Gathered Botanicals

There is something special and exhilarating about exploring the countryside to discover and collect seasonal edible delicacies. Young wild garlic leaves for soup are at their best in March, late May brings elderflowers for cordial and in October sloes on Blackthorn bushes for that perfect Christmas tipple of sloe gin.

I recently discovered Gathered Botanicals https://www.gatheredbotanicals.co.uk Based in Cornwall their range of jams, jellies and syrups are made in small batches with freshly gathered, local, seasonal ingredients.

It was the Fig Leaf Syrup that I sampled. Gathered Botanicals description was just right "a little bit fig, maybe some coconut, slightly woody" 

It is recommended you try the syrup to transform a drink it being delicious with gin and tonic or Prosecco or to liven up tonic or sparkling water. Mine was with gin, elderflower tonic, fresh mint and lime.

Other ideas for using the syrup are as a salad dressing or as a drizzle for a cake.

Last Christmas my gift to some friends was a gathered subscription. This is a selection of 4 or 6 new season flavour jellies sent out periodically during the year. The gorse flower jelly was tried on toast as suggested in the tasting notes and has been described by Heather of Shropshire as "a nice light refreshing jam". 

The range makes a gratifying and unique present for friends who enjoy trying something new.