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Discover the Gin, Sustainability & Soul of Lavender Hill

News

Discover the Gin, Sustainability & Soul of Lavender Hill

by Black Sheep Creative on Dec 02 2025
New Zealand herald recently covered what they think might be one of the Auckland Regions best kept secret. Here is what they had to say: Just 30 minutes from central Auckland lies Lavender Hill. A working lavender and olive farm that’s far more than a pretty countryside escape. What really sets Lavender Hill apart is its boutique distillery and the way it blends craft, sustainability, and the land itself into every bottle they produce. At the heart of the operation is “Little Lottie,” a small-batch, farm-based gin still that transforms botanicals grown right on the property into award-winning gins and limoncello. Visitors can enjoy a full tasting experience in a dedicated gin-tasting room.  a guided journey through the aromas and flavours that reflect the farm’s own lavender, citrus, and honey elements. But it’s not just about what’s in the bottle. Lavender Hill embraces sustainable practices at every step: the distillery runs on solar power, water is rain-harvested, and the farm grows its own botanicals and produce: olive groves, olive oil, lavender, lemons, honey, embedding a true farm-to-glass philosophy in everything they do.  Whether you’re a gin aficionado curious about craft distilling, or simply seeking a memorable day out in a beautiful natural setting. The farm tour and tasting at Lavender Hill offer a rare blend of rustic charm, artisanal craft and eco-conscious hospitality. But dont take our word for it. Read the original feature in the media here: New Zealand Herald
Summer 2025/26 Tour Bookings Now Open

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Summer 2025/26 Tour Bookings Now Open

by Black Sheep Creative on Dec 02 2025
Our tours grow in popularity every year, This is not just a stroll through pretty fields. Hosts Jason and Trisha will walk you through how lavender grows, how it’s harvested, and what makes commercial-oil lavender different from the kinds you plant in your garden. You’ll get an inside look at the lavender still where 100% pure lavender oil (and tee tree oil) is made.Then, head over to “Little Lottie” — our solar powered craft gin still — to hear how we use botanicals (some grown right here on the farm) to make gin, and why we’re proud of what we create. On top of that: an olive-tree walkthrough showing different varieties, how we prune and harvest, friendly alpacas to feed, sweeping views back to the city and Waitakere Ranges, and a browse through our gorgeous shop with a gin tasting to round it off.An ideal gift idea for Xmas Important note: The lavender fields are in full bloom up to mid-January. After that, while the tour still runs with all the same elements, the flower fields won’t be in bloom.   Find out more Find out more
Re: Celebrating a decade with 10% off & new farm tour bookings

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Re: Celebrating a decade with 10% off & new farm tour bookings

by Black Sheep Creative on Dec 02 2025
It’s hard to believe that this month marks 10 years since we took ownership of Lavender Hill. Back in 2015, tourism was thriving, the economy was upbeat, and our kids were in intermediate and high school — so we decided to take on a “side project” that quickly became much more than that. Along the way, we’ve: Achieved a Qualmark certification Installed a commercial gin still and created award-level gins and limoncello Built a gin tasting room and a farm shop, built a network of quality retailers and restaurants that support our gin Added a new olive grove with 60+ trees, planted 500 manuka trees for tee tree oil, fenced paddocks, introduced sheep and alpacas and produced some of the best lavender oil in NZ Rebranded, launched an e-commerce store, developed a range of new products, grown social media channels, and established popular summer farm tours Renovated the main house and created extensive gardens And shared many lavender and olive harvests with friends and volunteers who’ve become part of the Lavender Hill story and made hard work fun and a social highlight.Of course, it hasn’t been all sunshine, lavender blooms and G&Ts! Running a small tourism business through Covid, enduring the weather storms of 2022 and 2023, the current economic challenges, managing good and bad harvests— has been testing to say the least.However, the rewards are immense. We live in a stunning part of Auckland, we’ve shifted from consumers to producers, welcomed thousands of visitors, created a range of gorgeous products and shared what it means to live and work the land — like a live version of Country Calendar, but with a gin tasting at the end!We’ve also raised two amazing kids who’ve seen firsthand what hard work, resilience, and a bit of Kiwi ingenuity can achieve.To everyone who’s been a customer, visited, volunteered, bought a bottle, provided goods and services or supported us — thank you, we could not have done it without you. You’ve helped make Lavender Hill what it is today.A huge thanks from Trisha and Jason...Here’s to the next 10 years of hard work, good harvests, and great gin!  See below for a 10% anniversary discount