A DRINKS company specialising in using local ingredients has joined forces with a community-owned woodland.

Buck & Birch (B&B) has used pure unprocessed plant content from wild Scottish herbs, fruits and trees in its new range, Wild Scottish Exotic, with many ingredients coming from the countryside surrounding its Macmerry base.

The new range comprises spirits and liqueurs which can be drunk on their own, with mixers or as a base for cocktails.

Tom Chisholm, co-founder of Buck & Birch, said: “We have found a gap in the market for drinks that are a departure from the norm and, when people find out about how we forage these ingredients on our doorstep and how the model puts cash back into woodlands projects, we have struck a chord both in terms of sustainability and community.”

Mr Chisholm founded the company alongside Rupert Waites and they say the use of plant extracts such as birch sap allows the company to deliver flavours which provide alternatives to traditional spirits and liqueurs.

Among the partnerships being developed is a link with Gifford Community Woodland.

Birch sap is carefully tapped from birch trees as the sap rises in spring, with no long-term harm done to the tree and the community owners benefitting from income which supports more woodland regeneration.

Mr Waites added: “I was inspired to introduce the wonders of our natural vegetation to a range of drinks that would be different from the run-of-the-mill spirits.

“Tom and I are proud to have created something which is indeed wild, Scottish and exotic.”

Roo Hardy, chair of the Gifford Community Woodland Trust, was happy to be involved.

She said: “It’s been enormous fun for the people in our rural community to tap sap from our birch trees.

“The income from B&B helps us fund our management plans for our woods to further improve the biodiversity of our environment and provide a beautiful place for us all to enjoy – a win-win!”