The Deliciouslyorkshire Taste winners were announced at a black tie awards ceremony at the Pavilions of Harrogate this month, which were hosted by BBC Radio 2 resident foodie, Nigel Barden, who used to work at Dacre, Son & Hartley.
Nick Alcock, from Dacres, helped celebrate the latest award win for a Ripon-based producer of alcoholic liquors and flavoured Gins, ‘The Little Red Berry Co’. A local company set up in 2011, The Little Red Berry Co won the ‘Best Yorkshire Spirit’ award for its recently launched ‘Military Spirit Gin’. The company was one of hundreds to enter the 16th annual Deliciouslyorkshire Taste Awards, which are the largest and most respected Food and Drink awards in the region.
Inspired by the co-founders’ combined 50 years of military service and distilled in Catterick Garrison, where Pete and Claire Norton first completed their basic military training, the ‘Military Spirit Gin’ blends native British botanicals, and has both historical and current military connotations. £2 from every bottle sold is donated to SSAFA – the Armed Forced charity.
Nick Alcock, from Dacres, helped celebrate the latest award win for a Ripon-based producer of alcoholic liquors and flavoured Gins, ‘The Little Red Berry Co’. A local company set up in 2011, The Little Red Berry Co won the ‘Best Yorkshire Spirit’ award for its recently launched ‘Military Spirit Gin’. The company was one of hundreds to enter the 16th annual Deliciouslyorkshire Taste Awards, which are the largest and most respected Food and Drink awards in the region.
Inspired by the co-founders’ combined 50 years of military service and distilled in Catterick Garrison, where Pete and Claire Norton first completed their basic military training, the ‘Military Spirit Gin’ blends native British botanicals, and has both historical and current military connotations. £2 from every bottle sold is donated to SSAFA – the Armed Forced charity.
Claire said: “Our Military Spirit Gin uses the fragrant citrus piquancy of lime flowers, which were used to calm soldiers during WW2, with bitter undertones of Yarrow, which is also known as Soldiers’ Woundwort, a natural styptic used to help staunch bleeding during many historic battles. It also has the coconut aroma of gorse which is synonymous with UK military training areas, a sweet apple flavour of hawthorn berries and the fresh cleansing taste of heather flowers, symbolic of admiration and protection.
“Due to the military connection, we wanted to form a partnership with SSAFA, it’s our way of giving back to the military community, which we are fortunate to have spent the majority of our lives with. SSAFA provide crucial lifelong support across the entirety of the Forces community. We feel privileged and thrilled to be raising awareness and fundraise to support their invaluable work.”
Senior Associate Nick Alcock, who is the branch manager at the Knaresborough office, said: “We were thrilled to attend the awards, which are held in high regard throughout the industry, and are a huge showcase of the county’s innovative and diverse businesses. The Little Red Berry Co were worthy winners, and it was great to see Nigel Barden, who many years ago worked as a Land Agent at Dacres before embarking on his career in the food industry.”
