​EastEnders Legend Ian Beale Has His Own Gin

You'll probably know Adam Woodyat as the longest-serving cast member on EastEnders, the British soap in which he stars as fish and chip shop maestro and all-round melt Ian Beale.

Beale has had a bit of a rough time over the years, having gone through several failed marriages and the death of a daughter - who, it turned out, was murdered by her very own brother. Dark times, indeed.

Thankfully, his real-life counterpart seems to be having a much nicer time, as Woodyat produces his own gin with wife Beverley.

Neat Gin is an 'extremely versatile' London dry gin containing eight botanicals, which gives a nose that is 'both floral and woody'.

"The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy giving notes of citrus and spice with a lengthy finish," Neat Gin's website explains.

Neat Gin

Woodyat told the Bristol Post: "Our story is quite a simple one. We just wanted to make gin.

"Beverley and I found a 15th century recipe and used that as our starting point.

"There was a list of botanicals but no quantities and was like a jigsaw without a picture.

"We tried different combinations, constantly tasting and testing until the eleven botanicals became eight."

Woodyat, who has played the long-suffering Ian Beale in British soap EastEnders since 1985, will also be hosting a gin event in North Somerset next month, giving people a chance to try out his gin and find out more about the story behind it.

The Neat Gin Afternoon Tea with Woodyat is taking place at Cadbury House, Congesbury, on 13 April, with tickets costing £21.95 - to book a space call 01934 834343 or email [email protected].

Woodyat continued: "It's great that we can now share our journey with other gin enthusiasts and I'm looking forward to visiting Cadbury House and meeting lots of guests to chat and talk about our experience.

"Gin of course has a long history with London, but it was in fact the Dutch who are thought to have really invented the spirit.

"It was in the late 1600s that the first gin craze really took off in London and was a period where a pint of gin was cheaper than a pint of beer!

"Luckily today things are a little calmer, however gin has certainly had something of a renaissance, and is now viewed as the bedrock for a huge range of cocktails and of course the classic G&T."

Oh, and it's even had the seal of approval from Phillip Schofield. Happy days.

Topics: Food, News, Eastenders, Gin, UK

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

@Jess_Hardiman