ADS for celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s gin have been banned for making unauthorised claims about the drink’s honeyberry ingredient.
The Instagram and Facebook posts for Ramsay’s Gin, first seen in March, said the honeyberries that made up its “botanical foundations” were grown in fields not far from the Eden Mill distillery near St Andrews.
The ads read: “Here, the farmer follows a philosophy of natural growth meaning the Honeyberries retain the rich flavours and micro-nutrients that come from Scotland’s wonderful terroir.
“With more antioxidants than blueberries, more potassium than bananas, more vitamin C than oranges and a flavour like a mixture of blueberry, plum and grape, these might be the tastiest Honeyberries in the world.”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) challenged whether or not the claims about honeyberries were permitted for alcoholic drinks.
Eden Mill Distillery, trading as Ramsay’s Gin, said the ads had only been posted once, that they had been deleted and would never be used again in any form across any platform.
The company said it had previously distilled with honeyberries and, excited by the opportunity to work with Ramsay, had neglected to conduct its usual due diligence.
The ASA noted how the only permitted nutrition claims that could be made when selling alcohol products were “low alcohol”, “reduced alcohol” and “reduced energy”.
The ASA said: “While we welcomed the action Ramsay’s Gin had taken to withdraw the ads because the claims ‘retain… micro-nutrients’ and ‘more antioxidants than blueberries, more potassium than bananas, more vitamin C than oranges’ were nutrition claims that were not permitted for alcoholic drinks, we concluded the ads breached the Code.”
The regulator ruled that the ads must not appear again in the form complained of, adding: “We told Eden Mill Distillery trading as Ramsay’s Gin not to make non-permitted nutrition claims about alcoholic drinks.”
Eden Mill said: “We have apologised to the ASA and take full responsibility. The content was posted on our Instagram and Facebook and was immediately removed on raising by the ASA.”
Honeyberries are a fruit of the honeysuckle Lonicera caerulea, also known as blue honeysuckle or edible honeysuckle.
The Royal Horticultural Society describes the fruit as having a similar taste and look to blueberries, advising that they can be eaten raw or used in jam and jellies.
Like blueberries, they are high in antioxidants and vitamin C.
