Rupert Waites and Tom Chisholm, the brains behind foraged drinks brand and pop-up dining experience, Buck and Birch, are asking for your autumnal wares in return for gift vouchers.
Buck and Birch created their first foraged liqueur, Aelder, back in 2012 from a mix of elderberries and whisky. and showcased it at their first dining experience where it proved a big hit.
Available for wider sale in 2016, Rupert, who says that the drink has a “smooth, rich and complex taste with a beautifully warming finish”, believes the main ingredient, the elderberry, offers a sweeter, altogether more indulgent flavour that lends itself well to a warming winter tipple.
The chef also adds that the rich and fruity drink is very versatile and can be enjoyed neat in front of a roaring fire, paired with cheese for a sophisticated finish to dinner, or topped up with prosecco for an elegant addition to cocktail hour.
Aelder then led the way for Ana, a Birch syrup caramel liqueur and Amarosa, an aromatic rosehip liqueur. Recently, they launched ready-made bottled cocktails.
Now Tom and Rupert are calling on Edinburgh residents to get back to nature and start foraging for rosehips and crab apples, which they'll swap for Buck and Birch gift vouchers.
Posting on their social media, the duo said: "Join our #AutumnAppeal! We will swap @buckandbirch £ Gift Vouchers in exchange for donations of your #foraged #crabapples & #rosehips. Get the family involved and enjoy the outdoors."
#edinburgh
Join our #AutumnAppeal!
We will swap @buckandbirch £ Gift Vouchers in exchange for donations of your #foraged #crabapples & #rosehips.
Get the family involved and enjoy the outdoors.
For more info + fact sheet CLICK https://t.co/tBycTmkhqY @EdinburghLive_ pic.twitter.com/j9Zx97NrWQ— Aelder Elixir (@AelderElixir) September 10, 2020
The post links to a blog entry by Rupert, who explains that his mother's rosehip syrup - made from rosehips or itchy coos that he foraged - was one of the influences on his career to date.
He writes: "I remember being as shocked as I was delighted by its exotic taste and it proved much more conducive to friend retention than using them as torture devices. I can honestly cite that experience as a big reason I'm doing what I do today."
The post includes a rosehip fact sheet and ends with a call to action: "So get up and away from the telly or ‘device’, join us in the age old tradition and get a little of something good in for the winter months. Its the perfect way to start your own wild food adventure. Who knows where it will lead."
To find out more about Buck and Birch drinks and the autumn foraging appeal please visit their website.
