THE REALISATION of a dream, the creation of England’s largest whisky distillery, has been beautifully documented in a new book ‘Faith, Hope, Luck & Love’, launched ahead of The Lakes Distillery’s first anniversary.
The glossy hardback book, written by former journalists Ken Oxley and Peter Jackson, tells the unique story of managing director and founder Paul Currie’s quest to open the first distillery in Britain’s largest national park, The Lake District.
Celebrating its first birthday, The Lakes Distillery team has divulged the history, science, symbolism, art and expertise that has gone into the award-winning venture. The 192-page epic is also full of jaw-dropping imagery from the project and the stunning Cumbrian landscape that surrounds it.
‘Faith, Hope, Luck & Love’ follows the project’s four year journey from the beginning, from Paul first finding the site, an 1850’s Victorian model farm, to it becoming the home to a state-of-the-art distilling operation, its world-class spirits and The Bistro at The Distillery. The venue was officially opened by HRH the Princess Royal in July 2015.
The Lakes Distillery team picked up a Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Building Excellence Award for the sympathetically renovated venue in June 2015 and within the make-up of the building found a symbol which represented the remarkable qualities of the project. The quatrefoil motif, an ancient Celtic Christian symbol was a recurring mark in the stonework of the original building, just north of Keswick, and denotes the values Faith, Hope, Luck and Love. This has been kept as the Lakes Distillery’s symbol and has now become the title of the book which tells its story.
Looking back, Paul said: “I knew we had found our spot by Bassenthwaite Lake when I discovered the farm’s proximity to the river Derwent and the superb-quality of the water coming from high up in Sprinkling Tarn – it did take some imagination though because it was a wreck, it was falling apart.”
Other Lakes Distillery characters in the book include distillery manager John Drake, a former civil servant who fell in love with whisky on holiday and changed his whole life to start a career in whisky, and his mentor, whisky guru Dr Alan Rutherford OBE, one of the world’s leading whisky experts.
On what makes The Lakes Distillery special, Alan said: “Our base in Cumbria means the whisky-making process is not encumbered by restrictions as it is in Scotland, so the distillery will be able to create some really interesting limited edition whiskies.”
The distillery has launched a limited edition sherry cask finished The One alongside the book this season.
The distillery has gone from rubble to reality, after £7million of investment, and now offers tours to visitors from across the world. It produces, sells and exports award-winning spirits The Lakes Gin, The Lakes Vodka, British Isles blended whisky The One and in 2018 its single malt The Lakes Malt will be ready to enjoy.
Recipes and cocktails which use the distillery’s spirits from the Bistro at The Distillery, led by Michelin-starred restaurateur Terry Laybourne, also feature in the book.
Edited by Kathryn Armstrong from North East based publishers Remember Media, ‘Faith, Hope, Luck & Love’ is £24.95 and available in the distillery’s new showcase visitor centre, Fenwick and at www.lakesdistillery.com.