Peppermint

Summerdown

About Summerdown

Summerdown’s Black Mitcham peppermint is cultivated on the Colman family’s Hampshire estate, where woodland, wildflower borders and a diverse mix of crops create habitat for
bees, butterflies and ground‑nesting birds. In 1995, Sir Michael Colman brought Black Mitcham cuttings from the United States an —working with farm manager Ian—started with a plot roughly the size of a tennis court. Over time, the plants established and expanded to over 100 acres. Every plant on the farm descends from those original cuttings and has acclimatised to England’s climate, which is a big part of why Summerdown’s mint tastes so refined and consistent year to year.

Thanks to their slow, sustainability-led farming, Summerdown distils a high-purity peppermint oil, then barrel-ages it and reintroduces it to the dried leaves to restore intensity that naturally drops during drying. The result is a bright, crisp infusion that won two Great Taste Award stars in 2020, recognised for its clean, piercing mint character and refreshing finish.

Why Summerdown

When Carlo first opened Summerdown’s sample at Geovation’s Tech Hub, the aroma filled the room within seconds—one of those immediate ‘this is different’ moments. Visiting the Hampshire estate later, guided by Joseph Coleman (Sir Michael’s grandson), made it clear how much of the final flavour comes down to agronomy, careful harvest timing and disciplined processing.