries were permitted for alcoholic drinks.
Eden Mill Distillery, trading as Ramsay’s Gin, said the adverts had been posted only once, had been deleted.
It added they would not be used again.
The firm said it had not previously distilled with honeyberries.
It added that, excited by the opportunity to work with Ramsay, it had neglected to conduct its usual due diligence.
It said the business was undergoing “significant” changes at the time.
‘We take full responsibility’, Eden Mill says
They said the company owners, marketing team and head distiller had all been briefed on the complaint.
They provided an assurance that it would not happen again.
Eden Mill said: “We have apologised to the ASA and take full responsibility. The content was posted on our Instagram and Facebook and was immediately removed on raising by the ASA.”
The ASA noted the only permitted nutrition claims that could be made in relation to alcohol were “low alcohol”, “reduced alcohol” and “reduced energy”.
The authority said: “While we welcomed the action Ramsay’s Gin had taken to withdraw the ads because the claims ‘retain … micro-nutrients’ and ‘more antioxidants than blueberries, more potassium than bananas, more vitamin C than oranges’ were nutrition claims that were not permitted for alcoholic drinks, we concluded the ads breached the code.”
The regulator ruled that the ads must not appear again in the form complained of.
It added: “We told Eden Mill Distillery trading as Ramsay’s Gin not to make non-permitted nutrition claims about alcoholic drinks.”
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