THE JUNIPER HUNTERS

While it may trace its roots back to Belgium and the Netherlands’ genever, gin has become the most quintessential of British drinks, whether it’s being served in London’s taverns or on colonial verandas. Yet the key ingredient in ‘British’ gin now seldom comes from Britain.

Juniper’s seed cones give gin its distinctive pine aroma and resinous flavour. This pioneering shrub was one of the first species to recolonise the British Isles following the last ice age, with its habitat stretching from pine woods and moors to cliff tops and heath.

Overgrazing in some areas and a lack of grazing in others reduced its range, and – a fungus-like pathogen, similar to the species that caused Ireland’s 19th-century potato famine – has decimated the UK’s remaining stocks.