We are delighted to team up Feragaia, the first ever working alcohol-free distillery in Scotland! Co-founders Bill Garnock and Jamie Wild combine traditional distillery methods with a bountiful of 14 botanicals from both land and sea, including seaweed, bay leaf and chamomile.
It is this reason that makes Feragaia so unique, as the brand does not rely on alcohol to carry it’s flavours unlike other alcohol-free spirits; they use natural flavours and qualities to transform the spirit into having a complex yet clean taste which is making powerful movements within the drinking scene.
Traditionally distilled and bottled in the beautiful Scottish Lowlands, the natural flavours go through distillation runs, which are then blended with fresh, Scottish water to create a perfect balance of earthy, spice notes.
In Conversation with Feragaia
We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Feragaia and explore the inspirations behind the brand, from Bill and Jamie’s story to them letting us know the perfect food pairings that go well with the spirit. Make sure to have a tea and biscuit in hand as this makes a perfect read!
We are BIG fans of your drinks! Tell us, what inspired you to make an alcohol-free spirit?
We love to hear it, thank you! We’re huge admirers of the heritage and quality of Maldon. For me, Feragaia started with a question that I kept on coming back to. It was ‘why do I feel so trapped by alcohol?’ Working in spirits gave me a high exposure to alcohol, combined with a traditional English drinking habit – I found it relentless and restricting. I concluded that confidence could answer my question and so I set about developing a premium, unapologetic and confident alternative. So people can have a equal choice – very democratic!
How would you describe the taste of Feragaia?
It’s an original and unique taste, with a refreshing depth of flavour. 14 carefully selected botanicals create a layered and wild journey through land~sea~spice.
We’ve done some research and found that ‘Feragaia’ translates to ‘wild earth’. Is there a correlation behind your name and your drinks?
You got me! In a small way perhaps, but Wild fortunately evokes so much more than just me. Like so many, Earth’s wild places are places that Bill and I greatly value and crave connection to. It was this shared core belief that established the Wild/Fera seed!
Courier – Food & Drink – Julia Bryce – Feragaia Distillery story – CR0038565 – Glenrothes – Picture Shows: Bill Garnock (31) and Jamie Wild (31) at Feragaia Distillery, Scotland’s First Alcohol Free Spirit Distillery – Tuesday 27th September 2022 – Steve Brown / DC Thomson
What an accomplishment in becoming the first working alcohol-free distillery in Scotland! We would love to know Jamie and Bill’s story on how Feragaia was born to where it is now.
Thank you. It is something we are incredibly proud of. We’ve always wanted to set the benchmark for transparency and quality in this category, there is too much ‘smoke and mirrors’ and it’s hurting the reputation of alcohol-free spirits. Bill is the Scottish one in Feragaia and was the driving force behind our provenance and process, out of which was born Feragaia’s respecting of Scotland’s rich heritage of premium spirits and progressive nature.
Would you say the alcohol-free movement is becoming more popular as the years go on?
Absolutely! Since launching Feragaia in 2019 we have sampled thousands of people. I can confidently say people’s curiosity and confidence in alcohol alternatives has and continues to grow. I expect this to be the case for some time.
We’ve seen you make many delicious cocktails, what would you say your top 3 favourites are?
In order of simplicity. I love our perfect serve ‘Wild Ginger’ 50ml Feragaia, Ginger ale and a slice of lime. Next up, our most popular cocktail serve – ‘Paloma’ 50ml Feragaia, Pinch of Maldon salt, squeeze of pink grapefruit and topped with tonic. Finally, it took me months to perfect this one, but the ‘Smokey Old Fashioned’ with a large ice block brings me great joy. Lapsang Souchung tea, ginger syrup, lime and Feragaia. It really redefines in my mind what an alcohol-free drink can be.
How would you try and convince someone who has never purchased an alcohol-free spirit to give it a try?
“I still drink alcohol, but sometimes I can’t or I’d rather not. In which case why should I sacrifice my experience, and feel left out?” Feragaia, is the original-free spirit that is redefining alcohol-free through its refreshing depth of flavour that’s distilled at our very own distillery in Fife, Scotland. It allows you to have a sophisticated and delicious drink to savour and enjoy during those moments where alcohol is to be avoided – how about a taste?”
What food would you say pairs well with Feragaia?
We talk about depth and length of flavour as this is what slows you down and makes Feragaia ‘a drink’ apart from a soft drink, juice, tea etc. The long finish is very complimentary when eating as there isn’t too much of a clash on the top of the pallet. I’ve always liked the combination of some savoury appetisers like roasted nuts and Feragaia in that aperitif moment. If I’m really pushing the boat out then the link between our land & sea botanicals and oysters are quite special!
Your bottle and cap are both 100% recyclable and the botanicals used are composted after distillation. Is this a topic in which you are passionate about?
We tried to register ourselves on B Corp before we registered on companies house! Then we realised we needed to have a registered business to apply for B Corp. At the core of our business lies a belief that truth, authenticity and purpose are ‘must haves’ today. We have developed a sustainable foundation on which Feragaia can grow and meaningfully support the changes that we need to make together in the world.
Now…we are very much excited to announce that Maldon Salt is in the Paloma recipe. What is your favourite way to enjoy Maldon Salt in a drink?
I love the story of land and sea, which could be more apt for Maldon Salt. Salinity when used in drinks correctly is really effective. You just can’t better the Paloma, bitter citrus, saline complexity and the defining depth of Feragaia – It is complete! Sláinte
Feragaia x Maldon Salt Cocktail
In celebration of Dry January, Feragaia and Maldon have come together to create a ‘Paloma Cocktail’.
This cocktail has a beautiful, fresh taste of citrus from the courtesy of Feragaia’s blackcurrant leaf and lemon verbena and Two Keys Pink Grapefruit Soda. Being naturally sweet, the flavour is hightended from a generous sprinkle of Maldon Salt on top to emphasise the sweet notes and counteract the bitterness…delicious!
Add 50ml Feragaia, 15ml Two Keys Pink Grapefruit Soda and a pinch of Maldon salt to a highball glass.
2.Stir until dissolved, add ice cubes and garnish with pink grapefruit.
Win a Bundle of Goodies!
You could be in the chance of winning one of our limited edition bundle packs, which includes a bottle of Feragaia, Two Keys Grapefruit Soda and an exclusive Maldon Salt Pinch Tin…the perfect combination to create our deliciously good Paloma cocktail!
Head over to our Instagram Giveaway now to enter… But be quick! There are only a number of limited bundles to win.
Lastly, we LOVE seeing your creations – please tag us on Instagram using the #maldonsalt so we can share your cocktail masterpieces on our socials.
This recipe will show you how to bake a potato in an air fryer to achieve a deliciously crispy skin and a fluffy centre.
Air-fried foods, like jacket potatoes, are taking the world by storm due to the many benefits it can bring, from being energy efficient to speeding up the cooking by 40 minutes! In contrast, baking a jacket potato in the oven at 200C will take roughly 1 hour – 1 hour 20 minutes – that’s a pretty long time when you can have a perfectly baked potato in minutes. Plus, it’s a easy to make, you simply put the potato in the air fryer basket and bake!
You can use two methods to make a showstopping jacket potato in the air fryer:
Microwave them first, and then finish off the baking process in the air fryer.
Air frying them for the full length of time.
Our recipe follows the second method, where we will be air frying the jacket potato for the whole duration. This is the easier method to follow as you do not need any further equipment!
If you are wanting to microwave the potatoes first, we recommend cooking on high for 8 minutes, and then air frying for a further 8 minutes. This method will is quicker than our method, as you are speeding up the cooking process with heating the jacket potato in the microwave first, softening the outer, hard skin.
When choosing what type of jacket potato to bake with, we recommend medium to large varieties that have soft, fluffy centres. Specific types of potatoes you need to look for are Maris Piper or King Edwards as these are considered the best for baking. If you are based in America, we recommend looking for Russet Potatoes, which are also known as Idaho potatoes.
How to cook jacket potatoes in an air dryer?
Start by washing the potatoes to remove any dirt and impurities. Then, pat dry with kitchen paper or a towel.
Begin pricking the potatoes with a fork. We recommend pricking about 4 times around each potato.
Transfer the potatoes to a plate or bowl, rubbing with olive oil and a generous sprinkle of Maldon sea salt flakes. Set aside.
Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray or cooking oil to create a non-stick layer so that the potatoes will not stick together.
Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
Set the air fryer to 200c and cook for 40 minutes until the potatoes are crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middles. We rotated the potatoes after 20 minutes to have an even bake on each side. The baked potatoes should be done when a sharp knifes can go through them easily.
When baked, the skin on the jacket potatoes should be perfectly crisp and the inside tender and fluffy as you cut through the centre.
What to have with jacket potatoes?
Toppings and fillings:
We chose to fill our jacket potato with a classic tuna mayonnaise. The combination of tuna, creamy mayonnaise with a handful of spring onion and chives gives this lunchtime favourite plenty of flavour and is easy to make.
Here is how to make tuna mayonnaise:
Drain the tuna and add to a bowl.
Mix with the mayonnaise, a pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes, cracked black pepper, chopped chives and spring onions.
Open the jacket potatoes and melt some butter on first.
Spoon in the tuna mayonnaise, and top with grated cheddar. Sprinkle with a final few chives.
Other toppings can include:
Baked beans. Either home-made or branded like Heinz, this is the ultimate comfort food dish and makes a great healthy option for your supper.
Chilli / Chilli con carne. Use up your leftovers by filling your jacket potatoes with chilli. Perfect when you are short on time and want to feed a family.
Cheese. Simple but much-loved. There are many types of cheese that you can use, but cheddar is the most common due to the irresistible creaminess is gives out when it melts on top of a steaming baked potato.
What to serve with jacket potatoes:
Salad. A refreshing caprese salad is the perfect pairing for a jacket potato. The sweet heirloom tomatoes mixed with creamy buffalo mozzarella compliments the fluffy centre of the baked potato, creating a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Broccoli. Roasted tender stem broccoli provides nutrients and is infused with sweet, earthy goodness which matches the same flavour profile of the jacket potato. Laid on a bed of creamy feta, you’ll be going in for seconds!
Steak. It’s a classic combination that you see in most restaurants! A juicy ribeye steak with a jacket potato on the side is a match-made-in-haven as the tender meat and juices are soaked up nicely with the baked potato, holding flavour as you savour every bite.
Can you cook frozen jacket potatoes in an air fryer?
The simple answer is yes!
You can certainly cook frozen jacket potatoes in the air fryer. We used McCain Ready Baked Jacket Potatoes, which are already pre-oven baked and are super convenient if you are struggling for time and want a tasty, fuss-free meal!
As the jacket potatoes are already pre-oven baked, simply put them in the air fryer at 180C for around 20 minutes. Depending on the size of the potato, cooking time may vary slightly so keep having intervals between baking to see if they are baking evenly.
Squash is one of the most exciting vegetables to grow as they come in so many shapes and sizes. One of my favourite autumn recipes is squash soup, seasoned with fresh herbs, Maldon Salt and topped with crispy mushrooms.
Pre-heat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Start by taking the skins off the squash. The best way to do this is with a knife rather than a peeler.
Chop up the squash into cubes and place on a baking tray with red onions and garlic cloves in their skins. Add thyme, a drizzle of olive oil and plenty of Maldon Salt and pepper.
Once the vegetables are soft, take the skins off the garlic and add to a pan with the squash, vegetable stock, a tin of chopped tomatoes and a pinch of Maldon Salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes and then blitz with a hand blender or food processor.
Place the mushrooms on a lined baking tray with olive oil, season with Maldon Salt and roast them until crispy.
To serve, spoon the soup into bowls, add the crispy mushrooms, pepper and a final sprinkle of Maldon. Delicious
What’s better than the decadent, light and airy dessert of a soufflé? Get baking with this easy-to-follow recipe, where we use pistachio cream to give a glorious, nutty tone to the dish. We use Le Cresuet’s Mini Ramekins to hold the soufflé in place whilst it gently bakes in the oven. However, don’t stop there with these little sweet treats!
We also show you how to create a coulis sauce, which is a smooth enhanced by the tang of cranberries to give a balance to the sweetened pudding. Serving this in Le Cresuet’s Small Stoneware Jug will make pouring of the cranberry coulis much easier whilst serving to your guests.
Start by making the base of the soufflés (the panade). Add the milk to a saucepan and whisk in the cornflour and a pinch of Maldon Salt until dissolved. Stir in the 50g of sugar and pistachio cream and place onto the heat. Allow the mixture to come to the boil and then continue stirring until the mixture thickens (3- 5 minutes). Then remove from the heat and cool. Once cool place in the fridge to cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 180C and place a baking tray in the oven to heat up (this will help the soufflés rise).
Prepare the ramekins by greasing with butter and the dusting out with icing sugar. Set aside.
Place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until foaming. Then slowly add the 150g of sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Keep whisking until all sugar is added and the meringue has reached medium soft peaks.
Measure out 300g of the chilled panade mixture and add the final 20g of pistachio cream. Then carefully fold in the meringue egg whites being mindful not to knock the air out of the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins and smooth off the top with a palette knife. Then use a cutlery knife to “top hat” around the top rim. Place into the oven on the baking sheet for 8 – 10 minutes (do not open the door).
Remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately with pistachio ice cream and cranberry coulis.
A classic sweet treat to share with loved ones over the Christmas period, the light, sweet notes of rum works wonderfully with raisins all combined within the creamy, richness of fudge. Remember to add a generous pinch of Maldon Salt to help balance the sweetness!
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Soak the raisins in the rum for 1 hour minimum or overnight.
In a pan place the condensed milk, butter, and sugar and bring to the boil. Stir the mixture continuously until the sugar dissolves. Continue to boil for 10 minutes until it reaches ‘soft ball’ stage on a thermometer.
When the mixture reaches this stage, remove from the heat, and quickly add the rum and raisins, a pinch of Maldon Salt, and vanilla. Stir until it thickens, then tip immediately into the prepared tin and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.
This Christmas we wanted to focus on the gifting element for our beloved friends and family…and what better gift than to create these easy chocolate truffles! Infused with the sweet and nutty flavours of amaretto, this really does pack a punch to the little sweet treat treats, perfect for your fellow chocoholic. When it comes to coating your truffles, you can choose from pistachios, desiccated coconut or cocoa powder.
Place the finely chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Put the cream into a saucepan and heat until just boiling, then remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before whisking until smooth. Add the butter, amaretto, almond extract, and pinch of Maldon Salt and then whisk again until smooth.
Transfer to a shallow tin and allow to cool at room temp before adding to the fridge to firm up (2 hours). When cooled, roll the ganache truffles in your hands in balls, keeping in the fridge whilst you do the rest. Then roll the truffles in either desiccated coconut, finely chopped pistachios or cocoa powder before serving.
Salmon pate is one of our favourites to tuck into! What is so delicious about smoked salmon is that it gives off the perfect ‘smoky’ flavour which pairs well with the rich, creaminess of the crème fraiche. Combined together creates an excellent side dish to be shared and enjoyed with family and friends.
Put the ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Mix together so everything is combined with a generous pinch of Smoked Maldon Salt to give a ‘smoky’ warmth to the pate.
Serve with Rye bread, lemon wedge and an extra sprinkle of dill.
Join us in creating this quick and easy to follow beetroot hummus. It’s refreshing in flavour and makes a delicious dip or a healthy spread on top of your cracker! Adding a pinch of Maldon Salt and cumin adds a little more spice and richness to the appetizer. A generous drizzle of olive oil on top of the hummus also makes the texture of the smoother in consistency and luxurious in texture.
Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the elements break down and it becomes completely smooth.
Spoon into a serving bowl and top with a sprinkle of nigella seeds, caraway seeds, a drizzle of olive oil and a final pinch of Maldon Salt.
Serve with your favourite crudités, toasted bread or crackers.
Want a Christmas Cocktail concoction to ‘wow’ your guests this year? We’ve teamed up again with Hayman’s Gin to make the delicious Pomegranate Fizz. Infused with their Sloe Gin, the vibrancy from the red pomegranate juice shaken together creates this cocktail to be perfect for the festive period.
Add ice to the shaker and shake again for 30 seconds until it feels cold. Add a pinch of Maldon Salt to enhance the sweetness and break down the bitterness of the gin.
Strain into the coupe glass. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and some pomegranate seeds.
PHOTO BY: STEVE FINN: Hoppers The Cookbook. The Book Launch Of Karan Gokani.
Hoppers shares the love and passion for Sri Lankan cuisine in which is now being cherished throughout the three restaurants located around London: Soho, Marylebone and King’s Cross. The face behind the name is none other than Karan Gokani, co-founder and creative director of Hoppers…a huge advocate for this delicious cookery.
The name ‘Hoppers‘ itself derives from the common dish of a bowl-like pancake made from coconut milk and rice flour. Also known as ‘Appams‘ this dish is enjoyed by many Sri Lankan’s and Southern Indians for breakfast or even dinner time!
With seven years of great appreciation to the cuisine, Karan has finally released the debut ‘Hoppers: Cookbook’. Karan writes a story of personal memories, collections of the restaurant’s favourite recipes and stories through the many visits to Sri Lanka from when Hoppers was first conceptualised… Now, they get to share a little piece of this cuisine with you at home.
PHOTO BY: STEVE FINNS: Hoppers The Cookbook. The Book Launch Of Karan Gokani.
Within this cookbook, Maldon Salt is used for the creation of the deliciously good Pol Sambol. Sambols in general sit between a relish and a salad, where raw ingredients are pounded with chilli flakes to be served as a condiment.
Make sure to use a pestle and mortar for this dish, as the pounding of the ingredients will break up the cells and release intensified flavours!
80g (2¾oz) Thai shallots (or 50g/1¾oz Indian onion), Finely Chopped
100g (3½oz) Fresh Coconut, Grated
Juice of 1 Lime
Method:
Grind the black peppercorns, chilli flakes, Maldive Fish Flakes and Maldon Salt in a pestle and mortar until you have a coarse red powder.
Add the green chillies and shallots and pound the mixture with the pestle until the ingredients start to break up into a rough paste.
Add the grated coconut and continue to pound and stir until everything is well mixed and bright red. Add the lime juice gradually and taste as you go, you might not need it at all. This is best eaten straight away, but any extra sambol can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
PHOTO BY: STEVE FINN: Hoppers The Cookbook. The Book Launch Of Karan Gokani.
We love seeing your creations you dish up on Instagram! Tag us using #maldonsalt so we can see your culinary concoctions come to life when you add a sprinkle of our salt.
