In fact, Talula admits she thought she never really cared for gin. That’s because she didn’t like tonic. Sekforde’s mixer for gin is unique because it makes no attempt to include the hallmark of tonic water: quinine. Mixers for drink lovers: Sekforde was born out of founder Talula White’s frustration with the limited, uninspiring ways to enjoy her favourite spirits. Cola and ginger, while delicious, mask the taste of whisky and rum and can contain high levels of sugar. In January, the government announced that, from 1October, operators will be banned from using single-use plastic (SUP) plates, cutlery, tr... Interview: Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs & Bars

Hi, Tom and Talula, it’s nice to meet you, can you tell us more about the husband and wife team behind the brand Sekforde drinks? Good Earth Kombucha is an ambient product, so does not need fridge space and has a shelf life of 12 months but is best served when chilled. Sekforde Drinks’ Sicilian Orange, Rosemary & Gentian soda can be enjoyed on its own as a soft drink but has also been tailored to mix with whisky and bourbon (our panellists tasted it with Monkey Shoulder whisky). According to KAM Media (which also provided consumer insight on soft drinks during the session) one in four customer visits to pubs and bars do not contain any alcohol. That’s equivalent to 329m visits per year – so the big question is, are venues doing enough to maximise this opportunity?

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Can you tell us more about your decision to reduce the amount of sugar in your mixers in comparison to other brands? What do I not know and who do I know that may have the answer. There are some things you can’t anticipate but the last 12 months have taught me to ask every question and to think through every aspect. It’s also worth asking yourself why you are doing this. If you are genuinely passionate about what you are doing it makes it easier to keep going and to deal with harder days. They carbonated their first attempts with a soda stream before testing their experiments with a selection of the spirits.Ian Payne MBEwill retire at the end of January 2024 and step down from his role as chairman of the Stonegate Groupafter 13 years lea... Acclaimed Surrey duo to enter pub market With vegan-friendly, natural ingredients, Good Earth Good Energy is a very different tasting drink to the norm. For a natural boost of feel-good energy, each can contains 80mg of natural caffeine, equivalent to one cup of coffee, sourced from guayusa, a celebrated Ecuadorian leaf. The drinks on offer at The Sekforde are fairly usual for the area – though cheaper than some on this list. I’ll admit the selection isn’t vast but what they do have is good quality and served really well and efficiently, so if you’re with a group and need to catch a train you don’t need to worry about waiting. The food at the pub is pretty good, better than most pub food and something they have really tried to develop. Like the rest of the service, if you’re after a lunchtime drink and meal (or even dinner) then I’d definitely recommend The Sekforde as one of the best gastro-pubs around Farringdon.