A UK-based company has collaborated with a local brewery and distillery to create a gin made from surplus bread.

Swansea-based Lewis Pie & Pasty Co has teamed up with Coles Distillery in Llanddarog, Carmathen to create the beverage using day-old bread.

A spokesperson from Lewis Pie & Pasty Co said when the bakery was making surplus bread during the night, they had to make a guess on quantity and slightly overproduce to make sure customers weren’t short-supplied.

“This can generate waste,” the spokesperson said.

Coles Distillery head distiller Marcus Coles said the idea came to them when the bakery asked if they could do something with the waste bread so it didn’t go to landfill.

“We like a challenge, so first we turn the bread into beer then distil the beer into a vodka. Finally we turn it into a delicious gin,” Marcus said.

“The bread and yeast gives the gin a unique flavor that is describd as ‘light, clean and fresh’ with juniper and citrus notes.

According to British Baker, using bread as the base for alcohol is becoming increasingly common as bakers look to reduce the amount od waste they are producing. In the past year alone frozen retailer Iceland has teamed up with Tiny Rebel to create a beer from excess bread, and Marks & Spencer launched craft beer made from discarded bread crusts with the help of Adnams.