Celebrity bartender Merlin Griffiths will be shaking things up once again in the Rathbone's sponsored VIP enclosure at The Game Fair. Scroll down for his special Game Fair cocktail recipe.

With under 50 days to go, anticipation is mounting for the return of The Game Fair 2025, the UK’s most iconic countryside celebration. Set against the stately backdrop of Ragley Hall, this year’s Fair (25–27 July) promises an unmatched celebration of rural life, from thrilling displays and family – friendly attractions to immersive shopping, food and drink experiences.

Merlin Griffiths returns

Among the many familiar faces returning to Ragley is Merlin Griffiths, pub landlord, cocktail expert, and TV personality, who will be back behind the bar at the Rathbone’s sponsored VIP enclosure. Known for his inventive approach and love of local ingredients, Merlin brings a unique twist to country mixology and a lot of energy to the VIP enclosure.

We caught up with Merlin ahead of the event to hear how he’s preparing, what cocktail creativity looks like in the countryside and which surprising flavour pairings are on his radar this year. With cocktails sponsored by Aussie boot makers and clothing company RM Williams we can be sure there’ll be an Antipodean influence in the mix.

Q: Last year was your first time at The Game Fair, what did you take away from that experience and how has it influenced your approach this time around?

MG: My first time at The Game Fair was memorable; from the happy guests to the well organised teams back of house, it was both busy and fun. Now I know more or less what to expect it’s allowed me to refine my approach – personalised service in the VIP areas, audience involvement in the demonstration kitchen and a chance to work with sponsor, RM Williams, who make some great clothing and shoes.

Q: What does your process look like when you’re developing a new mocktail/cocktail? Do you start with the concept of an idea and add in the flavours to fit, or vice versa?

MG: Most drinks start with a brief that informs the direction I want to take with the recipe. This time it was having an Australian twist. For me, a lot of the fun is that challenge of getting creative within the boundaries of what’s technically possible when making drinks in a field! As to the final recipes, sometimes there are ideas that have been lurking in the back of my mind for ages, or techniques and flavours that are current and on trend and of course the brief itself takes my mind in certain directions. Then comes the gathering of ingredients and testing of recipes. My staff at the pub are getting used to giving me honest feedback on my random creations as they’re honed.

Q: How does your creative process differ when you’re creating something for a specific event, such as The Game Fair?

MG: As I mentioned, the creative process is guided by an initial brief which helps me focus, but also by the nature of The Game Fair itself which to my mind evokes feelings and flavours associated with traditional country kitchens, their gardens and having the time to prepare your own ingredients. It helps being rural myself as traditionally we forage for herbs and fruits when they’re in season and grow several of our own in our garden and it’s nice to bring that side of things to the table when making recipes for the Fair.

Q: Have any flavour pairings surprised you when experimenting?

MG: One I’ve been obsessed with this year is a Japanese spring drink called Calpis, based on yoghurt and fruit then lengthened with lemonade or soda. Trust me it’s delicious. Additionally on my radar has been getting back into shrubs – not the bushes, but the old-fashioned method of preserving fresh flavours in a cordial of vinegar and sugar for punchy, fresh and vibrant flavour. I’ll be making one in the demo kitchen and the VIP bar. (See Merlin’s shrub recipe below.)

Q: You run a beloved pub – how do you translate that kind of atmosphere and creativity into making cocktails in a quite different setting like The Game Fair?

MG: Whether it’s my country pub, a restaurant, fancy bar or The Game Fair, the key is to remember it’s a people business first and foremost. Happy, smiley service and a “can do” attitude comes first. And for the Fair itself, in order to expedite service, the creativity is in pre-prepared homemade ingredients so the real work is already done beforehand and the cocktails can be made swiftly.

Q: With such extensive experience, how do you keep creativity for cocktail-making going?

MG: If you keep your eyes open, read the trade press, go through cocktail books from time to time, stay in touch with what the newer generations of bartenders are doing and request samples from brands to experience new flavours there is no end of inspiration to be had.

Q: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind one of the cocktails you’ve created for this year’s event?

MG: So, for the RM Williams bar we have two Australian-inspired cocktails, an Outback Cooler and a Stockman Spritz. The former using my love of British shrubs (this time a lemon, mint and cucumber shrub) alongside Australian Olive Leaf Gin, and subtly sweetened with an almond syrup (olives and almonds being a traditional flavour match) for a fresh, zingy and vibrant green long drink.

The latter was inspired by an Australian staple soft drink, the lemon lime bitters, or LLB as it’s known. Here I’ve made an eco-friendly acid adjusted citrus mix of lime, orange and pink grapefruit (using a special technique to yield eight times more juice from our citrus fruit thus saving on cost and increasing shelf life), low GI agave nectar for the sweetness, and instead of the usual cocktail bitters an Australian non-alcoholic elixir containing Lion’s Mane mushroom for a deep, rich and complex flavour proving that non-alcoholic drinks can be just as interesting as their spiritous counterparts. Both are long drinks as suits the time of year. I can’t wait to serve them, and hope that people enjoy them as much as my staff did when they were being created.

Q: And finally, cocktails aside, what are you looking forward to most at The Game Fair?

MG: In an ideal world I’d like to bump into Vinnie Jones and get some tips on clay shooting at The Game Fair range, I’ve heard he’s a crack shot! And I need to pick up a new pair of wellies, my 10-year-old pair are a bit worse for wear now.

Catch Merlin at The Game Fair 2025.

Whether you’re after cocktail inspiration, a countryside escape, or just want to soak up the atmosphere with a drink in hand, The Game Fair 2025 has it all. Join Merlin Griffiths and a host of rural legends from 25–27 July at Ragley Hall for a weekend of tradition, taste and timeless fun.

Tickets and VIP packages are now available here  — and don’t forget, BASC members go free.

A cocktail from Merlin Griffiths

Outback Cooler

Outback Cooler

Outback Cooler

Mixing one of Australia’s finest exports; Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin; alongside a traditional British preparation; shrub.

And taking on board Australia’s avant-garde cocktail scene by marrying unusual flavours that work well together. Just like a well-chosen RM Williams outfit. Olive leaf gin is paired with both refreshing cucumber, lemon and mint, alongside almond a traditional flavour match to olive, and creates a super refreshing olive green highball worthy of an outback summer.

Serves one.

Ingredients:

  • Highball glass, cubed ice, shaken
  • 50ml Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin
  • 25ml Garden shrub
  • 20ml fresh pressed lemon juice
  • 15ml agave syrup
  • Top with soda water

Method

Add the gin, shrub, lemon and agave to a shaker with some ice. Give it a quick shake and pour into a chilled highball glass. Fill the glass with ice and top with soda water before giving it a quick stir.

Garnish with some cucumber slices, a lemon twist and several mint tips for a fresh bouquet.

Merlin Griffiths’s Garden shrub recipe

Ingredients:

  • 190g Half a cucumber, washed and diced
  • 190g caster sugar
  • 190g apple cider vinegar
  • 15g fresh mint leaves peels from one lemon

Method

Put all in a sealed container and let to infuse in the fridge for 24h.

After a day, stir it well, add to a blender and blend until smooth. Then strain the mixture through a cheesecloth/muslin before bottling. The preparation will last a week or so.