A tree for every bottle sold, Ed Faulkner and Ivo Devereux transform every toast into a tangible gesture of rebirth.
There's a moment, in the early morning light, when Salento seems to hold its breath. The earth still smells of rain, the air smells of rosemary, of the distant sea, of promises that are unhurried. It was in that silence that I sank my hands into the damp soil to plant a small tree. I called it PastryA name born as a joke, a memory of a breakfast too good not to be passed down, but which in that gesture took the form of a promise. Because there, among the centuries-old olive trees of Palmariggi, sustainability isn't just a word, but something that truly grows. Inch by centimeter, leaf by leaf.
I arrived on a random Monday evening at Viverbene Farmhouse, the beating heart of the project Secular, immediately discovering a place that doesn't just host, but welcomes you like a breath. Lecce stone, olive wood, sober geometry, and a silence that feels like calm. Everything here reminds you that time, if you let it, can still be kind. It's the time of live well, as they call it around here. Not a philosophy, but rather a rhythm. The one that makes you slow down, breathe, feel.
Behind Secolario there are Raffaele Cazzetta And Georgia Marrocco, two heirs to ancient and complementary stories. On one side, the Cazzetta family, linked for generations to oil and olive trees, guardians of a landscape ravaged by Xylella but still brimming with a zest for life. On the other, the Marrocco family, masters of Lecce stone, capable of transforming material into story, solidity into poetry. Together, they have created a cultural, agricultural, and human ecosystem that thrives on authenticity and beauty. The Masseria del Viverbene is their most authentic manifesto: a place where every detail, from the color of the walls to the sound of the wind in the trees, seems to speak the language of gratitude.
What brought me to Puglia was instead Sapling Spirits, A line of English gins and vodkas that has decided to transform every bottle… into a tree. Literally. With the initiative “One Bottle, One Tree"For every bottle sold, a tree is planted, traceable with a unique code. To date, Sapling has planted over 511,000 trees worldwide, with the ambitious goal of reaching one million by 2027. In Italy, the project is specifically linked to the reforestation of olive trees affected by Xylella, living wounds in the landscape and in the memories of those who grew up there. The founders were Ed Faulkner and Ivo Devereux, two young men from London who in 2017, during a reforestation project in Scotland after a devastating fire, turned volunteering into a festive experience: By day they planted trees, by night they served cocktails. But when they realized that traditional spirits were at odds with their mission, they were born. Sapling Spirits, a symbol of how you can toast while doing good for the planet. “Every toast can have a positive impact,” Ed proudly confided to me during dinner. Words, but also facts, because their Sapling Climate Positive Vodka, made from British organic wheat and distilled four times, offers a clean, fresh and naturally sweet profile. Over the years the product range has further expanded with a London Dry Gin, flavored variants such as the Raspberry & Hibiscus Vodka and the first regenerative vodka, obtained from agricultural practices capable of capturing carbon from the atmosphere.
We spent the entire second day among the plants (and food), following those who know every smell, every nuance and legend of the territory. foraging In the farmhouse garden, it was a small ritual of attention: bending down, recognizing, smelling, tasting. A balsamic herb here, a bitter leaf there, the scent of wild fennel sticking to your fingers, and, finally, a basket full of surprises. She thought of it. Chef Leonardo D'Ingeo – formerly of Carico Milano and Masseria Francescani, among others – to transform that fragrant simplicity in the kitchen into vegetarian dishes that tasted of sun and patience.
At the same time, the drinks arrived. The bartenders of How Much Is Enough? And Folia, two cocktail bars that have become the liquid face of Lecce, have brought their art here, to the quiet of the countryside. The result? Every glass was a story told through gin, vodka, citrus fruits, herbs, wind, and sustainability, from a savory twist on the Bloody Mary to even more original signatures. Some laughed, some took photographs, some simply listened to the chirping of the crickets. I, however, was thinking about my little Pastry planted a few hours earlier, and how fragile and strong nature can be at the same time.
By the way, there's a beautiful phrase that I brought back from Florence. Raffaele Cazzetta, who has always known this land, told me that "every plant has a voice, you just have to learn to listen to it." And perhaps it's true: the wind, when it blows through the leaves, seems to play a subtle, never-ending music.
When I left on the third day, the sun was already high and the earth dry. I turned back toward the garden one last time, searching for my little tree. Pastry It was there, still, but with a blank page still to be written. I thought that everything we'd done in those two days—drinking, eating, laughing, planting—revolved around a single, simple, and powerful idea: that true well-being only comes when you learn to give back, just as the Sapling Spirits project has done since its inception. So, between a sip of Martini and a handful of earth, I understood what it really means. live well, that is, taking the time to leave traces that grow.
