June 21st marked the annual Oundle Food Festival and the second Amps English Drinks Festival. So in case you missed it, we thought we would give you the low down.
Not only was June 21st the Food Festival but it was the start of English Wine Week, a promotion that is run across England to help promote the amazing wines being made here. We thought we would take it a step further and not just celebrate wines but also the diverse selection of other products that are produced across England. We selected a range of local products to highlight the diversity of English Drinks, so there was something for everyone.
Starting strong with two incredible English Wine producers, we had Henner’s Vineyard and Lyme Bay Winery;
Henner’s Vineyard
A hidden gem which we love to shout about. Based in East Sussex, Henners focus on the three traditional Champagne varietals (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) sourcing high quality fruit from their own vineyards and a range of local growers. In doing so, it enables them to create a range of fantastic wines.
Henner’s Cellar Door manager Beth Killalea was at the English Drinks Festival telling everyone about their fantastic range of wines.
Her top pick: Henners Blanc de Blancs 2018
Lyme Bay Winery
Another cracking winery based by the Jurassic coast in Devon, they have an extensive range of wine and fruit wines. Specialising in sourcing their fruit from the top growers up and down the country, helps them to deliver quality consistent wine year after year. There are site specific wines as well, such as the Crows Lane Pinot Noir, which really is a special treat. Not only do they produce top quality wines, they are also the UK’s largest producer of Mead and fruit wine.
Traditional mead is made from honey and is slowly fermented, this drink has been around for centuries and will probably continue to be around for centuries to come. The Mead from Lyme Bay is utterly delicious and comes highly recommended.
Moving away from wine, we had a mix of spirits and beer available to try.
Round Corner Brewery
Round Corner is becoming a staple in the shops for us, with an excellent core range of beers and a rotation of seasonal beers to accompany. Uncommonly good Beer is the goal for this Melton Mowbray based brewery and they never fail to deliver. Dan McKee from Round Corner joined us at the festival with a selection of core and seasonal beers to suit every palate.
Zorro, a new Mexican Lager is on track to be one of our drinks of the summer, the ultimate crisp and refreshing beer with a touch of lime and pinch of salt.
Spirits were represented by:
Tipplemill Gin
This Lincolnshire based distillery is set on the fourth and fifth generation farm, which is situated right by the tallest working windmill in the UK. The Craven family who produce this wonderful gin farmed the land and worked with the mill for years before deciding to transition to making gin. Made in harmony with nature with a goal to be as sustainable as possible, care is taken through every step of the process. From how the grain is grown then milled to be turned into a spirit and how they have selected the very best botanicals to use. The result of this care is truly seen in the final product and Lily Craven joined us at the festival to tell people her story.
If you’re not a big fan of gin this is sure to convert you.
The English Whisky Distillery
Found in the picturesque Norfolk countryside this distillery is the oldest in England. Although still young compared to Scottish standards,
this distillery produces an excellent range of whisky even winning ‘Worlds Best Single Malt Whisky’ at the 2024 World Whiskies Awards (for their Sherry Cask Whisky). They have an outstanding range of core whiskies. They also produce superb limited additions. We were lucky enough to have the VE Day 80th Anniversary Whisky available on the day, as well as the 18 Year Old Anniversary Whisky.
While they are all outstanding, the English 11 Year Old never fails to impress us.
Finishing off our line up was local cider producer Saxbys
Saxbys Cider
Found nearby in the village of Farndish, this local producer has been around for years, originally making pork pies before pivoting to make cider. Their cider is made from a mix of their apples and some brought in from other local farmers and is pressed and brewed at their farm. They make a range of traditional ciders and fruit ciders which are all the right balance of fresh and fruity while being crisp and not overly sweet. We have long supported Saxbys having stocked their products for many years.
The original cider is always a great place to start but if you want something a little bit different and perfect for summer you must try the rhubarb cider!
We want to thank everyone who joined us during the heatwave and got to sample our range of English products. We look forward to seeing you all again next year for hopefully another successful festival!
