Meet The Gin Makers

There are some new gins on the block in Berkshire, so Sarah Rodi spoke to the people behind the brands. We never liked the idea of Dry January anyway... (Please drink responsibly)

- Sarah Rodi

Lumber ’s Bartholomew gin

Landlord Pete Lumber of The Newbury gastropub launched the town’s first gin distillery in 2018. “A friend mentioned he had started making gin, so I tried my hand at making some,” says Pete. “I bottled my first gin in mid-December 2018 and I started selling to trade in January 2019.” And since then, things have really taken off.

“There are four blends: Lumber’s Bartholomew Berkshire Dry; Country Garden; Traditional London Dry and Navy Strength, and it’s now being sold across the world,” says Pete.

“We decided to turn the courtyard in The Newbury into the 137 Gin Distillery, after the number of the building on the street. Here people can enjoy tasting, distilling and creating their very own bespoke gin blend. We also host gin festivals throughout the year.”

Since they launched, they have won many awards. “We’ve had a lot of success, including Great Taste awards for each of the four gins; at the Royal Berkshire Show we won the Silver Rosette for Country Garden and Bronze for our Berkshire Dry. Internationally, we’ve won IWSC bronze medals for Country Garden and Berkshire Dry, and at the Gin Guide awards we were finalists for Country Garden, Berkshire Dry and Navy Strength, and were runner-up with Navy Strength. I feel really proud of everything we have achieved so far,” says Pete.

We will keep our fingers crossed for their continued success in 2020. thenewburypub.co.uk; 137gin.com

Cricketers Gin

Just launched, and inspired by the game of cricket and also the Berkshire countryside, Cricketers Gin is an independent British gin company set up by Rachel Tyrell and her father, David.

“My husband and I live on Pinkneys Green, near The Pinkneys Arms pub, with our two children and two dogs,” says Rachel.