Now his Mint Drinks Company is the toast of Cumbria, after he developed a syrup-based process that infuses the vodka either with the refreshing sweetness of iconic confection Kendal mint cake or the spicy smoothness of another favourite, gingerbread.

The “let them drink cake” concept has wowed tourists and locals alike, including Prince Charles who gave it the royal thumbs-up at a tasting.

Most recently a key listing with popular kitchenware chain Lakeland has led to the bottles of clear, golden liquid featuring in its flagship Windermere store as well as mail order and online as part of its expanding “alcohol additions” product ranges. 

Mint’s sales doubled in November confirmed Rebecca Dudley, Lakeland’s food and drink buyer, who “strongly believes in working with small suppliers and supporting local brands.”

Some customers like the vodkas dribbled over cracked ice to be savoured liqueur style, others as a dash in a mug of hot chocolate or as a tot after a bracing ramble, explains Hall. 

“They inspire invention – cocktails, flavouring cupcakes, you name it – customers enjoy that and the direct link to local flavours.”

With a turnover of £500,000 forecast for 2019, Mint Drinks’ success has transformed prospects for Hall and his co-owner wife Laura.

Both from families that have lived in the area for generations, in 2010 they seized the chance to refurbish the picturesque, but at that point run-down Punch Bowl Inn at Barrows Green, Kendal.

Now it wins five-star visitor reviews and is also the place where they produce their Kendal Mint Cake and Lakes Gingerbread vodkas (from £13.99). 

“The countryside around here is idyllic, but rural businesses like ours can still struggle in winter,” says Hall. 

“But with extra revenues from Mint Drinks we can offer year-round job security for staff, instead of seasonal lay-offs which don’t help them or the business, and gives us the space and energy too to plan and innovate further.”

It was a classic light-bulb moment that led to Hall coming up with the vodkas idea. 

“I was trying a toffee-flavoured one brought in by a guest and thinking about the potential for new products when our chef reminded me not to forget the Kendal mint cake we offer to our B&B guests,” he recalls.

“Both came together in my mind and I started experimenting on the spot. Getting a clear spirit and the right flavour balance was tricky but fun, it took almost 30 litres of vodka to perfect.

“The most daunting was getting the necessary approvals and licences, then deciding on the finished look for the bottles, labels and seals. Although we’re not a distillery there were a lot of hoops to go through and it was all new to us. The project has been entirely self-financed.  

“Our owner Heineken has been really supportive. We all know that enterprise and diversification are critical if you are going to succeed in the hospitality trade these days.”

The vodkas are hand-made in small batches with their authenticity a major selling point, but keeping to that strategy as demand increased was not easy, says Hall.

“As demand increased and I was doing all the production myself, there came a point when we had to decide whether to outsource or expand. 

“The factory route would have been easier, but it didn’t feel right as we were also really flagging up what a local and speciality product we were making. 

Getting the vodkas flavour-matched miles away and created without real Kendal Mint Cake would have felt like a betrayal.

“The answer though was on the doorstep as my dad and uncle who have a lot of food trade experience have now joined the firm. That choice has enabled us to stick to our ethos and we’ve have created new jobs too.”

Mint Drinks has also teamed up with its Kendal Mint cake producer Romney’s to create two new flavoured fudges and Hall sees potential in further partnerships with his licensed trade contacts. 

“And I can’t thank Lakeland enough for their help and interest,” he adds. 

“They are a massive, well respected, multi-national brand and an inspiration, not just because we share common roots, but because they once were a family business with just one product too.” 

Not minted yet, but with the vodkas selling like hot cakes, he adds: “I fancy the idea of making the spirit too. My wife’s family are dairy farmers and you can make vodka from cheese. One day we could have a Black Cow brand.”

Mintdrinks.co.uk / lakeland.co.uk / http://www.lakeland.co.uk/61174/Kendal-Mint-Cake-Vodka-Liqueur-200ml