Latest news with #SarahBurgess
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Phoebe Burgess praises her mum's support and says she 'needs her more than ever' after her ex-husband Sam revealed he's expecting his second child with new wife Lucy
She is a loving mother to two children, Poppy, eight, and Billy, six, who she shares with her ex-husband Sam. And on Friday, Phoebe Burgess gushed over her own mum Sarah's support as she prepared to celebrate Mother's Day. The journalist-turned-influencer told The Daily Telegraph, her mother's role in her life is 'more important than ever' as she helps Phoebe raise her kids. 'I need her more than ever, and not in a way like when you're younger... but I get to bring my daughter home and she goes straight out into the horse arena with my mum who's taught her everything she knows about riding to this point,' she said. 'My son wakes up at 5.30 in the morning and puts his boots on with his jammies to feed the horses with my mum. 'She's definitely raising my kids with me which is so special.' Phoebe went on to say her mother Sarah is her 'rock' and described her as 'so self sacrificing'. It comes after Phoebe's ex Sam revealed he was expecting his second child with his hairdresser wife Lucy. Sam, who is coaching Warrington in the UK's Super League, was married to Phoebe for four years before they split in 2019. Sam and Lucy recently enjoyed a babymoon together in Capri, Italy, with Lucy sharing photos of the lavish getaway to Instagram. In the images, the new bride, who married Sam just six months ago, was absolutely glowing. The 33-year-old NRL WAG showed off her growing baby bump in a figure-hugging lace dress with a plunging neckline. She cradled her baby bump and took in the breathtaking coastal views from their hotel balcony. Another image showed the hairdresser's bare bump in a loved-up mirror selfie with Sam, 36. A third photo captured the married couple lounging in the sun by the beach, while a fourth depicted them relaxing by a pool. 'A perfect weekend in Capri,' she captioned her post. The pair already share daughter Robbie, who they welcomed in September 2023. Sam married Lucy in a lavish Italian wedding after two years of dating. He proposed to Lucy in June 2023, just nine months after they went public with their relationship.
Forbes
27-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Lakes Distillery Releases New Sherry-Forward Signature Whisky
Whiskymaker Sarah Burgess brings her Macallan expertise to The Lakes Distillery, continuing their innovative élevage approach with the new £85 'Signature' release. In the picturesque landscape of England's Lake District, a whisky revolution is quietly unfolding. The Lakes Distillery, established in 2011 just miles from the Scottish border, has carved a distinctive identity in the world of single malt whisky by embracing the freedom that comes with English whisky production. After more than a decade of exploration through limited releases and experimental expressions, the distillery is embarking on a new chapter with the launch of "Signature"—its first permanent style of sherry-led whisky. Ahead of this milestone release I spoke to Lakes Distillery Whiskymaker Sarah Burgess to talk about 'Signature,' the distillery's focus on using élevage, and her larger work at the innovative English distillery. The Lakes Distillery unveils 'Signature' – their first permanent sherry-led whisky after a decade of innovation using wine-inspired élevage techniques. The Lakes Distillery was established in 2011. Despite being just a few miles from the border of Scotland, the home of single malt scotch, Lakes decided to embrace the freedom of being an English whisky distillery to push the boundaries of what we expect from single malt whisky. Their work has paid off, with their Whiskymaker's Reserve No.4 named the "World's Best Single Malt Whisky" at the 2022 World Whiskies Awards and successfully breaking through into new and emerging markets like Vietnam. In 2023 Sarah Burgess took the mantle of Whiskymaker at the distillery. Then in 2024 they joined Nyetimber, premium English sparkling wine producer. Burgess joined Lakes Distillery from the Macallan, and has brought her expertise across to further build the foundations of Lakes as a premium single malt whisky producer. Through clever direct to consumer approach they have pushed boundaries in new markets that have been dominated by traditional big brands like The Macallan. The introduction of the new permanent expression 'Signature' is the next step in their evolution. As an English whisky producer Lakes Distillery was able to push their approach to maturation and creation of their whisky. They use a technique known as élevage that is common in wine and Cognac maturation. The philosophy behind élevage is that maturation isn't a passive process but rather an active one requiring intervention and expertise. Most whisky that is destined to be a single malt is actively managed to a degree—in terms of cask selection and maturation period, and maybe re-racking later in a whisky's maturation. The active élevage employed by the Lakes distillery takes this a step further by proactively doing this through every stage of the whisky's maturation. 'By altering the location and climate of maturing casks, moving the whisky between cask types, and combining whisky from different casks, élevage provides endless possibilities to evolve an abundance of new and intriguing flavours," explained Sarah Burgess, The Lakes Distillery Whiskymaker, in an email exchange with me to discuss their latest release. Burgess took over as Lake's Whiskymaker from Dhavall Gandhi in 2023. Gandhi had played an important part in establishing the ethos of the Lakes Distillery and their work with élevage. And it's one that Burgess has continued. "I have continued the philosophy of using the art of élevage, as well as sherry cask ageing. These techniques differentiate us from scotch and other English single malts as the use of élevage is a rarity in the world of whiskymaking and allows us to be even more experimental and creative in our quest to create depth of outstanding flavour." Lakes Distillery's new flagship Signature expression showcases their distinctive sherry-led style, bottled at 47% ABV to highlight a decade of innovative English whisky-making. Signature is The Lakes Distillery's first permanent addition to its portfolio. It has been created by Burgess, building on more than a decade of whisky making at Lakes as well as her background at Macallan. Using Lakes signature élevage techniques and a focus on exceptional sherry cask maturation, Burgess has created a new permanent addition to the Lakes core range. The new whisky is beautifully presented in Lakes distinctive bottle shape and an attractive box that reflects the influence of the waters the Lake District is known for. It's been bottled at 47% ABV to give drinkers a bit of flexibility and reflect the premium point that this sherry led whisky has clearly been aimed at. In 2024 Lakes distillery joined Nyetimber Group, another premium English drinks producer. At their English vineyards Nyetimber are renowned for producing award winning sparkling wines, and their focus on sustainable practices. In the official press release Eric Heerema, Nyetimber Group CEO and Owner said: "This is an incredibly exciting category within the world of British luxury, and the unveiling of Signature—and its layers of flavours that speak to the time, dedication and creativity of the distillery's whiskymakers—further solidifies The Lakes Distillery's rightful place along with the best on the global whisky stage." The Lakes Distillery will also be embracing Nyetimbers sustainability vision, something which is increasingly important for premium consumers. From the use of circular producing to sustainable energy sources, Lakes has a long term vision, which Burgess also emphasised to me: "we like to think in generations and not years and in doing so, plan to grow the whole business sustainably for future generations." It's an ambitious plan, and one that seems to be working. 'Today, The Lakes is beginning to develop a cult following in Vietnam—something that would have seemed unlikely just over a year ago,' said Dang Tau of the Vientnam Whisky Library, in an email discussing the new release. 'The question now is: if this is what can be achieved within a year, what could be possible in five—especially with the backing of Nyetimber and a global marketing push?' It is an interesting time for English single malt whisky as a category. Earlier in 2025 a move to introduce the term 'English single malt' as an official designation—like Scottish, Welsh, and most recently American whiskies have—was declined. It was seen as a setback by some, but I am sure they will try again. In the meantime, the flexibility afforded by the lack of designation is something to be embraced. Despite their physical closeness to Scotland, The Lakes Distillery see themselves as a 'new world' whisky producer. And as one of the leaders in this movement, who are unbounded by the traditions that define scotch whisky, the introduction of Signature is both a culmination of the last decade of work by the distillery, and the start of a new chapter. Through their innovation Lakes Distillery has the opportunity to bring a new distinction to the English single malt whisky industry, and bring this growing category to new drinkers. It comes at a poignant moment for the category. Whether you're a scotch fan, bourbon lover or embracer of newer styles, it is important to remember that innovation generally helps an industry grow and reach new audiences. While a designation may help eventually, for now it is important to remember that it is quality not names that is the most important factor for the drinkers. Lakes Distillery Signature is available from 27th March for $110 (£85) from select retailers and direct from the distillery.
Telegraph
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The English whisky distillers ruffling Scottish feathers
A robin perches on the gates of The Lakes Distillery, watching a funnel of steam drifting lazily into the unseasonably blue winter sky. She flits away with a chirp, and the gates – decorated with barley husks and juniper berries in wrought iron – swing open. Once a dairy farm, this 18th-century building had stood empty until 2011, when the current owners moved in, removing the local slate walls to bring in the traditional copper still, before painstakingly rebuilding them, not a stone out of place. It's against this backdrop that Sarah Burgess has worked to formulate Signature, the distillery's first permanent whisky expression. 'The past ten years have been about getting to this point,' says Burgess who joined The Lakes as head whisky maker in 2023. She's sitting in the tasting room overlooking the River Derwent, whose clear waters form the foundation of the spirits made here. 'Since the distillery opened its doors, there have been something like 43 different expressions. The introduction of Signature [...] is about bringing some stability to the brand, demonstrating our craft and expertise.' I take a sniff. On the nose, it combines leather with dried fruit and toffee. There's an underlying sweetness from the sherry cask maturation, but there's an American oak influence that adds fresh fruit: apple and pear, plus hints of vanilla. European oak brings raisins and figs, plus notes of cocoa and underpinning it all is a warm, buttery mouthfeel. Scottish makers cry foul Despite having been a decade in the works, Burgess's efforts will be decried as heresy by some. Her crime? Distilling on the wrong side of the border. 'There are some whisky drinkers who find the idea of English whisky totally intolerable,' chuckles Burgess. 'I once went to the Spirit of Speyside – a huge whisky festival in the heart of Scotland's distilling area – and held a tasting event with The Lakes whisky. One guy had bought tickets without realising it was English whisky and he was very, very unhappy when he found out. He was outraged. There's a lot of that.' According to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), the earliest account of whisky distillation in Scotland comes from 1494. By contrast, The English Distillery became the first to be registered south of the border when it opened in Norfolk in 2006. But though English whisky is half a millennium behind its Scottish counterpart, it has been racing to catch up. In the 19 years since The English Distillery opened, 54 more have launched, from Cornwall to Northumberland. The English whisky boom 'The increase in distilleries is interesting,' says Dawn Davies, buying director at The Whisky Exchange. 'We know the gin boom helped. People were often using gin as a vehicle to give themselves a bit of cash-flow before they created whiskies, so we're seeing that [...] now resulting in whiskies coming out. Covid has also helped open the doors for English whisky – while people were stuck inside, they were buying a lot of spirits and were more open to trying something new.' All that success however, is starting to ruffle feathers over the border. The SWA has reacted furiously to English whisky's application for protected geographical status for its single malts. 'The proposal to define 'single malt' English whisky only requires distillation at the single distillery location and not the creation of the spirit from malted barley at a single site,' a spokesperson said. A break with tradition Under the current application, English distilleries could buy spirit from elsewhere and distill it on site, whereas Scottish single malts must be made, distilled and matured at a single location. An SWA spokesperson says, 'It would be very damaging for the reputation of single malt whisky from the UK, and by extension single malt Scotch whisky, if English whiskies were described as 'single malt' despite being produced in a different manner to the established process and long-standing traditions of the Scotch whisky industry.' Burgess, who hails from Speyside herself, and has spearheaded English whisky's geographical indication (GI) application as a board member of the English Whisky Guild, thinks the fears are overblown. 'At The Lakes Distillery, we have absolutely no desire to damage the reputation of Scotch whisky and, in fact, we follow the whisky making methods that they stipulate. Our hope is that having a GI for English whisky will only help to strengthen the reputation of the UK-wide whisky industry.' Fields of gold Indeed, at many distilleries, English whisky can boast more of a claim to an 'integral connection to place' than Scotch. 'Some English distilleries are owned by farmers who are using their own barley such as the Spirit Of Yorkshire Distillery, and The Witchmark Distillery in Wiltshire,' explains Daniel Szor, who founded The Cotswolds Distillery after being inspired by seeing the vast barley fields in the area. At his distillery, all barley is grown within 15 minutes' drive of the distillery and malted nearby too. That isn't always the case for Scotch, Szor says. 'There are rules dictating how and where Scotch whisky can be made and aged but there's no rule about where the barley is grown: it could come from Sweden, Ukraine, France, anywhere around the world,' he explains. Big whisky Szor, a self-confessed 'whisky geek', boldly claims English is better than Scotch. 'The average Scottish whisky distillery has probably been around a long time, probably belongs to some large group, some PLC – Diageo, Pernod Ricard, William Grant, etc. – but the way those big brands run is completely different to a new distillery with a lot to prove,' he opines. 'They have huge budgets for brand building, advertising, marketing, and on-trade offers. They're very cost conscious because of the huge volumes they're making. Every penny they can save on the production process is a huge number. 'If you look at English whisky as a group, we're brand new. We have to be completely and utterly focused on quality. Almost all of us are making premium products, in terms of price. Most of it is single malt which is considered to be the higher end of the whisky spectrum, and none of us have age. We can't celebrate our spirits being 15 or 20 years old, so for us, it's all about quality and flavour; that's all we've got to go on.' Going for gold Nascent though English whisky may be, it is already earning itself a reputation for quality. The Lakes Distillery's Whiskymaker's Reserve No 4 was named World's Best Single Malt at the World Whisky Awards in 2022, The Cotswolds Distillery's Bourbon Cask Single Malt won gold at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and The English Distillery's The English Sherry Cask won World's Best Single Malt at the World Whisky Awards in 2024. Bending the rules Since English distilleries can't fall back on the prestige associated with releasing a whisky aged for decades, it's no wonder many are exploring the flexibility available to them in existing outside of the SWA's strict regulations. 'If you were to take our setup and drop it over the border, then that would definitely attract attention,' notes Joe Clark, whisky director at the Spirit Of Yorkshire distillery whose Filey Bay whisky has won seven golds at the Spirits Business World Whisky Masters Awards. 'We use something called a four-plate rectifying column,' Clark explains. 'It's just a slight addition to the distillation process which allows us to make a lighter, more delicate style of whisky. Filey Bay is light and fruity as a result. It's a bit like being in a band: you might sound good with a singer, guitarist and drummer, but if you add a keyboard player you could be even better. In Scotland, keyboards are banned! If we were to use the same distilling technique over there, we'd have to call it a 'malt spirit' rather than whisky.' New World vs Old World Despite being located within touching distance of the world's two oldest whisky producing nations, England's distillers are expanding the category in ways more comparable to other New World whisky producers such as India, Taiwan, Australia, and the Nordic nations, according to Eric Heerema, CEO of the Nyetimber Group, which bought The Lakes Distillery in 2024 for £71m. 'It's an Old World product with a New World approach and that's what really excited us,' Heerema says. 'There are a lot of parallels to what we had at the time with Nyetimber. Half a century ago, people didn't accept New World wine. Even more recently, people resisted English wine and certainly English sparkling wine. But by relentlessly chasing quality, we have won over the critics and now there's a lot more openness. The same is happening with English whisky.' Good things take time Any suggestion that English distillers are out to make a quick buck, by piggybacking on the reputation of Scotch, is at odds with reality. Not a single distiller who spoke to The Telegraph had turned a profit yet. 'The making process is long, it's very expensive' says Heerema. 'We expect that as we continue, the margins will be high enough to make it profitable. [...] This is not a tech business where you can get in, make something and then sell it at a huge profit. This requires many years of endeavour and persistence.' The coming years could be tricky for English distillers, suggests Davies, whose sales data point to turbulent times ahead for the category. 'A lot of them have been doing the short term thinking of limited release after limited release,' she says. 'They have to build brands now. That's why The Lakes is doing Signature, so there's a core product that will be the same again and again. 'I would say we'll probably see a few brands close in the next few years, brands which don't have the staying power to do it,' Davies says. 'In tough times you need a strong foundation, a strong base, and a good core of customers who are loyal to English whisky. It's about critical mass. There are enough distilleries producing in England to make it stand out. If they work together, put in legislation focusing on what it actually means to be an English whisky, then they stand a chance of creating something special.' Five English whiskies to try 'The reason I'm liking English whisky at the moment,' says drinks consultant and bartender Will Meredith, 'is because they can use expressions or styles of whisky from around the world and put a spin on it based on the terroir and processes of English distilling.' Here he chooses his favourite bottles to try. Will Meredith is head bartender at Sprout which launches in Earl's Court, London this April.
