Secret blend of Bowland herbs, grasses and flowers makes this new gin

The team behind the gin at Bell Sykes Farm

A new gin featuring wild herbs, grasses and flowers from the Forest of Bowland is being launched by Goosnargh Gin.

The limited edition tipple, named Hay Time, will raise money to encourage the education of young children about the importance of protecting the area.

Goosnargh Gin proprietors Richard and Rachel Trenchard have been working with farmer Peter Blackwell and Forest of Bowland AONB Farming and Wildlife officer Sarah Robinson on the gin, which is described as having distinct verdant tones.

Rachel said: “We’re keeping the exact blend a secret, but we have used flowers, grasses and leaves from species like meadow vetchling, sweet vernal grass, red clover and yellow rattle to distil the Hay Time gin, giving it the unique essence of Bowland.

“We hope a sip of this carefully distilled gin – served with tonic and an appropriate garnish – will transport you straight to these exceptionally special and ecologically significant Bowland meadows on a sunny summer’s day – alive with birdsong and the gentle background hum of bees.”

Richard and Rachel launched Goosnargh Gin in October, and already have a couple of bottlings under their belt, both of which were inspired by Bowland.

Sarah from Forest of Bowland AONB said: ““Peter’s meadows really are some of the finest examples of upland unimproved grassland anywhere in England.

“They typically produce around 10 times the variety of species you’d find in more intensively cropped meadows, and attract a whole host of insects and pollinators to create a really rich base to the food chain.

“Until now, Peter’s sheep and cattle have been the primary beneficiaries of this rich oasis of biodiversity, but with the first bottling of this very special gin, we humans can discover what we’ve been missing… and help safeguard the future of this vitally important habitat.”

Have you tried Goosnargh Gin? Will you be trying Hay Time? Let us know in the comments below.