Waitrose launches spirits from its own farm's wheat

Waitrose has launched Leckford Single Estate Gin and Leckford Single Estate Vodka, the first spirits made from crops grown on a UK supermarket's own farm. Both spirits are distilled from grain harvested on 10 July from a single field at the Waitrose Farm at Leckford in Hampshire, reaching shelves just over three months later in time for Christmas.

The wheat was grown using regenerative practices, which seek to restore soil, conserve water and support biodiversity. The field grew oilseed rape the year before, was never left bare between harvests, and the seed was sown into narrow strips rather than ploughing the whole field. Both spirits carry Waitrose's Championing Regenerative Farming logo, which also appears on the retailer's own-label milk and shows products from farms using these practices.

It is the first time the estate has grown a crop specifically for spirits. Leckford wheat has gone into Leckford Homebaking flour since 2003 and Leckford bread since 2024, but this year the Leckford team grew three new varieties as a bespoke spirit grain, chosen with Ramsbury, the Wiltshire estate distillery that made the gin and vodka. The harvest produced 30,000 bottles, on sale now in over 200 Waitrose shops at £25 each.

The spirits take the Leckford range to 17 products, alongside the estate's bread, flour, oil and honey. They give the farm's wheat a new market, part of Waitrose's Farming for Nature programme, a commitment for all its UK farmers and growers to have started using regenerative practices by 2030. When it launched Farming for Nature in 2024, Waitrose committed to providing a market for regeneratively produced food.

The spirits are the latest in a line of firsts from Leckford. Vines planted there in 2009 made Waitrose the first UK retailer with its own vineyard and the first supermarket to sell its own English sparkling wine. In 2023 it became the first UK retailer to run tractors on renewable natural gas. In 2024 Leckford's vineyard and orchards became the first in the UK to gain Regenified certification, an independent standard for regenerative farming.

The wheat is distilled in small batches at Ramsbury, which runs on renewable energy. The gin takes its inspiration from the wild plants that grow across the estate. Its 11 botanicals include juniper, sweet orange, lemon and warming cinnamon. The vodka is distilled four times for a smooth texture with notes of caramel and vanilla.

Andrew Hoad, director of the Leckford Estate and Farming for Nature at Waitrose, said: "We've grown wheat for baking at Leckford for more than twenty years, but this is the first time we've grown it for spirits. Our commitment to regenerative farming reflects the belief that producing high-quality food and caring for the environment go hand in hand, and these spirits are a taste of exactly that."

Nik Fordham, Master Distiller and general manager at Ramsbury, said: "Distilling grain grown on a single farm gives us an incredible level of connection to the raw material and the land it comes from. Working with the team at Leckford, we were able to select wheat varieties specifically for their suitability for distilling, considering how their characteristics would influence the flavour, texture and quality of the finished spirits. The choice of grain is fundamental to what we make, and being involved from the field through to distillation allows us to understand and celebrate that journey. It's a great example of what can be achieved when farming and distilling expertise come together, creating spirits with a genuine sense of place and a clear connection to the land."