Blackberry & Lavender Gin & Tonic Recipe for Summer Cocktails

This blackberry lavender gin and tonic is one of the prettiest and most refreshing summer drinks — ideal for sipping in the garden on warm evenings. This post is sponsored by Waitrose.

Working from home on hot summer days can be tempting torture, especially when the garden is calling. One of the perks of food blogging is being invited to events that celebrate the best seasonal produce — I was lucky to attend a summer gathering at the Waitrose Farm Leckford Estate.

The 4,000-acre Leckford Estate near Stockbridge, Hampshire, has been part of the John Lewis Partnership since 1929 and operates as a working farm. Its produce — from mushrooms to rapeseed oil, wine, cider, fruit and flour — supplies Waitrose stores around the country. The estate even grows its own grapes and presses its own juice and oil.

Everything on the estate is produced with care and respect for the environment, people and animals. During our visit we sampled some of these exceptional products at a beautifully prepared outdoor meal.

We began with a stroll along an 80-metre herbaceous border and through a stunning fruit tree archway. The planting felt idyllic — a place you could easily imagine calling home.

The estate also houses a plant nursery with National Collections of Buddlejas, Clematis viticella and the Gilchrist Collection of Penstemons. I always want to bring home every plant when I visit a nursery, so resisting purchases was hard.

Next we visited Longstock Park Water Gardens, seven acres through which the river Test flows. There we were greeted with cool drinks and canapés while learning about the gardens. Renowned among the world’s water gardens, they feature over 100 tree varieties and forty types of water lily, plus a lively community of water birds.

Although I could have lingered with my camera off and simply soaked in the scene, we moved on to a teepee beside a natural lake for lunch. The setting was immaculate: linen, flowers and tableware combined to create a fairytale dining experience.

Our meal began with courgette, spelt and cumin fritters paired with the estate’s Brut sparkling wine. As expected, bloggers and photographers flocked to find photogenic spots for each course.

The trout course that followed had been caught on the estate just the day before and was served with a tartare dressing and lemon fondant. It was paired with a crisp British white wine that suited the fish perfectly.

The dessert was the standout: a fresh cherry pavlova, beautifully presented and universally adored around the table. A glass of dessert wine completed the meal.

After lunch we were invited to the lake to create seasonal posies from the estate’s blooms — a perfect, hands-on end to a day full of memorable moments.

To bring a piece of that day home, I made this blackberry lavender gin and tonic using foraged blackberries and lavender from my garden. It’s a pretty, aromatic cocktail that’s made for warm-weather sipping.

You can swap the lavender for a small sprig of rosemary, sage or mint if you prefer — just use herbs sparingly, as some can become medicinal if overused.