Mallard Point

Andy and Fi bought Church Farm at Essendine in 2012 and spent several years testing the soil before planting the first vines in 2019, expanding the estate again in 2022, 2023 and 2025. Andy, from an agricultural background, manages the vineyard and winemaking; Fi, a farmer's daughter who taught herself distilling after touring Speyside as a child, runs the distillery. The estate now carries around 18,500 cool-climate vines across Bacchus, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, plus newer PIWI varieties Sauvignac and Cabernet Jura, all picked and fermented on site with wild yeast. The distillery produces London Dry and Pinot Noir gins using stills the operation says use roughly 75 percent less energy than traditional equipment. Visitors can book tours and tastings or a longer Gin School session, and bottles returned to the farm earn a discount of £1.50 to £3 against future orders.