At Far Shore Merchants, we’ve decided to change all that — not with a half-hearted dabble, but with an unrelenting ambition to create rum so gloriously British it practically wears a cravat. And at the heart of this mission is our long-standing partnership with the remarkable Dr Tom Read and his team at The Cornish Distilling Company in Bude, Cornwall.

Molasses, Magic, and a Bit of British Stubbornness

Together, we don’t just make rum — we make rum from scratch. That means importing the very finest A-grade molasses, fermenting it on site in Cornwall’s salty air, and distilling it with all the precision and care you’d expect from people who are just a little obsessed. No bulk rum shipped halfway round the world, no shortcuts, no “close enough” — only pure, properly British craft.

It’s harder, of course. More expensive too. But that’s the point. In an age of mass-produced mediocrity, making rum the slow, deliberate way is our way of ensuring that every bottle tells a story — not just of where it’s from, but of the care, patience, and passion that went into it.

Why Scratch-Made Matters

Let’s be clear — British rum has always been a thing… just not in the way it should be. For decades, it’s been a matter of importing already-made rum and slapping on a British label. And while there’s nothing wrong with a good blend, there’s something deeply satisfying about knowing your rum was born, not just bottled, here.

Our goal is simple: to put pure British rum on the global stage, and to make it as respected as the Caribbean greats — not by imitating them, but by doing something distinctly our own. Cornwall, with its wild coastlines and stubborn character, is the perfect home for that vision.

A New Standard for British Spirits

With rums like Peggy Dark Rum, Jackdaw Cave Spiced Rum, and Windsong White Rum, we’re proving that scratch-made British rum can be elegant, complex, and unapologetically premium. We’re also proving that sustainability and quality can — and should — go hand in hand.

And if this all sounds a bit evangelical, it’s because it is. We truly believe that scratch-made British rum is the future — and we’re more than a little determined to make sure Far Shore Merchants, and our friends in Cornwall, are at the helm of that ship.

Here’s to Tom, to Cornwall, and to doing things the hard way — because the hard way tastes better.

Cheers,
Terry van Rhyn
Founder, Far Shore Merchants

Back to insights