At the start of the 20th century, England was famous for producing the best mint in the world — the French still call peppermint menthe Anglaise, or English mint. Over the years, pressure to grow food crops and the cost of labour brought a decline in cultivation, leaving the US to become the centre for commercial production.
Summerdown’s mission to reintroduce this traditional crop began in the mid-1990s as part of a trend towards authentic food created for its quality and character.
We felt the food industry was selling its customers short by offering cheap peppermint oil blends that feature harsh-tasting imports from China and India — and we were sure that, once people experienced the clean, intense taste of pure English mint, they would appreciate the difference.
Black Mitcham mint is now rooted in English soil once more and bringing its unique flavour to a growing range of Summerdown products.
It took more than a decade to re-establish traditional Black Mitcham mint on our farm in the foothills of the Hampshire Downs. We had to relearn lost mint farming skills from America and import and adapt the latest production techniques and technologies. One major challenge was adapting the plants and techniques to suit British conditions.
When our mint fields have been harvested, the leaves are taken to our purpose-built distillery. The result is a rare, single-estate peppermint oil with an intense flavour and a scent that is also highly-prized by aromatherapists.
Chocolate peppermint creams
Summerdown Pure Mint chocolate peppermint creams are made using our rare, single estate English peppermint oil, grown and distilled on our farm in Hampshire. These chocolates won a bronze award from the Academy of Chocolate in the Best Filled Chocolate category when they were first launched in 2005. The combination of a cool, creamy fondant centre and rich dark chocolate is a traditional treat revived for the 21st century.
Chocolate mint thins
These chocolate mint thins are a recent addition to our range of peppermint products. Each box contains 20 delicious discs of rich dark chocolate flavoured with pure English peppermint oil, grown and distilled on our Hampshire farm. Beautifully packaged in cool, minty-green, they make a perfect gift or after-dinner treat. Very soon after putting these chocolates on the market we were delighted when they won gold in the Great Taste Awards 2010. How’s that for instant recognition?
Chocolate mint crisps
It’s not hard to see why our chocolate mint crisps are firm favourites – 36 luxurious thin, crispy mints made with rich, dark chocolate in a stylishly elegant box, they complement any occasion. Like our unique chocolate peppermint creams, mint thins and award-winning English peppermint tea, they are made using our distinctive pure English peppermint oil. Perfectly scrumptious on their own or as the key ingredient in Mitcham Mint Chocolate Ice Cream from Loddon & Eversley on a Plate, published by Hampshire Fare.
English peppermint tea
Summerdown Pure Mint peppermint tea is made using leaves and oil from the same Black Mitcham mint. The leaves are dried and then infused with oil from our distillery before being made up into tea bags – one of the features that helped our peppermint tea to win two-star gold in the Great Taste Awards 2009. Fresh, aromatic and bright, peppermint tea is traditionally valued for its digestive and calming qualities. It’s also delicious.
