Food at the Shed One Distillery in Ulverston

When you grow up in a culture where the ethos of hospitality is deeply ingrained and drinks are invariably accompanied by food and hardly ever consumed neat, you develop a genuine appreciation for places that offer both with equal skill and largesse.

While Shed One might technically be an artisan gin distillery rather than a traditional bar or pub, it is becoming increasingly known for the events it hosts.

Corporate gatherings, group meetings, afternoon tea and even weddings are hosted by the warm, fun and hard-working founders, Zoe and Andrew Arnold-Bennett, and their small team.

Now at this point I must declare an interest. I have such high regard for Zoe and Andrew that one day a couple of years ago when the idea came up for us to cooperate on an Irini-inspired expression of their gin I was thrilled at the prospect.

In due course Yiayia Gin was created featuring a variety of flavour elements that I had brought back from a visit to Crete including fig leaves, olive leaves, rose pelargonium and oregano. Yiayia is Greek for grandmother and the gin was named to honour both my grandmothers for encouraging me as a child to spend time in their kitchens and develop my senses and passion for food.

Irini with Yiayia GinOf course I am biased, but I do agree with the reviewer who said that Yiayia Gin displays “an enticing welcome from the green, leafy, citrussy aroma with a hint of rose”. I was particularly proud when it reached the finals of the Gin Guide awards.

Interest duly declared (and I do not receive royalties, my involvement having been driven by a wish to support Zoe and Andrew), the Shed One story is both fascinating and inspiring.

Neither Zoe, previously a teacher and special paint finisher, nor Andy, an actor, had any prior experience either of distilling or of running a business. So, their decision in 2016 to launch a gin distillery in the garden shed of their Ulverston home was certainly very brave.

When it was clear that they were on to something special the operation moved to the Old Calf Shed, behind the auction mart, where there was also room for a visitor centre. It went on to win both Cumbria Tourism's Experience of the Year and The Icons of Gin’s Best Visitor Attraction. Shed One, as it then became known, was born.

I admire so much the commitment that Zoe and Andy have to sustainability. Everything they do incorporates environmental considerations, and they promote environmental awareness among their customers and suppliers.

Having enjoyed an afternoon G&Tea experience there once, I knew Zoe’s culinary prowess so when it came to deciding where to gather our friends for an afternoon of fun and frivolity Shed One was an obvious choice.

Zoe Arnold-Bennett and Irini celebrate being shortlisted in the Great British Food Awards The occasion was John’s recent ‘big birthday’ (he refuses to say which one) and I had organised a surprise gathering of around 20 friends from Cartmel.

The art of distillation is not a secret, but neither is it widely known so most of the guests assembled in Andy’s still room where he shared further background and explained how the Shed One gins are created.

Time didn’t permit us to make our own personalised gins using the in-house botanicals, many of which Zoe forages locally, but we had enjoyed this experience previously and I highly recommend it. Shed One is the only distillery in Cumbria to offer this experience.

While Andy was talking about distilling, Zoe had been putting the finishing touches to a delicious selection of canapes which everyone then gathered to devour.

As our friends came out of the still room, they were handed a celeriac, lettuce and cucumber soup laced with some tarragon oil. The mushroom, leek and truffle oil mini quiches that followed were delicious and gluten free, as is all Zoe’s baking.

Irini's husband John enjoys his party at Shed One Distillery The beetroot and feta cheese dip that came with homemade rosemary and sea salt crackers and crudites was made much more exciting by the addition of the crushed, nuts and spices in the dukkah that was sprinkled on top.

I particularly loved the vegan butter bean pâté and the little Mediterranean tartlets of tomato tapenade, peppers and basil. The harissa bonbons with a harissa yogurt drizzle on top were not around for long.

Two cocktails later, after sampling all the different gin expressions and before we all sat down in a circle to take part in a quiz especially designed to celebrate ‘Irini’s Other Half’, we were ready for dessert, and it did not disappoint.

Despite their small size, the chocolate, orange, chilli and cardamom cakes inspired by the Chilli Fest Gin were filling, rich and decadent. I am particularly mindful of the use of flowers like rose and lavender in pastry work but the rose syllabub with lavender tuilles inspired by the Shed Loads of Love Gin were perfectly judged and a wonderful ending to our time at Shed One.

Everyone enjoyed the food and drink and some commented on the novelty value of the event but I personally can’t wait to return with a small group of lady friends to enjoy this experience again.

Spending a few hours connecting, relaxing and laughing while savouring delicious drinks and food, all leaving us pleasantly satisfied, refreshed and energised, is my kind of perfect outing.