Floral inspiration for Edinburgh Gin Chelsea display

Edinburgh Gin has partnered with a major retailer to create a mesmerising gin-inspired flower display using a staggering 3,000 live blooms.

In a first for Chelsea in Bloom, Edinburgh Gin and John Lewis & Partners have unveiled a competitive floral art show, which sees shop fronts around the borough transformed with eye-catching, open-air installations.

A natural fit for this year’s theme of ‘under the sea’, Edinburgh Gin Seaside takes centre stage at Peter Jones; the first time the iconic store has participated in the competition.

Inspired by the Scottish shoreline and evocative of a bracing coastal walk, Edinburgh Gin Seaside is a popular choice in summertime gin & tonics and martinis. An Edinburgh Gin Seaside bar – located on the ground floor of Peter Jones – will offer the opportunity to taste the entire range.

Among the thousands of live flowers sculpted into tumbling waves, tropical fish and colourful corals are seaside botanicals – scurvy grass and ground ivy – both used in the distillation of the 43% ABV London Dry-style gin.

Two further striking window displays – including a ‘botanical garden’ and a ‘country garden’ – run in tandem to the Chelsea in Bloom installation, showcasing a range of popular products from the Edinburgh Gin range including Elderflower Gin Liqueur, Pomegranate & Rose Gin Liqueur, limited edition 1670, and the newly launched full-strength Rhubarb & Ginger Gin (40% ABV).

For the first time, Peter Jones & Partners and Edinburgh Gin have created a stunning “Under the Sea” floral display boasting over 3,000 British plants for this year’s Chelsea in Bloom

Alongside an official panel of judges, Chelsea in Bloom visitors are now invited to vote for their favourite display –http://www.chelseainbloom.co.uk/participants-voting – with one display set to win the ‘People’s Champion Award’.

Neil Mowat, UK marketing director at Ian Macleod Distillers said: ‘There’s a real synergy between gin distilling and floristry, with blooms and botanicals at the core of both crafts.

‘The botanicals of Scotland’s East Coast were the inspiration behind Edinburgh Gin Seaside, making this year’s theme of under the sea particularly fitting for us to work with John Lewis & Partners to bring Chelsea in Bloom its first gin-inspired display.’

Rachel Costello, partner and gift food buyer at John Lewis added: ‘We are delighted to be working with Edinburgh Gin for this year’s Chelsea in Bloom, to create a stunning “under the sea” inspired display.

‘Customers can also visit the Edinburgh Gin Seaside bar on the ground floor of Peter Jones to sample the delicious range during this year’s event, including the new Orange Blossom & Mandarin gin liqueur that’s exclusive to John Lewis & Partners.’

The Edinburgh Gin installation will adorn the frontage of the Peter Jones department store until 26 May.

Founded in 2010, Edinburgh Gin is a multi-award-winning distillery based in Scotland’s capital city.