PICKERING’S, the Edinburgh gin distiller, has declared it is on track to ramp up turnover four-fold to £4 million in its current financial year.

The revelation came as the drinks firm, founded by Matt Gammell and Marcus Pickering, said it will this year produce one million of its popular gin-filled Christmas tree baubles for the 2017 festive season. Last year the firm sold out the production run of 30,000 baubles in 82 seconds. The product won Pickering’s the innovation prize at the inaugural Scottish Gin Awards.

The Christmas push comes with Pickering’s on course to deliver record turnover and export sales this year, amid growing demand in markets such as Australia, New Zealand, the US and Asia.

It recently scaled up production capacity at its distillery in Edinburgh’s Summerhall, on the site of a former vet school. A further six full-time and 19 part-time staff have been taken on, with staff numbers up four-fold.