Downton Distillery: Conservation through Conversation

Discover how Downton Distillery have helped to bring the Great Bustard back to the Wiltshire Downs in this special evening of conversation and gin tasting.

People rarely witness conservation beyond headlines and documentaries. This evening marks the first in a series designed to change that. 

Hosted by David Waters of the Great Bustard Group and Hugh Anderson of Downton Distillery, the event combines real field experience, practical science, and open discussion about what is happening across the Wiltshire landscape.

Guests explore habitat recovery, survival pressures, and one of Britain’s most remarkable wildlife returns. The experience then moves from conversation to glass.

Great Bustard Gin, crafted using botanicals linked to the bird’s natural foraging environment on the Wiltshire Downs, provides a direct sensory connection to the ecosystem being discussed. This is not a themed tasting. It is provenance made tangible.

These evenings are designed to be clear, informative, and engaging, leaving guests with a deeper understanding of conservation’s realities and how closely landscape, wildlife, and distilling can intersect.

There will also be some prizes to be won.

Time and date

The event takes place at The Goat in Downton on 10 March at 6pm. 

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