Planting for the planet

Ellers Farm Distillery, located in the heart of North Yorkshire, has planted its very own orchard, the apples from which will be used to produce its hero product – Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka.

With sustainability at the heart of the business’ ethos, the planting is a small part of Ellers Farm’s efforts to have a positive impact on people and the planet, with the aim of the orchard creating a habitat for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. After having already secured Pending B Corp® status, this initiative sits alongside a number of others including their work to measure and offset emissions to achieve carbon neutrality.

The orchard features 29 different varieties of apple trees, including cooking, eating and cider apples, almost half of which are varieties which were originally cultivated in Yorkshire.

A total of 361 trees were successfully planted in the field located behind the distillery, with the help of three tree-planting experts, member of the Ellers Farm team and 18 volunteers from Portakabin.

Tabatha Hurst, head of sustainability at Ellers Farm Distillery, commented: “This is a really exciting step for us in our long-term commitment to sustainability. It’s great to create something that will have a positive impact on nature, right here at the distillery.

“Apples are a unique part of the Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka product, so to one day have this resource at our fingertips will be wonderful, and support with reducing our carbon footprint even further. In just five years, we should have a decent harvest for vodka production!”