Moorland Spirit Company

Producer: Moorland Spirit Company, Northumberland
Product: Hepple Gin
Region: North East
Category: From the earth, artisan
Congratulations to Moorland Spirit Company for being awarded the accolade of ‘Highly Commended’ for their Hepple Gin at the 2017 delicious. Produce Awards. Click here to find out more. 
What they do:
It takes up to seven times longer to produce a batch of Hepple gin than it does an average gin, and three different extraction processes to do so. Nevertheless, the winning fivesome – a chef, bartender, gardener, drinks developer and a gin distiller – who make up the Moorland Spirit Company are adamant this is the only way to capture the essence of the Hepple juniper tree whose green, sharp berries are the bedrock of their uniquely Northumbrian gin.
Picked by hand from the Hepple Hills in Northumberland National Park, along with the rest of the botanicals – sweet gale, douglas fir, lovage, blackcurrant, to name a few – the native juniper berries are part of an ambitious restoration and propagation project aiming to restore a once-mighty juniper colony to the area. A combination of copper pot distillation, glass vacuum rotary evaporation and high-pressure extraction is used to create the distillate, which is diluted with pure local spring water, then sold to local bars, pubs and restaurants, to great acclaim.
What the judges said:
The judges applauded this committed and passionate company and the demonstrable pride they have in their Northumbrian roots. By restoring juniper growth to the area they are investing in both their and the countryside’s future.
Visit the website: Moorland Spirit Company