What started as a family project with their children ended up turning into one of Norfolk’s most successful gin brands - and now Black Shuck is celebrating a decade of business.

Sarah and Patrick Saunders set up Black Shuck Gin (formerly The Norfolk Sloe Company) back in 2012 as a way to show their three children - Leanne, Nicola and Will - transferable skills. The pair went full-time in 2017 and haven’t looked back, winning countless awards and being stocked at bars across the country.

The couple’s relationship with gin goes back further, as they would make their own sloe gin from a family receipt as presents for friends and family as far back as 2002.

Since then, the pair have created an array of flavoured gin - including a cacao and pistachio variant.

“We are still living the dream, and feel really lucky to be doing it,” Mrs Saunders said.

“We love what we do and we do what we love.

“We have so much fun every day, we have control of the business and we are not ready to give it up yet.

“As long as we enjoy it we will carry on, and we are still really enjoying it to this day.”

They didn’t even start working full-time on the company until five years of trade. Mrs Saunders carried on as a secondary school maths teacher, and Mr Saunders working as a trails officer for National Trials.

But when they were pulling 18-hour working days with Black Shuck they felt it was time to give up the day job.

“We never get tired of seeing our bottles, whether on a shop shelf, in someone’s house or on a bar, that feeling of pride has not changed from the first time,” Mrs Saunders added.

The Fakenham-based firm raised money for the air ambulance through sales of a limited-edition gin alongside other fundraising activities.

They also donated alcohol-based hand sanitiser to a wide range of key workers during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Like many other businesses, they are also facing an increase in their bills with a spike in energy costs - saying they have seen an overall increase of 20pc in their bills.

However, Mrs Saunders said Black Shuck is committed at this time to not increasing the price of products for their customer, adding: “Especially when they have less money in their pocket.”