Driving just a few minutes on the A30 from Launceston, and taking the turning to Treguddick, you will find yourself at Treguddick Manor, the home of English Spirit Distillery.
Since opening on 1st October 2021, English Spirit has strived to bring great taste and flavour to our little corner of the world - whether it’s through their delicious spirits purchased in the shop to take home, or in their own cafe with creative cocktails and mouth-watering dishes.
Founded ten years ago by biochemist Dr John Walters in Cambridgeshire, English Spirit has come a long way, expanding into Great Yeldham Hall in Essex and, more recently, Treguddick Manor in Cornwall.
With materials and suppliers being affected by the raging pandemic in 2020, the building of the distillery certainly came with its challenges, but with a bit of determination and a lot of creativity in the design to find ways around the issues, the state-of-the-art distillery at Treguddick was finally ready to open to the public in autumn 2021.
Offering more than 40 different spirits and liqueurs, there is something for everyone at Treguddick - even non-drinkers. That’s right, English Spirit went back to basics with its non-alcoholic spirits, using shrubs to create that distinct delicious flavour that doesn’t make you feel like you’re missing out! Their raspberry and bay shrub is a perfect example of this - deep, fruity and just a little bit sweet, creating the perfect mocktail in a hi-ball glass over ice.
General manager James Lawrence chatted to Launceston Life about the distillery’s progress and presence in the community: “I’ve found people in Launceston are really friendly, and so with English Spirit people have seen what our work is and that’s really nice. We’re not just for tourists but for people in the local area as well.
“We have been making our spirits for ten years. It started in Cambridgeshire, and since then we have been making the best products we possibly can, ensuring they’re well made and taste really nice - that’s the approach to the business.”
As well as making amazing spirits for drinks, English Spirit pairs their alcohol with interesting ingredients and flavours which go into many of the food items that are served up in the cafe, such as their boozy ketchup, making their spirits a big deal to foodies too.
“In this part of the world, flavour is such a huge thing,” James continued. “This is the land of great ingredients and fresh food. We use the alcohol in our dishes, cooking with vodkas, gins and rums - we even put it in our cakes and ketchup!”
Specialising in all kinds of spirits - having the UK’s widest range of spirits under its belt and being the creator of the UK’s first English rum - English Spirit makes all their alcohol from scratch, led by master distiller Dr John, and using the 74 species of botanicals that can be found in the domes outside the distillery.
With a busy season ahead, the team are looking forward to their first summer at the distillery and will be opening seven days a week with occasional evening events for locals and visitors to the area to enjoy, including special four-course feasts and cocktail evenings to showcase the spirits.
English Spirit aims to support the community as much as possible, employing people from across the local area who are given the opportunity to develop their own skills to make the distillery the very best it can be.
“For the first five months, everyone mucked in,” James said. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of the team. When you want to come to work every day then that really shows just how great a place it is.”
If you would like more information about English Spirit Distillery at Treguddick Manor, or would like to book a tour, go to https://www.treguddick.com/ or https://www.englishspirit.uk/