What’s whisky got to do with farming? Everything. Whisky is an agricultural product, but most grain in England is grown industrially, with chemicals. Not on Fielden’s farms. Fielden is bringing England’s fields back to life by planting heritage grains that grew here centuries ago. Their farmers work with nature and never use chemicals. Instead, the grain grows in clover, a natural fertiliser. It means the soil is healthy. The grain grows tall and strong in wild and glorious fields. And the whisky is full of flavour.
Over the years, farming in England has changed beyond measure. One type of seed, planted in uniform rows, in soil that’s been treated with chemicals and stripped of its nutrients. This grain grows to a uniform height, to create one type of flavour. It’s a process that manipulates nature from start to finish.
It didn’t used to be like this. Before the Industrial Revolution, farmers in England planted a mix of seed in their soil: different varieties of wheat, rye and barley. The grain took in nutrients from the soil, growing tall and strong. Over time, these grains adapted - naturally - to English weather and the soil where it was planted. So, every year, certain varieties got stronger and stronger. And they thrived.
Fielden’s heritage grain grows in beds of white clover, so there is no need to add any chemicals. Fielden’s fields look very different to their industrially-farmed cousins. There are more birds and insects, and a greater mix of plants and wildflowers. They’re a feast of colour and noise. Wild, windswept, muddy, alive!
So what does this mean for their whisky? Fielden’s grains grow deeper roots and take in more nutrients from the soil, so they’re full of flavour. It means putting the best, completely natural ingredients into their stills.