East Lothian's Buck & Birch counters 'gin fatigue' with drinks made from local, foraged ingredients

Sustainable drinks firm Buck & Birch has launched a range of products formulated from local, foraged ingredients and signed a new distribution deal.

The East Lothian firm said its “Wild Scottish Exotic” range included many ingredients taken from close to its headquarters, as part of its commitment to never use artificial flavours or synthetic sweeteners. Using pure unprocessed plant content from wild Scottish herbs, fruits and trees, including birch sap from which the business takes its name, the range comprises spirits and liqueurs which can be drunk on their own, with mixers, or as a base for cocktails. Its products are already used by many of the country’s top bartenders, at venues including Gleneagles, Virgin Hotel Group and the Johnnie Walker Experience.

The firm has also just signed its latest distribution deal with Base Spirits Collective. Buck & Birch co-founders Tom Chisholm and Rupert Waites say the pioneering use of plant extracts like birch sap allow the company to deliver flavours which provide alternatives to traditional spirits and liqueurs, at a time when some consumers are experiencing what Chisholm describes as “gin fatigue”.

Chisholm said: “We have found a gap in the market for drinks that are a departure from the norm, and when people find out about how we forage these ingredients on our doorstep, and how the model puts cash back into woodlands projects, we have struck a chord both in terms of sustainability and community.”

In 2022, Scottish entrepreneur George Mackintosh became a major investor in Buck & Birch and now chairs the business.