Highways England donates roadside sloe berries to gin company

Yorkshire-based gin producer Sloemotion is set to receive berries that have a slightly more unusual terroir than most – they’ve been grown in hedgerows along the A64.

Improvement work that was taking place at a junction of the A64 in Barton Hill near York required the removal of sections of hedgerow which runs alongside the road.

Rather than disposing of the the bushes, Highways England,and its contractor A-one+, contacted the owners of local gin producer Sloemotion, Jonathan and Julian Curtoys, to suggest a partnership.

Project manager Russell Mclean, from Highways England, said: “We saved as much of the hedgerow as possible but sections of the hedge had to be removed. The sloe berries used to produce the gin grow on hedgerows, so it seemed like the perfect solution to donate the hedge to this local sloe gin producing firm.

“We were able to reduce the amount hedgerow we needed to remove by altering some of the scheme’s drainage and this work will also help to prevent flooding in the area.

“Some logs from the trees were also donated to Castle Howard stately home to be used as chippings in the ground”.

And the berries are not the only thing the gin distiller is getting from the deal.

Malton-based cabinet maker and artist, Mark Bennett, will be using a section of an oak tree, also removed from the site, to construct a bar for the distiller. He’ll also be using part of the hedgerows to make gin displays, while stone from the road’s culvert is being up-cycled and used in the façade of Sloemotion’s new buildings near Barton-le-Willows.

Jonathan Curtoys, managing director of Sloemotion, commented: “The changes will certainly have a positive benefit for drivers but then to also donating the hedgerow, the stones and timber to local businesses it feels like something is being given back to the community. I commend Highways England and A-one+ for this – it has been a pleasure working with them over the last seven months.”

Highways England have said that replacement hedges will be planted along the road later this year.

Sloemotion, which produces sloe gin, liqueurs and chutneys, as well as Hedgerow Gin, was founded in 2002 on a farm north of York. Current owner Jonathan Curtoys took on the business in 2006 and began making gin using sloe berries.