A whisky enthusiast who set up a business supplying rare malts is planning to launch his own exclusive blend.

Ben Turnbull, 32, operates the online business House of Malt - www.houseofmalt.co.uk - from his home at Moorhouse at Carlisle.

It sells whiskies from all the Scottish regions - Speyside, Highland, Lowland, Campletown, Island and Islay - and other whiskies from around the world, as well as craft ales and sets of glasses.

Mr Turnbull had a successful career in online sales on Carlisle but decided last year to set up his own firm to meet the growing demand for specialist spirits.

He said: "I just love whisky, it is a hobby I turned into a business.

"What I sell is 95 per cent single malts and it is the kind of stuff you can not get in the supermarkets, from craft distilleries."

He said that whisky is enjoying a boom in sales and that many distilleries were finding it difficult to keep up with demand.

The next stage is to produce a series of exclusive blends of malts from different distilleries sold under the 'House of Malt' label.

The blending process will be carried out at an as yet unnamed Scottish distillery.

Mr Turnbull said: "I am having blends made for me. It costs a fortune but things are moving forward."

He has just secured a premises licence from Carlisle City Council and may eventually open a shop.

He added: "We have had a wholesale licence for quite a while, just not a premises licence.

"At the moment this [business] is just online sales but I am looking for premises so that will be possibly something that may happen in the future."