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In 2020, aged 67, Sally Chilton decided she had one more act in her. The world had stopped spinning – Covid brought hospitality to a standstill – and for the first time in decades, she had a moment to herself. A pause to think about what might come next.
For more than 30 years, she’d run a B&B in south-west London, throwing open her front door to thousands of guests from every corner of the map.
“I loved it,” she says. “It was like travelling without leaving home. It gave me an income as a single mum, a way to give my kids a good start. But deep down, I knew I still had more to give. More to create.”
Since the ’90s, Chilton had been quietly tinkering with limoncello recipes. It started with a gift – a homemade bottle from an Italian guest. “We drank it that night. I woke up with a hangover – and a thought that it was far too sweet. I’ve always made jams and chutneys, so why not try my hand at booze?”
Those first batches were a sticky, eye-watering mess. She started out with supermarket vodka. Then she found a Polish grocer that sold neutral grain spirit – smoother, cleaner, a step closer. But something was still missing.
Sally Chilton
Then, one afternoon, tired of pouring leftover lemon juice down the drain, she tipped it into the mix. Most recipes stick to zest alone – but that hit of sharpness changed everything. It sliced through the sugar, brought balance, and turned the whole thing into something altogether brighter.
In many ways, making limoncello reminded her of hosting: a simple act of care, made by hand, shared with others.
Soon she branched out – lime was a revelation – and what started as an experiment became a project.
“So many of my friends have retired,” she says. “But having something to build – and working alongside younger people – keeps me sharp. That’s what life’s about, isn’t it? Finding something you love, and running with it.”
Now every bottle carries a measure of that same spirit: hospitality, curiosity, and the courage to start again – at any age.
Discover Chilton's citrus liqueurs at ramtang.com
