Surbiton’s oldest church, St Mark’s, has launched its own gin to help fund organ renovation. Blomfield’s Batch No1, infused with Berrylands nettles, will also benefit the sister church, St Andrew’s in Maple Road.

The Rev Robert Stanier hopes it will prove a popular Christmas gift for parishioners.

“It costs £200,000 a year to run our two churches, and that’s without unexpected bills,” said the vicar. “We’ve just renovated the tower and roof at St Andrew’s, and the St Mark’s organ needs an overhaul.”

It is, he added, an example of the church being entrepreneurial. “I think it could be a solution to help us grow,” he said.
At 40% proof and made with help from Sam Berry of No97, it is named after Sir Arthur Blomfield, architect of St Andrew’s. It is nearing its 150th birthday, with St Mark’s even older… dating to 1845. Each £30 bottle sale adds £15 to church coffers. Launched at the churches’ Christmas fair, it is available (together with free tastings) at the Maple Road farmers’ market on Saturday December 21.

The gin, with its stained glass window label, is infused with church garden rosemary and wild nettles from Berrylands Nature Reserve – hence the claim that it ‘captures Surbiton in a bottle’. Aficionados will be uplifted by flavours of lemon peel, cardamom, coriander, orris root and juniper. It is best served on ice with a sprig of rosemary and fresh slice of grapefruit.