Ad Gefrin Celebrates the Season of Plenty
Sharing time in moments that matter shouldn't be confined to holidays, and at Ad Gefrin in Wooler they have been celebrating the start of 'Lammas' with their Corenkyn (meaning 'Chosen Family') members
The inspiration behind Ad Gefrin Anglo-Saxon Museum and Distillery is the seventh century royal summer palace of the Northumbrian kings and queens located just outside of Wooler. Ad Gefrin continues their timeless tradition of Northumbrian hospitality and welcome, with people then and now travelling from across the land to celebrate and enjoy company.
Around 1,400 years ago, in the time of our Northumbrian forebears, life was organised around the seasons of the year. Some of these are recognisably similar to our seasons today, but some are markedly different. The most radically changed of these is what we know as autumn – we think of crisp October days and chilly November evenings as the last of the leaves fall from the trees.
In early medieval Northumbria, however, this would have been the fourth season of the year, hærfest (harvest), which ran from late July up to early November. So what we would now think of as the height of summer, was the start of the hærfest and arrival of autumn.
Lammas was a time of feasting and celebrating the bounty of the land – particularly the staples of Anglo-Saxon farming, wheat, barley, and rye. The first breads made from these new harvests would be blessed, indeed, for those who know the Lord of the Rings, the author J.R.R. Tolkien used this blessed bread as the basis for the Lembas bread eaten by the elves and given to the hobbits.
The seventh century Ad Gefrin was a summer palace, so we can only imagine the festivities celebrated in the Great Hall. Large plates of breads and the first harvests bounties would have been served, alongside plentiful beers and meads. As with all feasts in the hall, the stage would be set for hospitality and gift giving, alongside celebrations, story-telling, and debate.
The Ad Gefrin of today, of course, particularly celebrates the barley harvest – the staple of what will be Northumberland’s first English Single Malt Whisky. Their cooperative of five farmers who grow the barley for them have worked hard all year to yield as abundant a harvest as the Northumbrian fields can provide.
Whether it be ancient inspiration or a modern celebration of the harvest, Ad Gefrin didn’t need further excuse to invite their Corenkyn to celebrate the season with them.
Corenkyn members are at the heart of the Ad Gefrin story, and have bought into their journey for the long-term. Not only do Corenkyn receive lifetime benefits, such as generous in-person and online discounts, free access to the museum and distillery, free hire of the Den, recognition in the building and their own suite of exclusive whisky blends plus the single malt, but they are the only ones eligible to buy Ad Gefrin Single Malt Casks.
Ad Gefrin therefore took the opportunity of their Lammas Celebration on 2nd August to launch their latest highly-limited release including Ex Cognac, Ex Almanac casks as well as their Ex Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon casks.
For anyone wanting to celebrate their own Lammas by becoming a Corenkyn and/or securing the rare opportunity to buy Northumbria’s very own single malt in an exclusive special cask finish, then more information can be found on their website here or by emailing sharon@adgefrin.co.uk.
In the meantime – “Wes-Hal!”
