What could be nicer than fudge? Gin flavoured fudge!

The Tarquin's Gin and Cornish Pastis flavoured fudge we sent our Members in their April Gin of the Month boxes has already been causing quite a stir - in fact, it hit the headlines in the South West-based fudge creators, Buttermilk's local press! But who exactly is behind these tasty treats?

Buttermilk is a family business that has been making gorgeous artisan confectionary in Cornwall since 1964. To this day, all of their treats are made using traditional methods, in copper pans which are heated over open flames. The confectionary is also made using high quality, locally sourced ingredients, including Clotted Cream from Cornwall’s Trewithen Dairy and the Cornish Sea Salt we also sent in our April Gin of the Month boxes.

Overseeing Buttermilk’s team of craft confectioners is husband and wife team, Tracy McGoad and David Goad, who moved from London to Cornwall to take the reins from David’s parents in 2010.

David looks after production with Tracy taking care of retail and marketing. Their four-year-old son even gets involved, helping out with taste-testing – surely every child’s dream!

With 70 flavours of smooth and crumbly fudge, tablet, brittle, chocolate clusters and honeycomb and numerous awards under their belts, it’s no surprise that demand for their wares is growing fast. “It’s great that lovely stores such as Wholefoods are now partnering with us,” says Tracy.

Alongside this UK-wide expansion, Buttermilk retains its strong Cornish roots, with the original shop still open on the same site in Padstow. That has now been joined by two more, in Boscastle and Port Isaac – the latter of which you may recognise from the ITV series, Doc Martin, where it plays the role of Mrs Tishell’s pharmacy.

The team has also recently opened a new factory site in Bodmin to help them keep up with increasing demand. The extra space means they are now able to make up to a thrill-inducing two tons of fudge a day – all while still preserving the traditional processes that make their treats so special.

In our Members' boxes this month we sent not one but three flavours of Buttermilk fudge: traditional vanilla alongside two special editions made with Tarquin’s Gin and Pastis respectively.

“We have long been big fans and customers of Tarquin’s,” Tracy told us. “We are really impressed by his artisanal skills and passion – it helps that he is a thoroughly lovely chap!”

There are notes of juniper and orangey coriander from the gin fudge, and a sweet aniseed flavour from the pastis – we can’t decide which we love the most! The good news is that both are still available to buy as part of a limited edition pack from Buttermilk's website - but hurry, there was only a small batch made so stocks are very limited!