You wouldn’t be alone in wondering how a distillery nestled deep in the woodlands of the Surrey Hills came into existence. It’s a story of two Surrey locals coming together to create a distillery where things are done properly.
In 2014, founders Ian McCulloch and James Shelbourne met in their local pub (where else?) and discussed the idea of setting up small, local distillery. Taking their inspiration from Scottish whisky distilleries, the two friends started out with a grand vision of making a truly sustainable distillery next to a fresh water source, producing handcrafted, artisan spirits using locally sourced ingredients. But first they needed the perfect location.
Most distilleries end up in grim locations or boring industrial estates. Where’s the fun in that? Ian and James wanted somewhere filled with history, a good story and plenty of provenance. After scouting many locations in the south of England, one day Ian happened upon Sherbourne Farm (a former cow barn and petting zoo) on the banks of the magical Silent Pool in the Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Excited by the find, Ian and James contacted the landowner, The Duke of Northumberland, and got the go ahead to restore the dilapidated farm buildings into the Silent Pool Distillery.
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