© Ap-Art Photography
A contract distillery too , Seb is as much a consultant and inventor for his customers as he is a producer , relishing a new challenge as much as a new flavour . Recently , Pleasant Land produced several bottles of a bespoke ‘ pickle and mustard ’ flavour gin for James May , a gin “ perfect for those more savoury cocktails ” says foodie Seb . No stranger to Kent , Seb grew up in the glorious Garden of England , attending Cranbrook School before his time in the Navy , and it is from Kent ’ s land and producers that Seb attributes so much of his creations to .
“ What I love about producing in Kent is that you are never far away from the raw product . It is this produce that inspires new ingredients and flavours to make our products really unique and of course have optimum flavour .”
Listening to Seb , a man whose enthusiasm scintillates around the distillery , with exciting ideas and new concepts bouncing off copper pots with electric energy , it is difficult to imagine him as the teenager who once believed he wasn ’ t creative or that good at science .
“ It was only after leaving the military I discovered an outlet for the creative passion I have always had . Distilling has allowed me to find a route into channelling this creativity and now dreaming up new concepts for recipes is one of my main motivations , along with keeping the brand as sustainable as possible .”
Seb ’ s creativity and innovation also come into play in the sustainable element of Pleasant Land , an ethos which fiercely makes up much of who they are .
It is this innovation and look towards a sustainable future that has turned Pleasant Land from a passion project into a viable business , and one in which the passion is still very much present . Pleasant Land can now be found in every Michelin star restaurant across Kent , a brand which has very much benefited from being an ode to the county , a perfect fit for the craft and artisan scene and the popularity of locally made produce . Perhaps Pleasant Land ’ s most well-known product is White Cliffs , a real testament to Seb and his team ’ s expertise and creativity . A Kent dry gin made from British wheat with notes of wild foraged juniper , kelp , cherry bark and sea buckthorn - it is a true homage to Kent , with all ingredients grown and found upon Kent ’ s very own ‘ pleasant land ’. It is this element of the Garden of England that has helped Pleasant Land stand out in a UK market awash with over 2,500 brands of gin , a competitive world in which Seb believes innovation and sustainability is the way forward .
Delve deeper however , and aside from the clever , experience-enhanced recipe that adds just the right notes of flavour , and the unwavering sustainable drive - evidenced from waste initiatives , biomass boilers and electric delivery vans ; “ when we move to our new premises I want to be totally ‘ off-grid ’, can you imagine every made from our own energy ?” Seb causally slips into the walkthrough tour - and you ’ ll find yet more of the personal element that further enhances this distillery ’ s journey . From the lockdown cliff top walks with his equally inspiredby-nature artist wife Cleo , from which Seb began to find , forage and ferment the produce that would eventually underpin the distillery ’ s walk-inspired namesake inaugural offering , to the real family feel
that extends across the equally passionate and small knit team that now includes operations manager Josh , sales manager Fenella and Ukrainian distiller Sergei , who is evidently as wildly creative and experimentally driven as Seb himself .
A certified spirits educator on top of everything else , it is clear how Seb and the team at Pleasant Land go from strength to strength with such passion for their cause , a driving force that leads them to overcome any setbacks and challenges along the way . “ I spend a lot of time in nature , the clarity and inspiration that comes from that is invaluable .” When I ask Seb what his main motivation is when it comes to facing each day as a medium sized business , he tells us that it is his inspirational team , ” You ’ re only as good as your people ,” he says , “ Seeing how far everyone has come has been an invaluable motivator for me . I learn a lot from them .” Showcasing Kent through flavour , one bottle at a time in a sustainable way , Pleasant Land is definitely a Kent drinks brand you should keep a keen eye out for . When asked insideKENT ’ s ominous final question - “ What do our readers need to know about Pleasant Land ?” a mischievous grin spread across Seb ’ s face . The intriguing answer ? Simply : “ Watch this space …”
And you definitely should ! pleasantlanddistillery . com pleasantlanddistillery
51