The Moodie Davitt Report visited the Silent Pool Distillery in Albury on 12 July – watch the video to discover exclusive footage
UK. World Duty Free (a Dufry company) and London Gatwick Airport have partnered with Silent Pool Distillers to release the brand’s travel retail-exclusive English Garden Expression.
The summer gin is available exclusively at World Duty Free stores at Gatwick Airport North and South Terminals. Only 7,000 bottles of Silent Pool English Garden Expression have been produced. It has been launched as part of the airport’s Wonderful World of Summer campaign which runs until 3 October.
Earlier this month The Moodie Davitt Report attended a tour and tasting session at the Silent Pool Distillery in Albury. Set in the woodlands of Surrey Hills, the distillery was founded by Ian McCulloch and James Shelbourne in 2014.
Silent Pool Distillers Tour Guide Lizzie Buchhaus said, “In October 2014, we received the licence to distill and in November the original Silent Pool – our classic gin – rolled off the production line. It took 650 distillations and nine months until the final recipe was agreed upon.
“Initially we went into duty free – a reactive market – and eventually we were approached by Waitrose and others and in 2018 we needed to expand.”
The distillery is on the bank of Silent Pool – a spring-fed pool shrouded in myth and legend. Buchhaus explained: “It goes back to the 12th century. A woodcutter’s daughter, Emma, used to come and bathe in this pool. One day, she noticed at a distance a knight or a nobleman riding towards her. She was frightened but she lay low and quiet so he would pass by. But he spotted her, took a fancy and began to pursue her. Scared, she stepped backwards and fell into the deep part of the pool where she tragically drowned.
“The man fled in haste and fear. The woodcutter, on searching for his missing daughter along with some village elders, found her floating dead in the water. They later found a horse’s heraldry nearby and saw that it belonged to Prince John – later evil King John of Robinhood fame.”
Buchhaus revealed how the legend is honoured through the illustration on the Silent Pool gin bottle: “Our beautiful bottle has a teal hue that is a nod to the wonderful colour of the pool, while the copper detailing is a nod to our two stills: Juliette and Ophelia. The illustration showcases the 24 botanicals that go into our Silent Pool gin. If you look closely at the pattern on your Silent Pool Gin bottle you’ll spot Emma, Prince John and a crown.”
The four-step distillation process followed at Silent Pool Distillers includes maceration, gin basket infusion, gin tea infusion and rectification
A SUMMER GIN IS BORN
Silent Pool English Garden Expression is a floral gin inspired by the gardens of Surrey Hills at the peak of summer. It offers a contemporary take on a London Dry Gin, and the juniper-forward liquid is based on Silent Pool’s 24-botanical-strong gin recipe.
Silent Pool Master Distiller Marzio di Rocco, along with Silent Pool Distillers Harry Keene and Jason Hall, amplified the Silent Pool English Garden Expression with peach and apricot. The expression features florals including lavender, chamomile, distilled rose and locally-sourced honey.
Rocco said, “For Silent Pool English Garden Expression, we’ve basically highlighted the fruity and floral notes.”
Silent Pool Distillers Marketing Director Rhian Billington mentioned: “One of the really special things about Silent Pool gin is the ability of the distillers to bring out the floral notes using a separate tea bag. It’s almost like our secret superpower to access delicate florals.”
Keene said, “The fruit was a part of my summer idea. My father-in-law goes to flower shows and he’s got a big garden that he arranges himself – with massive camomile and rose bushes, as well as peaches. I remember trying them and they were juicy and fresh. I was ‘Like this will go pretty well into the Silent Pool gin.’ We tried it out and added mulberry leaves, which bridges it with the floral notes.”
Billington continued: “The addition of the jasmine tea and fruits gets these layers of flavour coming through, which I think is what makes it special. The limited-edition expression is exclusive to Gatwick Airport and it will be there throughout the summer.”
Dufry Category Manager Liquor UK Aisha Dad said, “At World Duty Free we are constantly seeking new and exclusive products for our customers to discover and enjoy. This summer gin, produced by a local English supplier, ticks all the boxes in terms of delivering a Sense of Place and offering a product that simply can’t be found on the High Street. We’re confident it will prove to be extremely popular with our customers.”
Gatwick Airport Head of Retail Operations Nick Williams noted: “This summer, we are excited to be able to offer London Gatwick passengers this fantastic product from a local gin distillery, Silent Pool, in partnership with World Duty Free.
“We are fortunate to be in a wonderful region, surrounded by independent businesses such as Silent Pool. We are delighted to bring this to the airport and showcase some of the produce the Southeast has to offer.”
Billington added, “Silent Pool Distillers has consistently been at the forefront of gin distillation innovation. Our partnership with World Duty Free and London Gatwick has enabled us to produce this new, exclusive expression to harness the wonder of an English summer. We are really looking forward to travellers journeying near and far bringing a taste of the English Garden wherever they may be.” ✈
