Aristocratic Alcester couple expand liqueur business

William and Kelsey Seymour, Earl and Countess of Yarmouth have already won three industry awards for their St Maur Elderflower Liqueur.

William, 28, is the eldest son of the Marquess of Hertford, and grew up at Ragley Hall in Alcester, his family’s seat since the 18th century. He has vowed to build not just a livelihood, but a ‘new legacy’ to be proud of for his two sons.

Now the burgeoning business is set to expand into new premises at Alcester Park Farm.

William said: “St Maur originates in a drink we produced for our guests on our wedding day three years ago, to celebrate with us with a glass of something uniquely special. We wanted a drink that would capture the spirit of that lovely day, something quintessentially English."

The recipe, label, and the name itself, nods to the couple's 1,000 years of heritage and family.

Kelsey, aged 36, said: “It was very important that everything associated with the product had to be authentic. You have to do justice to this fabulous heritage.”

The map co-ordinates on the logo lead to Ladies Wood and an elder grove in the ancient Ragley Woodlands, while the red-legged partridge on the bottle references a bird successfully introduced to England in the 19th century by an ancestor Francis Seymour, the 5th Marquess.

William added: “My family has an interesting history, in years gone by, and more recently, with characters some good and others less so. I want my sons though also to inherit a contemporary story that’s not based on the mores of the past, but which is much more forward looking. I want to pass on the values of tenacity, honesty, and hard work, and reinvigorate the spirit of our family motto ‘by faith and love’."

The couple have also been working with local charities which are both close to their hearts such as Warwickshire-based Riding For The Disabled.

To protect the environment, they have committed to pick no more than 30% of the wild elderflower blossom.