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The Norfolk Sloe Company

The Norfolk Sloe Company is truly a family business. Autumn 2011 saw Patrick and Sarah Saunders together with children Leanne, Nicola and William on their annual North Norfolk sloe harvest, to make their hugely popular sloe gin for friends and family.

A bumper harvest (150 kilograms!) lead to some serious discussions about widening their business horizons… and the Norfolk Sloe Company was born.

Over the following months, every member of the family discovered skills they didn’t know they had. Patrick began the intense process of recipe development and testing, Nicola focused on the business plan and company viability, Leanne created the brand logo of the legendary ‘Black Shuck’, youngest son William worked his ICT magic and prepared the company website, and Sarah did what Sarah does best – kept the whole thing going!


Soon the family was inundated with offers to help with taste testing. Those volunteering included Sarah’s mum, Mrs Betty Emmerson MBE, and her 99 year-old sister, Mrs  Flo Wadlow. Is the secret to long life hidden in the humble sloe berry?

Sloe gin turned out to be just a starting point. Once the gin was made, it seemed a travesty to waste the delicious gin-soaked sloe berries. It was time for family members and chocolate experts Keith and Zoe Emmerson to join the Norfolk Sloe Company, adding the heavenly gin-soaked sloe truffles to the growing list of sloe products.  Go to our events page for details of the local events that you will find the Norfolk Sloe Company at – and discover the delights of the sloe berry for yourself.

The History of The Norfolk Sloe Company...