There is still a strong tradition in England of using elderberries for a multitude of purposes, including drinking and eating. Pontack sauce is one of the finest examples. The result of a long simmering of elderberries, shallots, vinegar, sugar and a mixture of spices, it reaches its fullness after 5 years in the bottle! The market for elderflower-flavoured cordial, the basis of many cocktails, amounts to 3 million bottles a year! And at the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in May 2018, the royal banquet ended with a lemon cake flavoured with elderflower, while guests were able to toast the couple’s health with a ‘spritzer’ made with cucumber juice, elderflower syrup and bitter tonic, topped up with white wine on request. These and other recipes are revealed in My friend the eldertree after being tested and approved by the author of these lines!