back at Daylesford

Well, not literally, even if I could move in there permanently!  But in my last post, I mentioned the fascinating Cult Vinegar display, which prompted a comment from Jonathan, who kindly sent me a couple of photos from the barn last Saturday.

We spent some time chatting about the process of making vinegar, about which neither my Hero nor I had much idea.  I suppose I might have had a vague inkling that it was a kind of ferment, possibly resulting from opening bottles of sour wine.  But beyond that, we hadn’t a clue.  No need to go into loads of detail here – it’s all there on the Cult website, which opens up a whole new way of looking at vinegar and how it can be made and used.  Needless to say, for me, the styling hit the spot right away!

What had caught my Hero’s eye were the hexagonal, slip cast vessels for making the vinegar in at home.  Beautifully designed and constructed, there’s something so satisfying about that shape, isn’t there?  Good to have the opportunity to chat to Billy about the process of making these Vinegar Vases, then, and to acknowledge the benefits of occasions like this where people with a passion have a chance to share it with the rest of us.  I’m sure that spending a summer Saturday standing in a draughty barn out in the wilds of Gloucestershire wouldn’t make the ideal weekend, but however beautiful the styling, however slick the website, sometimes there’s nothing better than actually talking to the makers and hearing the enthusiasm and commitment in their voices!

Thanks Jonathan (and Billy).