The ginger plant (“Zingiber officinale”) originated from the rainforest of South East Asia and is now cultivated in most tropical regions. The ginger we use is the Tafin-Giwa variety that is grown in West Africa and has a spicy, aromatic flavour with citrus notes.

Lemon zest is the peel from lemons and contains the natural oils and vitamins from the fruit. Our lemons are grown in Sicily.

Rosemary (“Rosemarinus officinalis”) is curiously a member of the mint family originating from the Mediterranean region but has now adapted to cooler climates. It has been cultivated in England since the 14th Century. It produces little blue flowers between April and June. The rosemary we use is from England.

Mint (“Mentha”) has been used as a medicinal herb for thousands of years; its digestive calming properties have become popular as a tea drink but it remains a powerful and distinctive ingredient in food, drinks and aromatherapy.

There are various cultivars of the Elder shrub that grow wild in Britain, each producing similar white petal-heads with a fragrant aroma. The infusion we make is from the petals alone, after having carefully shaken them from their green stalks, to ensure absolute purity. The Cuckmere River valley, from which many of the flowers have been collected, is an environmental haven for wildlife since it remains uniquely free from any development along its banks from source to its mouth in the South Downs National Park.

A wild flower that grows in mountainous regions. In Roman times its roots were used to make medicinal tonics, but nowadays they are used to provide a natural bitter flavour. The gentian roots we use are grown in Spain.