Salcombe Brewery Co. Announces Donation to the Seahorse Trust from beer sales

Salcombe Brewery Co. is absolutely delighted to be able to reveal that it has just awarded over £2,000 to The Seahorse Trust, the money having been raised via donations for every bottle of its Seahorse beer that it sold.

Jordan Mace, who, in our opinion, has the wonderful and enviable job of being the MD at Salcombe Brewery Co., explains: “The surrounding coastal environment has always been hugely important to Salcombe Brewery Co. 

"The Salcombe Estuary is one of the few places in the UK where you can find the rarer of the two species of seahorse and we partnered with The Seahorse Trust four years ago to raise funds to support these endangered creatures. 

"We give a regular donation to The Seahorse Trust and are pleased to be handing over another £2,032.32 this month. This money was raised by making a donation of 5p from every bottle of Seahorse beer that was sold.”

The Seahorse Trust was founded back in 1999 by Neil Garrick-Maidment to preserve and conserve the natural world, especially the marine environment, with the seahorse as its flagship species. The Trust makes a genuine difference through education, conservation and campaigning for protected areas. 

Neil explains: “Salcombe Brewery Co. has been really incredibly supportive of our work over the last four years. Their regular donations are an invaluable resource for our much-needed conservation work.”

Salcombe Brewery's range of beers is available nationally in pubs and hospitality venues, plus through  retailers and online direct from from www.salcombebrewery.com. 

If you are a venue or retailer wanting to retail Salcombe ales, it's available to the trade directly and through a number of key wholesalers. For further information on Salcombe Brewery Co. please visit www.salcombebrewery.com follow Salcombe Brewery Co. on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

(PICTURED L to R, Jordan Mace, Managing Director of Salcombe Brewery Co., Neil Garrick-Maidment, Founder of The Seahorse Trust, Sam Beaman, Head Brewer of  Salcombe Brewery Co.)

To learn more about the fantastic work of The Seahorse Trust please visit them here https://www.theseahorsetrust.org

Choose Better, Feel Better This Sober October With New London Light

Want to do something for Sober October? If so, you can fully embrace Sober October, and have a good time, with New London Light, an exquisite selection of contemporary non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs crafted by the multi-award winning team at Salcombe Distilling Co in Devon.

Their truly visionary distillers have revolutionised the alcohol-free spirits landscape, redefining standards in taste and ensuring choosing alcohol-free no longer means settling for second best tastes.

You can immerse yourself in the captivating world of New London Light, which is available in three enticing expressions: 'First Light', 'Aegean Sky' and 'Midnight Sun'. 

Whether enjoyed straight, mixed with a tonic of your choice, or incorporated into a delightful and zingy cocktail, each variation promises an unrivalled sensory journey. All are available to order online at New London Light 0% | Salcombe Distilling Co.  (RRP £25, 70cl, 0% ABV).

Catering to both the alcohol-free community and those who are looking to reduce their alcohol consumption, New London Light offers options to effortlessly embrace a healthier lifestyle. 

Crafted using only fully natural ingredients without any artificial flavours and no added sugars, this elegant collection is crammed full of taste and also integrity. 

What's even better, every sip of New London Light makes our oceans healthier, with 1% of UK net sales revenue donated to the Marine Conservation Society, supporting the protection and regeneration of seagrass. 

You can elevate your drinking experience this Sober October with New London Light. Imbibe in the flavours of distinction, embrace new habits and contribute to the preservation of our precious marine ecosystems.

New London Light 'First Light'

Inspired by gin-making principles, 'First Light' is a bold, fully refreshing non-alcoholic spirit, with classic flavours of dry juniper, bright citrus and zesty ginger to create an outstanding spectrum of flavour. 

New London Light 'Aegean Sky' 

Capturing the very essence of the vibrant Mediterranean coast, New London Light 'Aegean Sky' is an innovative and totally complex non-alcoholic aperitif, combining sun-soaked bitter citrus and olive. 

New London Light 'Midnight Sun'

As unique as the rugged Nordic coast from where it takes its inspiration, New London Light 'Midnight Sun' is a layered and totally elegant non-alcoholic aperitif combining wild coastal berries, fresh kelp and pine.  

New London Light 'Midnight Sun' is also available to buy in selected retailers such as Waitrose & Partners stores (RRP £27.50, 70cl, 0% ABV) and available widely to drink in public houses across the UK. 

For further information about Salcombe Distilling Co. and New London Light visit salcombedistilling.com and follow them on Instagram and Facebook at newlondonlight.

That's Food and Drink feels that it would be a good idea to buy bottles for your Christmas and New Year celebrations as well as for Sober October.

Devon's Top Food and Drink Experiences to Enjoy This Summer

Want to learn more about your favourite Devon food and drink, meet the producers, taste their creations, make your own and learn some new skills?

Whatever your favourite tipple or your favourite pastime, there's a masterclass or guided tasting to suit everyone. 

Dip into chocolate making. Explore the spirit world. Get hands-on in the kitchen with some seriously good cookery skills. Dust down and scrub your BBQ and learn how to cook on fire or spend a family day planting seeds and exploring nature.

Food Drink Devon, which has a membership of over 350 food and drink producers, hospitality and retailer members, suggests some of the highlights from Devon for you to enjoy this summer.

For wine lovers

Most, if not all, vineyards will be thrilled and delighted to show you around their small or not-so-small patch of heaven and even give you a guided tasting through their vines and wines.

Huxbear Vineyard which is in Chudleigh offers a walking tour where the owner, Lucy, will talk you through the story of Huxbear, their vineyard calendar and winemaking processes. 

You'll learn heaps in about 90 minutes, followed, of course, by a free tasting. Non-walking tours are also available on request and are suitable for people with limited mobility, so should be accessible to everyone in your family or group.

Torview Vineyard, which isn't very far from Beaworthy, goes a a little bit further as it lets visitors get hands-on during their Winemaking Days. 

They run a Red and a Sparking version and your experience is spread over several days, several months apart, depending, of course,  on the wine type.. This year's Red Winemaking experience is almost sold out, but there's space on the upcoming Sparkling, so do look out for that, if sparkling wine's your thing.

Heron Farm Vineyard close to Honiton runs Vineyard Tours which also take in their impressive orchards, to learn about apple juice making, and their Kitchen Garden and Gin Orchard, topped off with a tasting back at the Heron Farm Kitchen & Café.

Sandridge Barton Wines, home of award-winning Sharpham Wine, close to Stoke Gabriel offers several different varieties of tasting experiences, from a casual self-guided options to in-depth guided tastings and tours for those who want to learn more about the processes they employ in their sustainable vineyard and winery.

Lyme Bay Winery near Axminster offers private guided tasting sessions in their Cellar Door, where you'll be talked through each wine, where the grapes are grown, how it's made and they'll even offer you a few all important wine buying tips. You'll leave for home with Winemaker's Notes on each of the wines you've sampled.

More beautiful vineyards with tours and tasting sessions to visit and experience…

Venn Valley Vineyard, near Barnstaple

Alder Vineyard, near Okehampton

Old Walls Vineyard, near Bishopsteignton

Wishing to delve a little deeper into wine? South West Wine School brings together the best wine educators in the south west to run Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) training courses at Darts Farm, near Topsham. Whether learning about different grapes for the first time or analysing a wine in a blind tasting, South West Wine School will take you on that voyage of discovery.

Beer and cider tours and tastings

Explore the world of brewing and fermenting

Sandford Orchards, near Crediton. You'll be able to look behind the scenes at the Cider Works,which boasts that it is the oldest working cider mill in the country, and see how award-winning Sandford Orchards cider is made. Round off the experience with a Q&A session and a cider tasting flight and pizza included in the price.

Salcombe Brewery If you have a desire to learn about beer and brewing, Salcombe Brewery is the place for you. Take yourself and fellow-beer lovers down to Salcombe Brewery. Their tours include a welcome drink in the Taproom, a tour of the Brewhouse with one of their knowledgeable brewers, who'll be more than happy (hoppy, even? Sorry!) to answer your questions, and you'll finish with a beer flight tasting back in the Taproom.

Other beer and cider tours and tastings to consider…

Hanlons Brewery, Newton St Cyres

Hunts Cider, Stoke Gabriel

Red Rock Brewery, Bishopsteignton

Rum experiences

Learn about the art of blending and rum distilling…

Devon Rum Co. Join the team at their waterside venue in Salcombe for a Rum Tasting Experience, complete with a very welcome drink, behind-the-scenes tour of their Blending House. You'll be able to try your hand at bottling rum, then enjoy an in-depth tasting of their four award-winning artisan rums. Ideal for rum fans and groups of friends to enjoy.

Two Drifters Distillery, near Exeter. Want to see a working rum distillery in action? Two Drifters were the first distillery to make rum from scratch in the UK. They'll fix you a drink, then gibe you a fascinating tour of the carbon-negative distillery. Smell the deliciously tempting scent of the genuine molasses and learn how they turn this high-quality material into finest quality rum. And then, it's a welcome return to the Rum Bar for a tasting flight.

Salcombe Rum School A visit here gives you the wonderful chance to craft your own rum and take it home with you. Learn about distillation and rum production, collect your botanicals, and create your own recipe and your own bottle label. Maybe leave the car at home as at least three rum cocktails feature in this experience!

Other recommended tours and tastings include 

Devon Distillery, Dartington

Hattiers Rum, Mothecombe, South Devon

Gin adventures

Go behind the scenes and make your own signature serve

Quayside Distillery, Exeter Quay. Join the gin experts in the lab for a wonderful 90-minute experience learning about the fundamentals of a well-balanced gin whilst you are learning and creating your own unique gin recipe. Or opt for a 60-minute experience with a master distiller where you'll taste your way through their flagship range.

Salcombe Gin School Take charge of a beautiful mini copper pot still to develop and distil your own 70cl signature bottle. Learn how they produce Salcombe Gin and what it takes to produce a balanced and harmonious gin whilst enjoying a 'Salcombe & Tonic'.

Gotland Gin, Beaworthy This novel experience begins in their outside bar with a G&T or soft drink before heading into the nano-distillery to see how Gotland Gin is produced. Next meet their flock of Gotland sheep and lambs during lambing season, then relax back in the bar and learn all about the botanicals while enjoying a few more tasters.

A few more to explore

Devon Distillery Gin School, Dartington

Sidmouth Gin School

Cocktail time

Time to mix, muddle and shake your way to a great time

Devon Rum Co. Cocktail Masterclass. Head to Salcombe to mix, muddle, and shake your way through a hands-on cocktail making session. You'll take charge of your very own and fully stocked cocktail station, have an introduction to mixology, then make (and drink) up to four unique rum-based cocktails. Might be best to not use your car to visit them!

Devon Cove Cocktail Masterclasses. Perfect for a fun night out with family members or friends or to celebrate a very special occasion. Hosted by an expert mixologist, you'll be able to learn how to make a range of delicious cocktails in the Kingsbridge Tasting Room. Try their award-winning spirits, learn the history of cocktails and play a few games, too!

Bar Buoy 'Cocktail Compass'. A one-off Tour, Talk and Tasting Event at the home of Bar Buoy handcrafted, ready mixed cocktails in Exmouth. Thursday, September 21, 7-9:00pm.

Coffee

Take your barista skills to the next level

Owens Coffee, Ivybridge. Latte Art Essentials Workshop. A two-hour course to awaken your inner barista and take your love of coffee to a higher level. However, it's important to realise that this is not your average coffee class, it's a vital experience that's all about having fun, unleashing your creativity, and elevating your coffee game, too. Several other coffee tasting, brewing and barista courses are on offer at Owens, too.

Learn cookery, fire and baking skills

From learning the right way to chop your onions, to how to cook over coals, to baking  the perfect sourdough

High Grange, Axminister Learn lots to apply in your own garden at this bespoke barbecue school which covers the full gambit of outdoor cookery. At Fire School you'll cover a variety of outdoor fire cooking and barbecue techniques and butchery with chef and food writer, Luke MacKay. Enjoy what you've just cooked, around the big oak table for lunch. Other masterclasses are available too.

Ashburton Cookery School is one of the UK's top cookery schools offering inspirational cookery courses taught by a team of keen and very expert chefs. With over 40 cookery courses to choose from, designed to suit beginners as well as the more advanced home cooks amongst our readers, they'll teach you to cook with imagination, passion and enjoyment… and how to chop an onion properly, too, as we just mentioned!

One Mile Bakery Boudicca Woodland runs One Mile Bakery in Exeter, making and delivering delicious and utterly delightful homemade bread, soups and preserves by bike within one mile of home mile, BUT she also teaches sourdough and other breadmaking classes in her Breadshed Microbakery. Her classes fill up rapidly, so do get in quick!

Sweet treats

Chocolate heaven for big and little ones…

Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium Introduction to Chocolate Making. This lovely workshop session includes a talk on chocolate, learn the entire process of turning a bean into the chocolate you recognise whilst the chocolatier demonstrates how to hand-craft, hand-dip and properly decorate chocolates. They also run a 'Short & Sweet Tutorial' ideal for children and parents.

Salcombe Dairy Chocolate Factory Experience the sights, sounds and aromas of bean-to-bar chocolate being made and packaged onsite thanks to full height glass dividing walls between the factory and the shop.

Flapjackery Barbican Trail Pop into Flapjackery on Southside Street to pick up a free children's trail which takes you around the sights and sounds of Plymouth's historic Barbican. Chocolate treats for children who complete the Barbican Trail.

Growing and foraging

Learn more about working with nature to produce food more sustainably…

The Husbandry School near Ashburton. If you are interested in growing more of the food you eat and wish to do so in a natural, fully sustainable way, then Husbandry Skills courses are ideal for you. Or you'll be able to take your family and spend the day exploring nature and picking great things to eat on the way round.

Taw Valley Microgreens Lunch & Learn, a hands-on introduction to growing your own microgreens. Learn about producing food sustainably, enjoy a tasty lunch, walk in the meadow and return home with a freshly picked microgreen punnet. (That's Food and Drink love growing microgreens in our conservatory.)

The Pig at Combe Dig a little deeper into THE PIG's 'plot to plate' ethos with their free Kitchen Garden tours every last Friday of the month.

Broomhill Estate From photography to foraging, metalwork to music lessons, cookery to art appreciation, Broomhill Estate near Barnstaple is 103 acres of imagination and creativity. Sounds great!

Ebb Tides Seaweed, Sidmouth Seaweed Foraging and Pressing. One-off event on Sunday 17th September 1-5pm

The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth. Sowing with Donkeys. One-off event on Monday, September 18, 3-6pm.

For more information on any of these experiences visit the individual member's website or for information on Food Drink Devon visit www.fooddrinkdevon.co.uk and follow @FoodDrinkDevon on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Worried about driving to and from the venues? Then you might like to check out suitable high quality hotels with the Devon Hotels and Restaurants Association website https://www.devonhotels.com.

(Incidentally, please mention our food and drink blog, That's Food and Drink, when you make a booking at any of the above food and drink venues)

Add an Unforgettable, Finishing Touch to Your Wedding Day by Creating a Bespoke Spirit With Salcombe Distilling Co.

What better way could there be to celebrate your nuptials than with your very own bespoke spirits, created by you and the one you love ready for your wedding day?

Dedicated to craftsmanship and sustainability, the famous Salcombe Distilling Co. is absolutely thrilled to be able to announce the introduction of an exciting opportunity for couples to create their own bespoke spirits, adding a unique and personal touch to their wedding day. 

The award-winning Salcombe Gin School and newly launched Salcombe Rum School provides an immersive and interactive space for couples to craft their very own unique spirit with flavours that reflect their individual tastes and preferences. From seasonal flavours to clever naming conventions, your chosen drink is guaranteed to add a unique layer of personalisation to your big day. 

First, create your bespoke drink.

With expert guidance from the expert, knowledgeable team, you'll both embark on a hands-on journey, taking charge of a beautiful fully-working mini copper pot still to develop and distil your very own 70cl bottle of gin or rum at Salcombe Distilling Co.'s waterside distillery in Salcombe. 

During the experience, you'll be able to unleash your creativity, creating your very own special recipe by choosing from an extensive range of botanicals that are specially and carefully sourced for their quality and uniqueness, or get imaginative and experiment by bringing your own. 

During distillation, couples will be able to sample and refine their unique creation before naming and bottling their specially made and chosen drink. 

The finished product is then presented in a beautifully crafted presentation box, making it an exquisite memento to cherish and share on their wedding day. 

A Gin School lesson is three hours long and are typically available on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons at 2pm and Saturday mornings at 10am. Salcombe Rum School runs every Thursday from 2pm-5pm. A Gin or Rum School lesson for two people sharing a still is £160. 

Now, let's get wedding ready.

Ready for your special day? Salcombe Distilling Co. offers a service to distil more of your bespoke gin or rum.  If you're a former guest of the schools, simply visit salcombegin.com and fill out the online form listing your chosen botanicals and quantities noted during your previous Salcombe School visit. 

Salcombe Distilling Co.'s team of expert distillers will then re-create two 70cl bottles of gin or rum (from £95). If you're looking to make your day really special, get in touch with their team to discuss larger quantities.

By choosing Salcombe Distilling Co, you are not only embarking on a truly unique and memorable experience, you can indulge in exceptional quality whilst also supporting their commitment to ocean conservation and a cleaner planet.

For more information about Salcombe Gin School and Salcombe Rum School experiences you can call 01548 288 180, email customerservice@salcombedistilling.com or visit www.salcombegin.com.  

New from Salcombe Rum. New peppered black run, Blackstone

It's exceptionally smooth and brimming with the flavours of caramelised orange peel, pink peppercorns and warmth from Szechuan pepper, Salcombe Rum 'Blackstone', a peppered black rum, joins Salcombe Rum's portfolio as their fourth release.  

Lovingly handcrafted at Salcombe Distilling Co.'s stunning waterside home in South Devon, the sophisticated new small batch spirit is a single estate rum produced from scratch at the distillery. 

Available in a 50cl bottle, RRP £40 (ABV 40%), Salcombe Rum 'Blackstone' can be purchased from salcombegin.com and Salcombe Distilling Co.'s flagship stores in Salcombe and Dartmouth as well as regional independent retailers.

With a beautiful balance and tantalising spectrum of flavours, Salcombe Rum 'Blackstone' is triple distilled at Salcombe Distilling Co.'s distillery on Island Street in Salcombe, one of the world's very few distilleries directly accessible by boat.  

Distiller Harry Wakeley begins the production process with four ingredients: imported molasses, demerara sugar, yeast and pure Dartmoor water.  The fermentation process is a labour of love, taking approximately one month to produce the rum wash which is approximately 12% ABV.  It's this unrushed process which delivers the complex flavours and forms an absolutely exquisite rum base. 

The second stage is the first distillation run on Salcombe Distilling Co.'s flame fired 60L copper pot stills to produce the low wines. The still is then recharged and they collect the heart of the spirit before switching to the tails. The resulting rum distillate is approximately 76% ABV at this second distillation stage.

The third distillation run makes use of a reflux column to further smooth out the spirit.  Seven botanicals are added in the third distillation run which, with the additional copper contact, produces an exceptionally smooth spirit with light and delicate notes and an increased ABV of 80%.  

On completion of the distillation process, the rum distillate is reduced to 40% ABV using purified Dartmoor sourced water, before Black Strap Molasses and peppercorns are steeped overnight, to produce an exceptional smooth and rounded rum with a delicate level of spice, citrus and balanced natural sweetness.

Salcombe Rum 'Blackstone' joins Salcombe Distilling Co.'s award-winning line-up of their transatlantic spiced gold rum Salcombe Rum 'Island Street', gold rum Salcombe Rum 'Lantern Rock' and Salcombe Rum's only white rum, Salcombe Rum 'Whitestrand'. Unlike many distillers, Salcombe Rum never darkens their rums with the addition of colourants or added sugar post the distillation process.

Salcombe Rum takes inspiration from Salcombe's coastal vitality and its shipbuilding heritage, when they are crafting their spirits.  Famous for carrying fresh fruits and spices back from exotic lands, the locally built 19th century Salcombe Fruiters often ventured to the West Indies to acquire a much sweeter and more potent payload; sugar, molasses and rum.  

In the tropical Caribbean heat, puncheons or hogsheads of this rich spirit were carefully stowed on board these ships and surrounded by coconuts to protect the precious cargo during their perilous journey back across the Atlantic.

Salcombe Distilling Co.'s portfolio, in addition to Salcombe Rum, also boasts Salcombe Gin 'Start Point', 'Rosé Sainte Marie', the Voyager Series and New London Light non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs. 

For further information about Salcombe Distilling Co. and Salcombe Rum, visit www.salcombedistilling.com, and to stay up to date follow SalcombeGin on Instagram.

For more information or images, please contact RAW PR:

Nose. What you'll smell- Sweet liquorice, treacle tart, spiced citrus, toasted brioche and green under ripe bananas followed by a hint of mango.

Palate. What you'll taste - A rich and viscous mouthfeel leading to caramelised orange peel, pink peppercorns and warmth from Szechuan pepper, with a fresh floral note to finish.

Finish. What it's like at the end- Mid length, with warming spice balanced with candied ginger fading to Werther's Original and a touch of smoked citrus.

Serving Suggestion - It's best served with a fiery ginger beer.  Alternatively, to truly appreciate the rum, try it with ginger ale so as not to over power the flavours in the spirit.