It’s been an exciting summer for the UK cigar scene, and this past weekend marked a historic moment: the country’s first-ever cigar festival — The Summertime Smoke — hosted by Bright Leaf Distriubtion & Havana House at the renowned E.J. Churchill Shooting Ground in Buckinghamshire.
A real first for the UK — this wasn’t just a meet-up or a sampling event — it was a fully-fledged outdoor cigar festival, inspired by events like The Big Smoke in the US.
About the venue and the event
Set in the leafy Chiltern Hills, E.J. Churchill Shooting Ground is one of the most prestigious clay shooting venues in the world — and a brilliant setting for a cigar event. The grounds are historic (dating back to 1891), and they have recently hosted the CPSA World English Sporting Championship.
While guns were blazing in the background, the festival itself took over The Pavilion, a quiet green within the estate and The Sharpshooters Shed — a relaxed yet classic spot perfect for the UK’s first cigar celebration of this scale.
Paresh Patel and the team at Bright Leaf Distribution, the UK distributor for cigar brands such as Rocky Patel, Silencio, Chateau Diadem, Freud Cigar Co, Hiram & Solomon, La Galera and Oscar Valladeres spearheaded The Summertime Smoke.
They pulled out all the stops to bring over international cigar makers, brand reps, and retailers from across the UK for a day of premium cigars, drinks, food, and community.
The line up of exhibitors included:
Abe Flores – PDR Cigars
Jeremy Casdagli – Casdagli Cigars
Thierry Farah – Chateau Diadem
George Frakes – Foundation Cigars / 1573 Cigars
Jose Manuel – La Galera
Rocky Patel – Rocky Patel
Chris Smith from Barker’s of Harrogate – Kristoff Cigars
Philipp Kugler – Cigar Kings
Romy & Fouad Kashouty – Hiram & Solomon
Dave Wright & Iain Robinson – Silencio
Becky Moss-Allison from Barker’s of Harrogate – Gurkha Cigars
Roy Sommer & Michal Pasternak – Davidoff Cigars / Plasencia Cigars
Lewis Seymour – Arturo Fuente
Manny Diaz – Freud Cigars
There were also reps from St Dupont, VSB Accessories, Takamaka Rum & Nikka Japanese Whisky.
My experience
I’d been looking forward to this event for a while — you might remember my blog post about it a couple of months ago. The cost was £200 a ticket, and it included an event pack, five cigars, whisky and rum samples, BBQ and cigar masterclasses.
Before the event, ticket holders received an email with the details. Guests were invited to arrive starting at noon. The dress code was relaxed, summer smart casual, suggesting options like linen shirts, polo shirts, or summer dresses. Suits and ties were not required, as they noted, “It’s a festival, not a boardroom.” Unfortunately, I only read this after I had already packed my suitcase and boarded the train to High Wycombe the night before—doh! Fortunately, I wasn’t too overdressed.
I booked two nights at a nearby Travelodge High Wycombe Central — keeping it proper class 😉😁.
On the morning of the event, I ordered an Uber to the venue. It took around 15 to 20 minutes to reach EJ Churchill. Oddly, the fare was a lot cheaper in the morning than in the evening — no idea why.
First impressions
As I stepped out of the Uber, I heard the distant sound of shotguns. It was a bit disconcerting at first — I ducked a couple of times 😃 — but it soon faded into the background, adding a strangely rustic soundtrack to the day.
At the entrance, I bumped into Michal from Davidoff and grabbed a quick coffee at The Lodge before heading into The Pavilion, the main event area.
The Pavilion area looked great, and the main lawn around it had a relaxed, well-organised festival feel. There were plenty of outdoor tables and seating areas, each with cigar ashtrays ready to use. At the far end, a covered marquee housed stalls with cigars, whisky, rum and accessories.
Inside the marquee, there were around 15 booths. Dave Wright, representing Silencio, shared photos on social media before the event began. They show the booths fully set up and ready to go.
A queue began to form near the check-in table.
On arrival, guests were welcomed by the event team and checked in.
Each guest received an event pack, which included:
- exclusive offers to use in the on-site shop
- essentials for the day
- five branded cigar cards to redeem throughout the event (more about that in a second!)
- specially made items, including a cigar case (3D printed!), cigar cutters and lighters
How cigar cards work
Each guest received 5x branded cigar cards, with each card representing a specific cigar brand. Guests visited each brand’s stand, met the people behind the blends, and redeemed their card to receive cigars.
This encouraged proper conversations with the people behind the brands. Rather than awkwardly grabbing cigars and sitting alone, guests were invited to engage, learn, and connect with the makers.
The masterclasses
Once folk picked up their cigars, and after the official opening address from Paresh and the Bright Leaf Distribution / Havana House team, it was time for the masterclasses.
There were a total of 4x masterclasses. Attendees were required to register before the event, and I signed up for all of them. On the day of the event, we were asked to select two masterclasses to attend. This request for re-selection may have been due to some sessions being oversubscribed initially.
Masterclass 1: Rocky Patel with Nikka Whisky
Masterclass 2: George Frakes with Nikka Whisky (Although I’m sure we had the Takamaka during this masterclass? 🤔)
Masterclass 3: Jose Manuel Blanco with Takamaka Rum
Masterclass 4: Jeremy Casdagli with Takamaka Rum
These took place in The Sharpshooter’s Shed, a cosy wooden cabin with a hunting lodge atmosphere—complete with faux zebra heads on the walls and ample wood throughout.
Each masterclass lasted about 45 minutes, included spirit pairings (in my case, a coffee like whisky and clear rum from the Seychelles), and allowed time for questions.
(This next bit goes into a deep dive of the masterclasses, so if you’re short for time, you may want to skip this bit and scroll down to the next section.)
Masterclass with Rocky Patel
Here are my notes from Rocky Patel’s talk, which was a retrospective of his career in the cigar industry:
Rocky Patel, a former lawyer, entered the cigar industry in the early 1990s, during a period when cigars were becoming increasingly popular in the United States. He initially invested in a startup cigar company. After repeated investments with no returns, he took over the business.
Despite industry views that cigar making was typically passed down through generations or required Cuban heritage, Rocky pursued it independently. He travelled to Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic to learn about curing, fermenting and blending tobacco.
At the time, most cigars were mild and lacked complexity. Packaging was also often basic and uniform. He identified this as a gap in the market.
In 1999, Rocky gave up his legal career and moved to Naples, Florida. Starting with three employees, he soon recognised that outsourcing production led to inconsistency in cigar quality. To resolve this, he committed to full vertical integration — owning farms and factories and managing every stage of production. In 2003, once he had full quality control, he released the Vintage 1990 and Vintage 1992 cigars under his name.
Production grew from 150,000 cigars to millions, with brands like The Edge, The Decade, and Sun Grown gaining popularity. Today, the company employs around 3,500 people and produced nearly 30 million cigars last year. This success has come with personal sacrifices, including time away from family and regular international travel.
The company now offers a wide range of cigars, including the Sixty to celebrate Rocky’s 60th birthday and Conviction, his first $100 cigar. These range from mild to full-bodied and have received numerous industry awards and high ratings.
Whilst Rocky was talking, we were handed the Rocky Patel White Label to sample.
- Size: Robusto (5″ x 50)
- Origin: Nicaragua
- Strength: Medium
- Wrapper: Connecticut
Rocky Patel also outlined the major regulatory challenges facing the premium cigar industry, particularly in the United States. Although FDA regulations were initially aimed at cigarettes and flavoured tobacco products, premium cigars became an unintended target. In response, Patel’s company, along with four other leading cigar makers (Arturo Fuente, Padron, Ashton, and Oliva), invested $12 million in legal action to protect the industry. Their efforts led to three significant court victories, including the rejection of mandatory warning labels and costly chemical testing, and the overturning of thousands of pages of proposed regulation. As a result, premium cigars are now legally recognised in the US as a distinct category—100% natural, handmade, and free from the regulations applied to mass-market tobacco products.
In contrast, Europe and the UK present a tougher landscape. Handmade cigars are being treated much like cigarettes and vapes, subject to broad regulations such as the “track and trace” system originally designed to prevent cigarette smuggling. With little representation for handmade cigar producers in the regulatory process—there’s a lack of industry-specific understanding. Rocky Patel’s company is now collaborating with European partners to provide data and support efforts to educate regulators about the unique nature of premium cigars.
This was a fascinating talk. I of course had to get a selfie with the man himself too.
Masterclass with George Frakes of 1573 Cigars / Foundation Cigars
Here are my notes from George Frakes’ talk, which was like a history lesson and timeline of cigars to its present day:
The talk covered the rich history and cultural significance of cigars, beginning with their ancient origins. The Olmec people of the San Andreas region in Mexico were identified as the earliest known cigar smokers, dating back over 4,500 years. A stone carving from that period, showing an Olmec figure smoking a diagonally rolled cigar with two bands, is considered the oldest visual record of cigar use. The narrative then moved to Europe, where tobacco was introduced following Columbus’s voyage in 1492. While Columbus himself dismissed tobacco leaves, members of his crew observed its use in Cuba and brought the practice back to Spain. One of them, Rodrigo de Jerez, became the first European to smoke cigars publicly, though he was later imprisoned by the Inquisition after his wife mistook the smoke for a sign of devilry.
Cigars were introduced to the UK in the 16th century, though they didn’t gain widespread popularity until after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. British officers, having observed French officers smoking cigars sourced through trade with the Spanish Empire, brought the habit back to London. The practice became fashionable, particularly in St. James’s, and eventually gained royal favour. This historical link helped establish the UK’s longstanding association with cigar culture.
The talk also highlighted the work of Nick Melillo, founder of Foundation Cigars. Known for his deep interest in history and tobacco, Melillo began his career in a cigar shop and later played a key role in expanding Drew Estate’s operations in Nicaragua. He later founded Foundation Cigars with the aim of producing cigars that reflect historical and cultural themes. One example is the Highclere Castle Victorian cigar, developed in partnership with the Earl of Carnarvon. Melillo based its design on historical records and 19th-century cultivation methods, including sourcing wrapper leaves from a unique cloud-covered region in Ecuador. His work reflects Foundation’s broader philosophy: a commitment to craftsmanship and historical authenticity, driven by a genuine passion for the industry.
Whilst the talk was talking place, we sampled the Olmec cigar.
Size: Robusto (5″x 50)
Strength: Full
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
George is a brilliant and enthusiastic speaker, and definitely needs to write a book or two at some point in the future. I was lucky enough to meet Nick Melillo last year at James J Fox – a very special evening.
BBQ Lunch
After the second masterclass, Paresh announced that lunch was served… buffet-style, so attendees returned to The Pavilion for some hearty food: BBQ beef, chicken, vegetables, potato salad, and peas.
I sat down with some of the Surrey Cigars crew that I travelled to Cuba with earlier this year, and it made for a wonderful reunion.
By the way, I’ve heard they are planning another trip to Cuba for 2026—if you’re considering your next cigar holiday, you might want to keep this in mind!
Hopefully they’ll do trips to Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and Honduras in the future too 🙏.
After lunch, I explored more of the booths. Romy and Fouad of Hiram & Solomon cigars were fantastic to speak to, as always!
I had the pleasure of meeting Emmanuel Diaz from Freud Cigars, the son of Master Blender Eladio Diaz (who has recently collaborated with Kiskeya on their latest cigar range). I enjoy discovering new cigar brands, and although I tried my first Freud Cigar last year, I’m eager to try more from this brand.
I also had the opportunity to meet representatives from various cigar shops and lounges across the country. This included representatives from Astons of Manchester, who are developing something special soon, as well as people from the newly rebranded Whisky Situation, formerly known as CASC Bar, in Aberdeen. Additionally, I met Joshua from the new La Casa del Habano in Nottingham, which I hope to visit in the future.
And the opportunity to meet new faces, people who have been reading the blog and following my social media and folk I’ve been chatting to online for a while but never actually met in person. Meeting them truly made my day! 🙏
For those who paid extra, a small group of people participated in clay shooting experiences. Instructors taught safety and technique to novices as guests shot 25 clays during a 45-minute session.
Cigar rolling was also happening courtesy of the ladies at Cuban Cigar Roller, but I’m gutted I missed it—I was too caught up chatting with everyone!
Time flew by, and the day was nearing its end. As the event wrapped up, brand representatives stepped out from their booths to mingle with guests on the lawn, allowing them to experience a bit of the festival themselves, before bidding farewell.
Several group photos and selfies were taken as well, and then it was time to head home.
Final thoughts
Huge kudos to Paresh, Josh, Anthony, Phil, Alan, Justin, Ross and Asha from Bright Leaf Distribution and Havana House for making this event a huge success. 👏👏👏
In a time when the UK cigar industry faces significant challenges, it was truly uplifting to see such a well-executed, wonderfully hosted event full of positive energy, great people and fantastic cigars.
A few have asked me to compare it to last week’s Meet the Makers event, but honestly, I can’t. Each event was superb and each has its own unique qualities. What is clear, however, is that the UK cigar scene is thriving. Events like The Summertime Smoke and Meet the Makers clearly demonstrate the strong demand for these kinds of shared experiences.
Let’s hope these events become annual fixtures! If they do, and you have the opportunity to attend next year or in the years ahead, be sure to grab a ticket! 🔥
Here’s a short video I created from the event:
Useful Links:
Additionally, the cigar shop Havana House is hosting a cigar, clay pigeon shooting, and BBQ event at E.J. Churchill Shooting Ground in Buckinghamshire on August 30, 2025. For more details and to book, please visit the Havana House website.
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