Aldi's £20 Scottish gin named 'best in the country' at prestigious competition
The supermarket has added to its ever-growing cabinet of award-winning drinks at affordable prices.
There's no denying the success of Aldi's alcohol range. It's so popular that the supermarket was has been hailed as the "retailer of the year" for its selection of tipples.
And the German chain has another winner on its hands with its Còmhla Scottish Gin, as it recently scooped the highly coveted 'Gold' and 'Best in the Country' awards at the prestigious World Drink Awards 2025.
The global awards ceremony is presented by Thedrinksreport.com and selects the very best in all internationally recognised styles of drinks. The number one online resource for drinks professionals, the competition selects, rewards and promotes the very best drinks across the world.
In the 2025 competition, Aldi's Còmhla Scottish Gin was lauded for its "aromatic nose, and notably fresh profile", thanks to a blend of botanicals such as dandelion and bog myrtle. Costing just £19.99 for a 70cl bottle, it's notably budget-friendly compared to other brands.
This is not the first time that the supermarket's Scottish gin has taken home top awards. Launched in 2023, it also managed to scoop the top 'Gold' award at the 2024 Spirit Business Awards, ranking above the likes of Wembley Crown, Mayfair and Beefeater.
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: "We're so pleased that our Còmhla Scottish Gin has been recognised with a gold award in such a prestigious competition. It's a real testament to the care and craft that goes into every bottle.
"The World Drinks Awards' recognition shows that high-quality, world-class gins don't have to come with a premium price tag, and we're proud to be offering just that to our customers in Scotland."
It marks the latest addition to Aldi's ever-growing trophy of award-winning drinks at low-cost prices. In the last 12 months alone, the affordable supermarket has managed to take home eight medals and top drinks competitions.
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Another "Best in the Country" winner from the grocer is the Haysmith's Seville Orange & Persian Lime Gin. It bagged the award in the Flavoured Gin category at the 2024 World Gin Awards.
The refreshing citrus-based spirit is priced at just £14.99, making it 46 percent cheaper than its rival Tanqueray Flor De Sevilla Gin that would set you back £28.
It's not just the supermarket's gin's that receive high praise, as Aldi's Glen Marnoch Highland Single Malt Whisky has also previously taken home top marks at the 2023 International Spirits Challenge (ISC). Costing £17.49, it was praised for its "clean, well defined style."
With its ever growing range of award-winning drinks, it's no surprise that Aldi was named the 'Drinks Retailer of the Year' for the seventh consecutive year in 2024 - beating out rivals such as M&S, Waitrose, and Sainsbury's.
The German chain once again took the top prize at the prestigious Retail Industry Awards, also hailed as "the Oscar's of the retail world". It boasts a panel of judges who have been handpicked for their experience, knowledge and expertise.
Aldi managed to wow the panel with its tailored range of beers, wines, and spirits that "continue to develop in both the value and premium ends of the market".
Aldi's award-winning Còmhla Scottish Gin (£19.99, 70cl) is available to buy in all 109 stores across Scotland.
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The Herald Scotland
25 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
FM funding row as £90m for Scots jobs given to firm going to England
It came against a background of the Scottish Government being criticised for the levels of support for bus manufacturing. According to Scottish Government records, ADL received £58m of public 'subsidy' for green vehicles since 2020 under two schemes aimed at transitioning Scotland to green buses - despite the company having embarked on a 2020 plan to axe a third of its Scottish workforce. And some £30m of jobs grants for research and development over 10 years has come from the Scottish Government's economic development agency Scottish Enterprise. Some £11.2m of those jobs grants from Scottish Enterprise came in 2023, three years after concerns were raised over ADL embarking on major job cuts in 2020. By the time the 2020 jobs cut was in place ADL had already received over £8m in 'job securing' taxpayer funding which was promoted as supporting building a new greener business in Scotland. It has led to calls for action to be taken to claw grant money back. READ MORE by Martin Williams: A Scottish Enterprise source said: "The company is aware of Scottish Enterprise's right to potentially reclaim funding where the terms and conditions of a grant contract are not upheld." The relationship between Alexander Dennis and the SNP can be traced back to 2013 when then First Minister Alex Salmond and then deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon used its Falkirk base to launch the economic case for Scottish independence. In 2016, millions in taxpayer's cash was given to Alexander Dennis which at the time was closely linked with major SNP donor and Scottish tycoon Sir Brian Souter, despite having recorded an £18.5m profit the previous year. Video: The First Minister and Deputy First Minister set out the economic case for Scottish independence in 2013 at the Alexander Dennis's Falkirk plant The First Minister said last week that the SNP minority government would do "everything it can" to support the workers saying he was "deeply concerned" that the firm planned to move its full operation to a site in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, putting 400 jobs at factories in Falkirk and Larbert at risk. ADL, which said the move would lower costs and "increase efficiency" said that current UK policy "does not allow for the incentivisation or reward of local content, job retention and creation, nor does it encourage any domestic economic benefit". It has emerged that the First Minister had been pushing for support for the company for nearly a year after a row blew up over levels of support. An official note of a meeting between Mr Swinney and representatives of Alexander Dennis as recently as August of last year revealed that there were plans for earlier restructuring with the prospect of redundancies. The note said that Mr Swinney had "reflected on the importance of ADL to Scotland, assuring NFI [ADL's parent company] of the Scottish Government's support for ADL". According to the record, seen by The Herald, at the meeting Paul Soubry, president and chief executive of NFI told Mr Swinney that they were "at a crossroads for investment decision-making given a lack of assured demand and sought clarity on the Scottish Government's prioritisation of support for domestic bus manufacturing". The First Minister "noted the potential for further capital support should be explored". Alba Party leader Kenny MacAskill said the job losses were "unacceptable" and added: "If public money was paid out and they go then the funds must be returned. It was for supporting the jobs and community. "It's absurd to be losing this skilled work and leading technology in the place which should be the epicentre and hub. Its industrial vandalism and indicative of a lack of an industrial strategy." A row between ministers and ADL emerged over levels of support and had it roots in Scottish Government schemes launched from 2020 to accelerate the use and manufacture of zero and low emission buses in Scotland and 'help drive a green recovery out of the Covid pandemic" which have been worth a total of £155.8m to date. Frustrations emerged after May, 2023 when Alexander Dennis hosted the second phase of the Scottish Government's Zero Emissions Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) which was to have funding worth £58m. It also showcased its Enviro100EV concept, a lightweight single-deck zero-emission bus with new in-house battery powertrain confirmed that grant backing accelerated its development. The fund was established to "disrupt the bus and coach market" and allow operators the chance to make the move to zero-emission vehicles. Then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited ADL's Falkirk plant in a trip which coincided with Scottish Enterprise providing a £7.3m million research and development grant (Image: ADL) And a Scottish Government memo to the deputy first minister Kate Forbes a year later states that Alexander Dennis had initially accepted that the Scottish Government's direct investment in ScotZEB would "underpin and grown the 500+ green Scottish jobs it supports". But it revealed that a subsequent series of letters were received from ADL and NFI raising concerns about the outcome of ScotZEB and wider Scottish Government support of bus manufacturing. "The company claims that the ScotZEB outcome will have a catastrophic impact on the business." It said the letters compare the Scottish Government's approach to funding programmes, subsidy control and Fair Work First "unfavourably with policies of other governments to protect their domestic manufacturing base". But the memo said that ADL had received orders for 363 zero-emission buses from ScotZEB more than any other manufacturer benefitting from the schemes. A separate briefing states that Alexander Dennis was awarded only 17% or 44 buses from second phase of the programme. According to Scottish Government records ADL received £58m of public 'subsidy' for green vehicles under the four phases of the low and zero emission bus schemes A significant grant through the ScotZeb 2 programme was awarded to Zenobe, and its consortium of bus and coach operators to support the transition of bus fleets to electric. ADL, which incurred total losses over three years of £44.9m between 2021 and 2023, made its own bid to the programme but was unsuccessful. While ADL was a supplier to the successful consortium it was not a formal part of it. The note said that ADL had "praised support from Scottish Enterprise" it added that the First Minister had "assured the company of the support available for its continuing investment in Scotland". By September, 2024 a further call between the First Minister and NFI and ADL showed that Mr Swinney advised and asked that Scottish Enterprise "exhaust all options to support the business". And a note of the meeting cleared by Mr Swinney stated that he requested that "all options are exhausted before any final decision is taken by ADL". By then, Alexander Dennis had already benefited from a raft of taxpayer-funded grants and support from the Scottish Government. In the same year of the ScotZeb2 launch, Scottish Enterprise sanctioned a £13.2m grant on top of £49.7m ADL investment into the development of zero emissions technology for the creation of new battery-electric and hydrogen fuel powertrains - the systems designed to propel vehicles forward. Some £11.2m was drawn down. Alexander Dennis president and managing director Paul Davies (2nd from left) and then transport minister Kevin Stewart (centre) with Alexander Dennis apprentices as the bus company launched ScotZEB2 (Image: ADL) At that point Alexander Dennis said it was repurposing its Larbert plant to make it a "manufacturing centre of excellence' for the production of zero-emission buses. The plant had successfully piloted hydrogen-electric and said it was expanding to battery-electric full production from August 2023. Three years earlier Scottish Enterprise sanctioned a further £10m grant on top of £29m Alexander Dennis investment into the development of zero and ultra-low emission buses in Scotland. In September, 2016, £7.3m of public money was given by Scottish Enterprise to accelerate Alexander Dennis's expansion of its low-carbon vehicle programme. It was at the time the largest research and development grant in the quango's history and came despite the manufacturer recording an £18.5m profit the previous year. One of the company's chief shareholders at the time was Stagecoach tycoon Sir Brian Souter - a major financial supporter of the Scottish National Party. Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon launched their 2013 economic case for Scottish independence at Alexander Dennis coach builders in Falkirk. (Image: NQ) That was before NFI took over the Scottish firm for £320m in May, 2019 and announced it wanted to hit a sales trajectory of £1 billion for the coach and bus maker, including expansion in Scotland. Both ADL chief executive Colin Robertson and Michael Stewart, chief financial officer, stayed on to continue the work done in Falkirk and Larbert. Scottish Enterprise said the £7.3m taxpayer boost would "help increase their innovation, research and development and global reach". It helped Alexander Dennis set up a £30m development and product market programme to allow the launch of the eco-friendly Enviro400XLB, its highest capacity bus for the UK market, in conjunction with Lothian Buses. Scottish Enterprise lauded the launch of the green bus manufactured in Falkirk saying it was "securing jobs and adding value to the Scottish economy directly and via the extensive local supply chain". "This accelerated our growth much faster," said Mr Robertson at the time. 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"I won't be hanging around to find out because I'm not sure more support would be coming under the circumstances or will even be sufficient. I will take my redundancy cash and get out if I can." ADL was established in 2004 when a consortium of Scottish entrepreneurs led by Mr Souter and including Dame Ann Gloag (Souter's sister), Sir Angus Grossart and Sir David Murray acquired the business from Trans Bus International's administrators. A Scottish Enterprise spokesman said: 'Scottish Enterprise has had a strong strategic partnership with Alexander Dennis Limited for more than 10 years, during which time we have supported technology development, skills and cultural transformation at the company. We have recently been working closely with Alexander Dennis Limited to explore a range of possible options. We remain fully committed to continuing to work with the company during the consultation period to try and find a positive solution, despite the challenging circumstances. 'This is a deeply concerning time for the workforce and along with our public sector partners we will continue discussions on how best to support them at this difficult time.' Deputy first minister Kate Forbes said: 'The absolute focus right now is on supporting Alexander Dennis Ltd its workforce, as well as the families and communities they support. We also recognise the significance of the company within the local economy and across the wider supply chain. 'The Scottish Government has committed to exploring all viable options throughout the consultation period to allow the firm to retain their hard-working employees and manufacturing and production facilities at Falkirk and Larbert. 'We will continue to work in close collaboration with the company, trade unions, Scottish Enterprise, Transport Scotland and the UK Government.' Alexander Dennis was approached for comment.
The National
2 hours ago
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Kate Forbes asked to intervene in Ardrossan Harbour talks
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An email to Forbes from Hume, seen by the Sunday National, says: 'We had a meeting recently with CMAL and Transport Scotland about the negotiations, and they painted a very gloomy picture of how things were going, blaming Peel Ports for being difficult and asking far too much. 'We would like the Deputy First Minister to get involved directly in the negotiations and inject a sense of urgency into the situation." Gilmore added: "My thoughts are that we have a bit of a 'he said' 'she said' going on between CMAL and Peel Ports, and it might be helpful to get some transparency around all this, which may only be achieved by ministerial intervention." The Arran for Ardrossan Harbour group alongside fellow campaigners from Save Ardrossan Harbour will be travelling to Holyrood this week to call for ministerial intervention. Concern is growing over the harbour's long-term future as the new MV Glen Sannox ferry and its sister ship the MV Glen Rosa – which is due to begin service next year – are too big to berth at the port. This has resulted in the Glen Sannox having to travel to Arran from Troon since January, which has added about 20 minutes onto each leg of the journey. The Glen Sannox is only about to carry out three daily return sailings to Arran from Troon compared to the five that are possible from Ardrossan. While the MV Alfred has been providing extra support when needed, its capacity is much smaller. There have been no ferries running from Ardrossan for five months. (Image: George Munro) The Caledonian Isles ferry (above) had been due to return to service last week from Ardrossan after around 18 months out of action, but last-minute problems picked up during sea trials delayed the launch until at least Tuesday, with a firm update to be provided on Monday. The Scottish Government promised seven years ago that Ardrossan would remain the main gateway to Arran and pledged to fund the multi-million-pound upgrade required to accommodate the new ferries. But the project was paused in 2023 amid concern over rising costs and disagreements over how the bill should be split between the three partners: Peel Ports, North Ayrshire Council and the Scottish Government. Communities on both sides of the Firth of Clyde are keen to see Ardrossan remain the gateway to Arran given many people in the town travel to the island for work, while Arran residents have medical appointments in Ardrossan. Ardrossan Harbour also has a train station offering easy access to Glasgow, while the railway station in Troon is around a 20-minute walk away from the port. People can board a shuttle to Troon station, but with only three daily return sailings, the logistics of spending a day in Glasgow from Troon are much trickier. In February, Transport Secretary Hyslop revealed that money had been set aside to take Ardrossan Harbour into public ownership. But since then, campaigners have lost faith in the progress of negotiations since a meeting with CMAL, Transport Scotland, Peel Ports and CalMac. READ MORE: Scottish Borders wind farm plan 'to push out recovering golden eagles' Hume said the meeting left him 'flabbergasted'. 'All of us came out of that meeting thinking this could fail,' he said. 'There was no commitment in that meeting. Duncan Mackison [CEO of CalMac] listened to us quite sympathetically and he came across as someone who is committed to Ardrossan Harbour. 'But the others, they just laid on doom and gloom about how bad the negotiations were going. It was quite bizarre. 'I'm still a bit flabbergasted by it.' He went on: 'They've got to get the deal done. It started in February, and although we accept there's a lot of detail to go through, we're into June now. 'The main thing is we don't think they can leave this to Peel Ports and CMAL. They're not connecting with each other.' Frances Gilmour, chair of Save Ardrossan Harbour, said the town had been 'badly let down' by all parties. The Glen Sannox has been sailing from Troon to Brodick (Image: PA) She told the Sunday National: 'People will go to Arran from Troon on the nice ferry and that's wonderful if you're a tourist, but the whole picture is not being seen. 'The strength of feeling from the people who go to the island for work and to see family, it is clear this is the route that needs to be sustained. 'The powers that be have let us down badly. They are putting a sticking plaster on it by giving us the Caledonian Isles back for as long as she lasts, which might not be long. 'I don't have much confidence [in the talks]. It just seems to be a stalemate.' READ MORE: Robert Burns-linked estate to be turned into whisky distillery Asked what her message would be to those involved in the negotiations, she said: 'Get moving, and stop blaming each other.' Peel Ports has said there has not been enough 'pace and energy' from CMAL and Transport Scotland, while CMAL has said it has to 'deliver the best value for the public purse'. A spokesperson for CMAL said: "We do not own Ardrossan Harbour, so we cannot make plans for its future. We are in the middle of a commercial negotiation process to buy the harbour from Peel Ports, which limits the amount of detail that can be shared. We are fully committed to maintaining a robust and resilient ferry service for the Isle of Arran, and no option is off the table. However, we must also ensure we deliver the best value for the public purse." A Peel Ports spokesperson said: 'The ongoing cancellations, delays, and uncertainty are devastating for the people and businesses of Arran and Ardrossan. 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The National
2 hours ago
- The National
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The Scottish Secretary attempted to defend not informing the Government at Holyrood about alterations to the payment by suggesting Westminster would 'never' consult devolved governments on devolved policy. But Scotland's Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has said Murray "doesn't seem to understand the system", as she laid out how the Labour Government had made it "almost impossible" for the Scottish Government to know how to proceed with its own devolved winter payment. After making the Winter Fuel Payment means-tested last year – meaning only those on pension credit or other benefits would receive it – Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a major policy U-turn last week, with pensioners south of the Border earning up to £35,000 a year now set to get £200 for those aged up to 80 and £300 for those aged over 80. READ MORE: SNP Government rule out Scottish independence convention The current plan in Scotland – which has its own devolved Pension Age Winter Heating Payment – is for all pensioner households to receive £100 regardless of income, while those on pension credit will receive up to £305 depending on age. That was announced on the back of the initial cut made to the UK payment, but Reeves's latest announcement will mean – as things stand – pensioners in England and Wales earning less than £35,000 will get a larger payment than those in Scotland. Scotland will receive more money as a result of the UK change via Barnett consequentials, but Somerville told the Sunday National exact funding implications have not yet been made clear by the UK Government, making it 'almost impossible' for the Scottish Government to decide whether it can alter its own devolved payment. (Image: PA) Murray (above) said that if Labour had consulted the Scottish Government on the policy, it would 'be screaming blue murder at the fact that we're encroaching on the devolution settlement'. But Somerville said: 'If Ian Murray actually understood how the system works, he would know that changes in aspects that are devolved to Scotland, changes that happen down in England, have an implication for a Scottish budget,' she said. 'I don't think it's surprising, and I wouldn't have thought it was asking too much, for the UK Government to therefore talk to the Scottish Government when a decision they're going to make has major funding implications for the Scottish Government. 'I'm afraid Ian Murray, deliberately or otherwise, doesn't seem to understand the system.' Somerville insisted the only way Scotland will only ever be able to escape continued wranglings with the UK Government over social security is through gaining independence. She said she had 'long lost patience' with the Labour UK Government having "no respect" for Scotland after she found out through social media about the fresh changes to the Winter Fuel Payment. Somerville insisted Scotland must have full powers over social security. READ MORE: UK Government must 'urgently engage' with Scotland over migration 'I read about it [the Winter Fuel Payment change] first on social media before a meeting with the Treasury, where they couldn't tell me what the financial implications for Scotland were, and we are still trying to work out the details of how their scheme works and impacts on Scotland,' she said. 'So, there is deep disappointment. But when you have a system as we do, that is so reliant on the UK Government both in terms of its policy decisions and the finances, we are always going to be in this position. 'This is an inevitable consequence of having a Union and having a Union with a government which seems to take decisions with no thought to the implications for Scotland. 'There's clearly only one way we get past that and that's for the Scottish Parliament to have full control of our social security.' It is not the first time this year the Labour Government has left its Scottish counterpart in limbo when it comes to social security. (Image: PA) Earlier this year, the UK Government announced that from 2028/29 onwards, people would only be able to prove their eligibility for the health element of Universal Credit (UC) via the assessment for Personal Independence Payments (PIP). PIP has been replaced in Scotland by the devolved Adult Disability Payment, but the UK Government has still not confirmed whether Scots looking to obtain the UC health element can prove their eligibility via this new system. Somerville (above) told The National in March she had been seeking clarity on this matter from the previous UK Government and never got answers – a trend which she says is continuing under Labour. She said the Labour Government's failure to communicate effectively with Scotland should prove to people a switch in power at Westminster will never result in vulnerable people being better protected. 'Understandably some people thought one of the answers to further protecting vulnerable people in society – or indeed people who just have a right to support like disabled people and carers – was to elect a Labour government,' she said. 'So, we've had a Labour government elected, and the first thing they did was cut the Winter Fuel Payment from pensioners. They followed that with cuts to disabled benefits in the rest of the UK. 'If anyone needed further proof that the answer isn't a change of government in Westminster, we've unfortunately seen that. 'The only way we can protect people from those types of changes is we have those decisions being made up here by a Scottish Government through independence.' Somerville said she wanted to reassure Scottish pensioners they 'will have a winter heating payment this year' while the Government in Edinburgh continues to seek answers on the funding implications of Labour's latest U-turn. A UK Government spokesperson said: "Decisions on Scotland's Pension Age Winter Heating Payment are a matter for the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government will mechanically receive additional funding to reflect the increase in spending in England and Wales through a Block Grant Adjustment, as agreed in the Scottish Government's Fiscal Framework. "Regarding the comments about the Scottish Secretary, Ian Murray joined an HMT briefing with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance on Wednesday where she was informed ahead of publication of the Spending Review that it would mean an extra £9.1 billion for the Scottish Government over the next three years. That's more money than ever before for them to invest in Scottish public services."
