Great British Food - Christmas 2025

ORKNEY GIN COMPANY: Distilling the Magic and Mystery of the Islands Gather around the fireplacewith this cocktail worthy of a tale or two... Family-run and rooted in the island’s heritage, Orkney Gin Company blends tradition with a twist of the arcane. Each small batch is hand-made and distilled an incredible eight times. Orkney Gins - from the distinct clarity of Aatta to the bold and captivating botanics of Sule Skerry – are as many stories in a bottle as they are spirits to be sipped. The award-winning Aatta is all about purity and precision – the backbone of many signature serves. Sule Skerry, inspired by a remote, wave-battered sea rock, brings a bold soul to the range and now forms the foundation of Orkney Gin's latest creation: K-Ola Old Tom Gin. This cola-inspired expression is born from a near-obsessive quest for the perfect blend – bold, botanical, and unforgettable. In honour of that storytelling spirit, Orkney Gin presents The Stronsay Beast – a cocktail named for the legendary sea creature said to have washed ashore on Orkney’s east coast in 1808. Some claimed it was a sea serpent, others a hoax. No one ever truly knew. But like all good folklore, mystery is part of the magic. Stronsay, a remote and rugged isle with sweeping shores and a strong fishing heritage, holds special meaning – the founders' family roots stretch back to that very island generations ago. Aatta/Sule Skerry £39.90 each www.orkneygincompany.com Visit www.orkneygincompany. com to find out more or to shop all Orkney Gin spirits and gifts. T ucked away in the far north of Scotland, where the seameets stone and stories swirl on salt winds, Orkney is a land steeped inmyth. It’s a placewhere selkies are said to slip fromtheir seal-skins bymoonlight, and the landscape itself is radiating myth andmemory. Fromthis otherworldly corner of the UK, the Orkney Gin Company draws its inspiration – crafting spirits that don’t just make you think of Orkney, but feel like Orkney. This cocktail also carries the essence of Aatta, Orkney Gin's award-winning gin inspired by the elegance and rhythm of the selkie folk – mythical sea beings said to dance on moonlit sands before slipping back into the waves. As islanders with deep ties to the sea, the team has long been drawn to their stories – and to the ever-present rhythm of the tides that shapes so much of Orkney life. The Stronsay Beast Cocktail: 60ml Aatta Gin 20ml lime juice 15ml Velvet Falernum 15ml apricot liqueur 10ml activated charcoal cinnamon syrup (Add black food colouring or half a teaspoon of activated charcoal to cinnamon syrup) Eggwhite or vegan foaming bitters 1. Shake until stormy, serve over crushed ice, and garnish with a whisper of cinnamon or a twist of lime. © David Jordan Melia GBF PROMOT ION 41 greatbr i t i shfoodawards.com