© Ben Pryor
QU E N C H
work brilliantly in an old fashioned,” Will muses. For me, having spent the lockdown researching the art of barbeque, building my own makeshift smoker whilst simultaneously nurturing a taste for rum, this limited edition elixir can’t come quickly enough…
And although we will have to wait until at least 2021 for the festival to get the green light, there are some exciting plans taking shape in the meantime, including a series of smaller events at the farm – “special feasts with live music” – which I for one am keeping my ears firmly to the ground for more details.
© Ben Pryor
© Ben Pryor
© Ben Pryor
Moving on, we couldn’t talk about Porthilly Spirit Distillery without touching on the exciting and highly anticipated Porthilly Spirit Festival. May this year would have seen the festival’s ‘maiden voyage’, however, as was the case for festivals around the world, the Coronavirus pandemic put paid to this year’s event. But Will is keen to reassure that “we are doing all we can to make it happen in 2021”, and I think it’s fair to suggest that this is set to become a highlight of the season for festival goers all over the UK – a three-day celebration of the ethos behind everything the team does at Trefresa Farm. “It’s about delivering an experience for all those who share our fascination with the land and sea, bringing in local producers, artisans, restaurateurs, musicians and creatives, to create a weekend of discovery.”
Having learned all about Porthilly’s uncertain, tumultuous, but ultimately flying start, I find myself wondering what the future holds for Will and the team. Are there plans for any new recipes, or to grow the business at all ur first few batches have been created in collaboration with some brilliant master distillers in Cornwall,” says Will, “but our mission has always been to create a distillery at Trefresa Farm. “We hope to start work on building this in the coming months, and this will be the first step in our longer term plans to breathe life back into the farm.” In fact, over the next couple of years, Trefresa Farm will be central to a grand campaign of regeneration, including the creation of a community hub and a boutique hotel, spa and restaurant, creating 85 direct local jobs. All of this will take place alongside the growing agricultural business, the aim of which is to grow all the ingredients necessary to make their own spirits on site. And whilst self-su ciency, sustainability and the pursuit of provenance are of course the driving forces behind this superb Cornish distillery, its ethos – the Porthilly ‘spirit’, if you like – is one of community, and a sense of symbiosis with Cornwall’s coast and countryside. porthillyspiritdistillery.com
A B OV E Products continue to evolve
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