Latest news with #DannyCameron
Business News Wales
17-06-2025
- Business News Wales
Mid Wales Attraction Hosts Industry Open Day for Accommodation Providers
More than 40 tourism accommodation owners and representatives attended an open day at an award-winning Mid Wales visitor attraction on the edge of the Eryri National Park. Corris Caverns at Corris, near Machynlleth welcomed the businesses with the aim of increasing awareness of the series of popular, all weather attractions on the site, and building partnerships. Additional investment was made in the attractions over the winter. The site hosts King Arthur's Labyrinth, an underground attraction telling the story of the King Arthur legend, Corris Mine Explorers, which takes visitors deep inside the former Braich Goch Slate Mine, which was worked from 1836 to 1970, the outdoor storytelling maze, Corris Craft Centre and Corris Café. The craft centre comprises nine craft workshops, each independently run by artisan craftspeople. The multi award-winning Dyfi Distillery is run by Pete and Danny Cameron, owners of Corris Caverns, whose Pollination Gin became the first UK gin to qualify for protected geographical status earlier this year. Agau Jewellery is run by Phil Bryce-Grainger, a goldsmith who previously worked onsite at Gwynfynydd Welsh Gold Mine, Dolgellau crafting jewellery from the world's most precious metal. Sammi Wilson Art showcases abstract art and photography by the artist whose work is winning international acclaim, Quarry Pottery is run by Lahn Hinchliffe, who employs five potters and three ceramicists, The Candle Studio by Kym and Debbie Francis and Chocablock by Lisa Duffy and Richard Hanratty, which makes fudge and chocolates without artificial flavours. Taran Eco Designs is run by John Skilleter who designs and makes furniture from windblown hardwood and reclaimed timber, Bowowhause in run by Enfys Klein who paints pet portraits, Delyn Glass is run by Kevin Brown who makes intricate glass sculptures of flowers, animals, dolphins, birds and dragons and the Welsh Deli stocks food and drinks products from across Wales. Danny Cameron said: 'We're really grateful to local accommodation providers giving up their valuable time to come and see the ongoing developments here at Corris Caverns. 'We used the winter to invest further both underground and overground, and the results are great to see, but ultimately it takes an amazing team of staff to make every visit special.' Shirley Owen, Corris Caverns' marketing manager, added: 'We had nearly 80,000 visitors last year to this unique destination, which was another record year for us. We really do have something for everyone here, whatever the weather.' Gareth and Gina Ritchie, of Afon Rhaidr Luxury Boutique Country House at Brithdir, Dolgellau, summed up the response of businesses to the open day. 'It has been a fantastic day,' said Gina. 'Thank you to the Corrs Caverns team for allowing us to come and experience such a wonderful series of adventures. 'We hope to send many of our guests this way, especially when it rains. It's great that there are so many things to do in one place.' Grant Stott from Nyth Robin, a touring and glamping site at Aberdovey, said: 'It was a really useful day and gave Corris Caverns great exposure. A lot of our customers will visit. They have done so much work here and are constantly improving the quality of the attractions.' Stella Shaw from Bala Packpackers Hostel in Bala, added: 'I love the atmosphere here at Corris Caverns; it's clean, green, warm and the food is remarkable.' Corris Caverns is a member of MWT Cymru, an independent membership company representing more than 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Eryri.
Telegraph
07-05-2025
- Telegraph
Gins with a sense of place
Danny Cameron is out picking gorse on the day we speak. 'It has a very long flowering season but now, in its first flush, is when gorse is at its best for us. You get a lot of flavour from it.' The yellow blooms that blaze across the slopes of the Dyfi Valley in Wales are one of around 20 locally foraged botanicals Cameron uses in his small-batch distilled Pollination Dovey Native Botanical Gin, which has just become Britain's very first gin to be awarded UK Geographical Indication (GI) status. The next one he picks will most likely be hawthorn flowers – 'our use of hawthorn is quite small but it can give a lovely delicacy in a broad blend,' he says – or, possibly, nettle tips. Through July and August, he will gather around 52,000 stems of bog myrtle, Myrica gale, a beautifully perfumed, damp-loving shrub traditionally used to repel midges. Hand-picking 52,000 stems sounds arduous but apparently 'that's actually the easy bit. After that, we de-stem by hand so we end up with around half a million leaves. We don't want the stalks in the still because it gives a bit too much woodiness. It's not unpleasant, it just doesn't work in that particular blend. With Pollination we're looking for delicacy and subtlety. We preserve the botanicals after picking, then do a blend from across the year, otherwise we'd only have three-quarters of the [artist's] palette.' The tiny Dyfi (pronounced Dovey) Distillery lies in a Unesco-designated biosphere reserve in the southernmost part of Snowdonia. Of its four gins, only Pollination has been granted the UK GI, meaning it has characteristics attributed to a specific geographic origin. The process of attaining this status sounds almost as laborious as the bog myrtle leaf-picking. Cameron, a wine importer in his previous life, says it took five years from start to finish and, as well as the inevitable mountain of paperwork, involved a tasting to ascertain that Pollination has distinctive organoleptic qualities that aren't replicated in gins from elsewhere. Pollination Dovey Native Botanical Gin (45%), Dyfi Distillery, £37.95 for 50cl Thanks to the popularity of London Dry gin, it's a common misconception that gin classifications have long been tied to place. But London Dry describes only a style that can be made anywhere provided the right regulations are adhered to, including sweetness levels and that the botanicals can only be introduced during the distillation process. While Pollination is the only gin in the UK to win GI status, there are others made using foraged or local ingredients with the intention of representing the fragrances and perfumes found in nature around the distillery in which they're made. For instance, Hepple Gin is made in Northumberland using Douglas fir from the surrounding woods, and lovage and blackcurrant leaves from the distillery's gardens. Cambridge Dry Gin was inspired by a Cambridge meadow and its botanicals include basil, rosemary, lemon verbena and rose. Even King Charles has got in on the act, with a (rather good) gin inspired by the lemon verbena, thyme and rosemary that grow at Highgrove. Highgrove Organic Garden Botanical Gin (40%), Highgrove Gardens, £44.95 for 70cl While sales of the novelty gins have fallen, artisan gins are still going strong. 'We haven't really been affected [by the slide in gin sales],' says Cameron. Probably because Pollination Dovey Native Botanical Gin (45%, Dyfi Distillery, £37.95 for 50cl) is for aficionados: made in tiny quantities, it's available only from the distillery door or website (as well as being served in a number of top restaurants, such as the Black Swan at Oldstead). It's a beauty: textured and aromatic like a wild landscape with fat bees buzzing and a gentle breeze blowing. Three more bottles to try
