Innovative non-alcohol gin crafted on the shoreline of Strangford
Northern Ireland’s first artisan zero alcohol gin has just been launched by hospitality entrepreneurial husband and wife Tracey and Joe Jeffrey at Killinchy, overlooking the Strangford Lough in Co Down.
The couple behind the new Strangford Zero Alcohol Gin, which is now being sold by wine merchants including JN Wine in Crossgar and other outlets especially in Co. Down, run the hugely successful Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen business near the Strangford Lough.
Other early supporters of the gin include Indie Fude deli in Belfast; Lightfood Deli in Bangor; Neill Wine, Groomsport; Daft Eddy’s Restaurant, Killinchy; and Horatio Todd’s, Belfast.
Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen, based in a stunning 18th century Irish thatched cottage, is a highly innovative and multi-award-winning business specialising in promoting traditional Northern Irish breads and other local culinary treats to visitors from here and international tourists.
The business, which has five-star accreditation from TourismNI also provides cookery classes and recreational activities, including paddle-boarding and kayaking, on the nearby Strangford Lough.
“Creating an artisan gin using the abundant sea vegetables from the lough is , many ways, a natural development for us. We’ve been harvesting sea vegetables from the lough shore for many years for our bakery.
"It’s something we’ve been considering for years and fits in with our longstanding focus on preserving and protecting the precious local environment of the lough and its surroundings,” explains Tracey, originally a teacher of languages.
“Our new gin uses many of the traditional ingredients for flavour including, of course, juniper berries. What’s different about the spirit is the use of Sea Aster which we harvest from the shoreline in the summer months and the freeze until it’s needed for the gin. It’s an attractive botanical which is rich in A, C, D vitamins as well as minerals such as iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iodine.
“Antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds, support skin health, immunity, bone strength, and digestion, with traditional uses for wounds, fevers, and respiratory issues,” adds Tracey. “Sea Aster is edible, adding salty-sweet flavour and nutrients to food. The antioxidants protect cells from damage, with potential for treating degenerative nerve disorders. It can also be used to heal wounds.”
Sea Aster thrives in the salty marshes and shorelines of the lough particularly around areas like Reagh Island, adding splashes of blue-lilac and yellow from late summer into autumn. It’s a key plant in the unique environment of the lough’s salt marshes.
The lough, of course, has long been recognised internationally as a special area of conservation.
While Tracey has vast experience in developing and running an artisan business involving both food and tourism, two of Northern Ireland’s most dynamic industries, she had much to learn about distilling and marketing an original spirit.
Before her current and hugely successful hospitality-focused enterprise, Tracey created Eva Paris, a small bakery specialising in French macarons. Baking expertise of a wide range of breads and cakes continues in the farmhouse kitchen enterprise.
“We had a lot to learn quickly about distilling techniques, new product development using Sea Aster and marketing the gin to outlets here like JN Wine in Crossgar. Jim Nicholson and his team in Crossgar were very supportive and gave us our first significant order,” continues Tracey.
Help in developing a recipe for the gin that couple both enjoyed distilling techniques was sourced from an expert in Britain to the fledgling business which has set up distilling, bottling and packaging operations in another building on-site owned by the enterprising couple.
Market research carried out by the couple also encouraged them to push ahead with what represented a significant investment in time, finance and other resources.
“Demand for low/no alcohol spirits, especially for cocktails, has been growing in Britain and the US,” explains Tracey.
“Contributing to the trend towards zero alcohol beer and spirits is also being influenced by health and wellness considerations."
Support for the project came through business development agency Invest NI. This led to funding and other support through a Business Improvement Grant from the UK Government’s innovation agency for smaller companies Innovate UK.
Tracey is quick to praise the agency’s support, admitted that her business wouldn’t have progresses without the backing provided to commercialise the new gin.
“Overall, the support from Innovate UK was superb and gave us encouragement to develop and market the gin,” she adds,
Innovate UK supports businesses like Strangford Gin through various grants and programmes (like Launchpads for SME clusters, Smart Grants for new innovations, and Contracts for Innovation), offering funding, mentorship, and networking to help them grow, though these grants are highly competitive, requiring UK-registered companies to focus on novel projects, with typical SME grants covering 60-67% of costs for innovative work.
In essence, Innovate UK backs businesses like Strangford Gin by providing crucial financial and strategic backing for innovative ideas, helping them scale in today’s highly competitive landscape.