Members only
Gin just isn’t gin without juniper- but how exactly do the berries of this native conifer become gin, and what do botanicals add to its quality?
Darren from Maidstone Distillery will give you the answers, while Plantlife’s Matt and Ben will share what Plantlife has been doing to restore juniper to our countryside, and why Ranscombe Farm is the perfect place to forage for the botanicals that are added to Maidstone Distillery’s Ranscombe Wild Gin.
For the past 4 years Matt has spearheaded Plantlife’s work on juniper conservation in Southern England, a role that has taken him far and wide in search of our dwindling juniper populations. By working in partnership he with others is delivering juniper conservation at a landscape scale. Matt enjoys getting out and exploring the countryside and sharing his passion for wild flowers with others.
Darren is the co-founder of Maidstone Distillery along with wife Sam. He runs the day to day operations and also acts as the head distiller. The distillery manufactures five distinct spirits of which one is their Ranscombe Wild Small batch gin, proudly made in partnership with Plantlife. The distillery has won several notable awards including for its sustainability practices.
For 15 years Ben has managed Ranscombe Farm Reserve in Kent. His enthusiasm lies in practical habitat management and seeing the results of that work materialise. His intimate knowledge of Ranscombe’s habitats and the wild plants that grow there makes him ideally placed to support Maidstone Distillery to sustainably forage for the botanicals that make Ranscombe Wild Gin unique.