Blewburton Hill has long stood muse to painters, players, authors and artisans. And now the natural beauty and distinct heritage of our local environment has inspired a gin!
My G&T journey began back in February after a conversation with Hawkridge Distillery, just over the Ridgeway in Compton. Their award-winning traditional London Dry Gin base, crafted using the Victorian tea method to draw out classic juniper and citrus flavours and deliver a richer, smoother mouth feel, has been accented with botanicals gathered from Blewbury.
Under the guidance of local eco expert and gin fancier Glen Meadows, watercress has been drawn from the crystal chalk streams of Watery Lane and flowering nettle tips foraged from the fringes of the Play Close. It requires a surprisingly small amount of each, so no chalk streams or verges were harmed in the making of the distillate! Meadowsweet and blackcurrant leaf bring a breath of pasture and hedgerow, whilst rose and lavender offer a fleeting glimpse of picturesque cottage gardens. This gin truly evokes a sense of place, even before you even remove the cork.
Resident artist and embroidery enchantress Yvette Philips has created the beautiful label – a Chalk Hill Blue butterfly surrounded by wild thyme, as found on the Hill. She also, under huge duress, lent her gin-honed palette in the quest to find the perfect blend for Blewbury.
Each bottle will capture and conserve our ancient and valuable environment with a share of profits contributing to the Blewbury Chalk Stream Community. Available soon at various village events. Register at www.blewburtonhill.co.uk to make sure you get to try a tipple. Andy Jarvis