Food & Drink
Published: June 9, 2023 | Updated: 8th June 2023
When Martin Jennings, the artisan distiller behind Soapbox Spirits, launches his new Pothecary Organic Gin, English Country Garden, tomorrow, it will be the culmination of three years’ work.
“Three years in the making, and now finally available”, he said. “This blended gin was originally created back in 2019 as part of a range of styles offered to a bespoke gin client to choose from in early 2020, which never happened in the end due to the Covid Pandemic.”
English Country Garden, which features Pothecary Gin’s established juniper core with rose and apple botanicals, is the latest spirit in a line which traces back to the company’s roots in 2015, when it started from a spare bedroom in the house Martin shares with his wife Nicole.
Having originally trained as a chef before spending 30 years in the wine industry, he was inspired to create his first gin after tasting a blended gin at Junipalooza.
This became Pothecary Gin’s first product, Original, which was awarded Double Gold at the San Francisco Gin Awards – a competition Martin only entered in order to receive some feedback.
It was to be the first in a series of award wins for Original, as it went on to beat some of the biggest brands in the industry over the seven years following its official launch in 2016.
Since then Soapbox Spirits has partnered with and championed a variety of other artisan producers along with retailers, hostelries and artists across Hampshire and Dorset.
The bedroom distillery has since grown to take over the downstairs of the couple’s house, with a distillery in what was formerly the lounge, and the dining room being converted into a packing room.
Since 2018 Soapbox has been certified organic by Soil Association, and earlier this year applied for their distillery garden to be certified organic, which will enable them to hand pick some of their homegrown botanicals.
Nicole Jennings said: ‘I am delighted to be in the 2-year conversion period with the Biodynamic Association UK.
“Martin and I have lived an organic lifestyle for more years than I remember, it is a natural fit for our distillery garden, as well as our hand-crafted gins, to be certified organic too.”
The couple’s garden is the smallest holding currently registered with the Biodynamic Association UK.
Anyone wishing to get their hands on Martin and Nicole’s new gin will find the couple at Shaftesbury Market during Saturday daytime, or at Nusara Thai in Wimborne in the evening.
