First, make the pickled cucumbers. Tip the juniper berries, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice and chilli flakes, if using, into a small saucepan. Stir in 1 heaped tsp sea salt flakes, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 mins until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

Once cooled, pack the cucumber slices into a large, sterilised jar. Stir the gin into the pickling liquid, then pour this over the cucumbers in the jar. Leave to pickle for at least 24 hrs. Can be made up to three days ahead.

Oil a 900g loaf tin and line with compostable cling film. Cover the base and sides with a layer of smoked salmon, cut into slices and trimming them to fit neatly, so they come around 4-5cm up the sides (you’ll use about 200g of the salmon). Keep chilled while you make the filling.

Tip the soft cheese and double cream into a food processor and blitz until well combined. Add the dill, cornichons, peppercorns and lemon zest, then tear in 100g of the remaining smoked salmon and season with a good pinch of salt. Pulse a couple of times until roughly chopped.

Spread half the soft cheese mixture over the smoked salmon base in the tin, then top with another layer of salmon slices, trimming to fit neatly (about 100g). Spread over the rest of the soft cheese mixture, then top with the remaining salmon slices, trimming to fit. Fold over the cling film to cover everything and chill for 24 hrs until firmed up.

To serve, turn out onto a platter and remove the cling film. Cut into slices using a serrated knife, wiping the blade clean between each cut. Serve topped with dill sprigs, a grinding of black pepper and the pickled cucumbers on the side.