It was ridiculous trading in that way,’ said Karl. ‘We really didn’t have the time to do it. We either had to stop making it or I had to quit my job. I made that jump and to be frank it still feels terrifying. I’m still scared.’ Since 1810, Wade Ceramics have been crafting the highest quality ceramic products, with their items being renowned and collected all over the world. They make our bespoke bottles for us using traditional methods, and the final bottle is fully vitrified, meaning they are fired to a temperature which ensures the porcelain will not absorb any moisture, flavour, odour or stains. Our Forest Whisky bottle is glazed in real gold to showcase the colour of the liquid inside. Renovations are now complete and we are really pleased with all we have achieved. The Cat & Fiddle has finally been restored to its former glory and is now the home of our award winning Forest Gin Distillery and Forest Whisky Distillery. We hold regular tours around the distillery hosted by our experienced and knowledgeable Whisky & Gin weasels which have proven to be very popular. Our little shop has been opened where you can browse our fantastic range of distillery products along with a large variety of locally sourced goods. Each batch of their gin fills just 80 bottles and only two batches are made each week – about 8,320 bottles a year. A proportion of this is now being exported to buyers for high end outlets in Germany and Switzerland. ‘We don’t want a gin factory,’ said Karl. ‘We want to keep things very small. We don’t want to mess with the recipe and the still size because this allows us full control. We know exactly what’s in our gin down to the last berry and this quality of product is not something that can be mass produced.’ The company is also keen to practise responsible foraging – which does not lend itself to large scale production.

The stills here are very small at 500 litres, so the production is tiny. Every drop is distilled by Lindsay Bond. However, the use of local barley, wild yeast strains and English Oak casks makes for a unique and intreaging spirit from above the clouds. The Forest Distillery is a unique place where the bond Family and our small team lovingly distil small batches of spirits from wild foraged, locally sourced and organic ingredients combined with our pure, natural spring water. Built in 1813, The Cat & Fiddle was a remote coaching Inn, and over the years has become a destination in it’s own right, with views stretching across the Peak District, 7 counties, and on a clear day, there is even a distant sea view! As an Inn, it sadly closed in 2015, however there are several reasons why it suited Forest as home to their distillery: Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. With Karl a full time craft gin producer, the family found new business premises in Macclesfield and this summer Lindsay also gave up her job to concentrate on Forest Gin. Although they have been approached by a big supermarket – the couple has decided to keep the operation small.We are up and around Buxton, Castleton and Chatsworth all the time foraging for berries and collecting fern and moss from the dry stone walls. I don’t know of anybody else using moss and fern. The fern gives the gin its freshness and the moss gives it an earthiness which is very different to other gins.’ Forest Distillery London Dry Gin – The only gin to win two separate double-gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirit Awards in the same year. Selected as one of the Worlds Best 50 Gins.

Forest Gin is distilled in small batches (a maximum of 85 bottles at a time) at the brand’s distillery based in a 17th Century stone barn within Macclesfield Forest in the Peak District National Park. This location provides perfect access for the gin’s botanicals that are foraged locally, such as Peak District moss and ferns or wild bilberries and raspberries, as well as a source of Forest Spring water from an ancient spring in the Peak District.To create gins of exceptional character we take an innovative approach to distillation, cold-distilling botanicals under vacuum with a smooth Yorkshire wheat spirit. Awarded an innovation grant to explore the potential this distillation technique can bring to flavour, head distiller and former scientist Abbie set about creating spirits with a desire to keep flavours as fresh in your glass as they are in the wild. The result is a range of spirits with the freshest, most vibrant flavours unlike any others, all distilled with 100% renewable energy. Over the years, the Inn has played a part in many stories. Some personal, some more of international importance (Charles Rolls regularly used it as stop-off whilst testing cars for his fledgling business with a Mr Royce) . However, over the last few decades, like many other pubs, the Inn has struggled to survive as a business. Several factors are to blame, but it’s remote, yet beautiful location certainly hasn’t helped to encourage drinkers to visit and spend time.