Distillers & Spirit Producers

Blackdown Artisan Spirits

Blackdown Artisan Spirits, Lurgashall Winery, Lurgashall, Nr Petworth, Sussex, England, UK.

In 1985 Sarah Thompson, and another business partner, set up Lurgashall Winery at Woodfallwood, a 38-acre site in West Sussex, England. At the time a winery in England was a bold business venture but it has continued to steadily grow, today employing over 20 people and producing around half a million bottles per year.

One additional side of the business has been producing fruit liqueurs  - using a base of Gin and Vodka, brought in from a third party supplier (probably Cambridge Distillery). This got Sarah thinking and she decided to try launching her own spirits. In conjunction with her husband Nathan, Blackdown Artisan Spirits was born, with a small range of Blackdown spirits launched in summer 2013. Using forgotten flavors, from locally sourced ingredients and hand made, their motto “Distilled from the heart” has real meaning and underlines their undeniable passion for what they do.

Sarah and Nathan plan to build (Nathan has a background in plumbing and heating) and open their own distillery on site to produce their own spirit – perhaps in 2015.

Blackdown Cellar and Lurgashall Winery.

Blackdown Sussex