Insider Media Limited

The co-founder of a premium gin brand made at a Black Country distillery has told Insider it has so far struggled to gain widespread UK acclaim because, in part, the big supermarkets "don't take the gin sector terribly seriously". David Bromige said Martin Miller's Gin, which has achieved international success, would not be tempted to branch out into "weird and wacky flavours – because gin should taste like gin".

Martin Miller's Gin was founded under The Reformed Spirit Company in the 1990's. Its first development was a premium vodka – Polstar Vodka. Bromige said it was a "commercial move" as vodka was so popular with consumers.

"When we decided to launch the gin, people told us that we were mad, that it would never work," he said.

"It was definitely not commercially thought-out – I think most people thought we would fail – but we did this one out of love."

Bromige said the gin differs from its competitors' as it is blended with pure Icelandic water, giving it a "softer and purer" taste.

But despite the location of the company's Black Country distillery, Bromige said the UK market had been slow compared to the growth it has experienced internationally.

"The UK market has lagged behind somewhat – it's very difficult to sell into the 'big four' UK supermarkets, and it's perhaps a sector that they don't take terribly seriously.

"But saying that, we stock in many independent and specialist shops like Oddbins, Victoria Wine and Harvey Nichols. We might well target the big supermarkets once the brand has become more renowned over here, but we're very happy with what we've done in the UK so far."

Bromige established the company with the gin label's namesake Martin Miller and investor Andreas Versteegh over a decade ago.

Since founding the company, it has grown internationally with operations in Malta and Miami.

"One large source of income for us is the hotel market abroad – that's become really popular", he said.

"We also export across Malaysia, Indonesia and China – Shanghai has been fantastic for us. All the tiger economies have really got on board with the 'heritage' aspect of the product, and the US and Australia are catching on quick."

To date, Bromige said the company was delivering almost 100,000 crates of the gin every year.

Alongside the UK, Bromige said Martin Miller's was keen to raise its profile in India, which he said was being "targeted as a growth market".

These aspirations for growth come as The Reformed Spirit Company has completed what Bromige called a "really successful" trial of a new product, Triibe. He added the launch had been especially well received by mixologists.

But despite the new product's launch, Bromige said the company had no desire to start putting designs on an array of flavoured and coloured gins.

"We're really not interested in creating a line of weird and wacky flavours just for the sake of it," he said.

"We think gin should taste like gin – otherwise what's the point in buying it?"