I've been drawing pictures for the new labels and sent them off to the printers this week. I picked them up this morning and here they are! They look proper lovely, thank you so much to Sema printing, - a Walthamstow institution - , and good luck in your move to Chingford.

Dark and delicious

In between rain showers I gathered in half of this year's blackcurant crop. The netting I put up has kept out the pesky blackbirds and as a result the bushes are covered with strings of shining black jewels. All bagged up and in the freezer now, and awaiting the addition of some vanilla pods and a litre or two of vodka. Rib*na it ain't - but I'm almost certain it's good for you!

Raspberry delight...

With the rain pouring down and the men's finals at Wimbledon, it's a day for for staying indoors and straining last year's raspberry vodka through muslin. I'm left with a delicious heap of drunken raspberries. May try a magnificent and possibly very sticky experiment with melted chocolate as a product development idea...

The last of the early summer rhubarb has been harvested and is steeped in vodka and fresh ginger quietly turning it a delicate rosé colour. I am now jealously guarding the black currant crop from greedy blackbirds who scold me whenever I turn up at the allotment to water. If the sun would just come out for a day or so they'll be ready for picking.
Mother's Ruin took a day off from the whirl of gin production to go Morris dancing with her mates Sharp Morris in Stratford upon Avon