Shropshire gins to be released thanks to new partnership
Shropshire's first foraged gins will be created as part of a new collaboration.
James Sherwin of Wild Shropshire Restaurant in Tern Hill and Shropshire Distillery in Ellesmere have teamed up to produce a series of copper distilled, foraged artisan gins, made with locally found botanical ingredients sourced within the north of the county.
The gins, which will be limited editions, will be available seasonally at Wild Shropshire Restaurant as well as selected outlets, festivals and events in Shropshire.
The first gin to launch in the foraged series of Shire Gins will be ‘Pineapple Weed Gin’. Matricaria discoidea, commonly known as Pineapple Weed, is a plant which has daisy like flowers but without white petals and a feathery, chamomile like appearance, smelling distinctively of pineapple. The plant is found all over North Shropshire and grows as a common herb of fields, gardens and roadsides.
The plant which has been chosen by James for its floral, sweet and summer scent as well as proliferation, will be distilled in the traditional copper still - named Jean - to produce a smooth gin.
James said: "Our ethos of being a terroir led, sustainable, seasonal food business whilst also supporting other artisan producers, is at the centre of our business model. Being able to collaborate on developing new products with authentic north Shropshire flavours - which we can then serve to our customers - is amazing."
Emma Glynn of the Shropshire Distillery said: ‘’We were looking to develop some new premium gin flavours and products to add to our collection, however, with business booming, we were struggling to find the time to undertake the research and development needed to push this forward. This is where James came in.
"We are delighted to be working closely with James who is extremely knowledgeable about local plants, herbs and botanicals and we can’t wait to test the new series of foraged Shire gins with our Shropshire fan base."
