This month we are off to meet with Belvoir Farm, whose drinks are made with natural ingredients which have been carefully selected by their team for the most delicious taste.

GR – Belvoir Farm have been making soft drinks for the best part of 40 years during which time there has been a lot of new products launched onto the market. What is the secret to your long-term success?

Our success comes from being inspired by the countryside, to create quality, premium products with incredible taste. We take pride in keeping our ingredients simple, and don’t play with our recipes.

GR – Belvoir Farm is based in Leicestershire in the Vale of Belvoir. Do you plant your own trees and shrubs so as to produce specific varieties of drinks, or rather work with what grows naturally on the farm?

Here at Belvoir Farm we do our part to give back to nature and ensure that we are treading lightly on the land. It’s something we have been doing since 1984 and are proud to share with you. Planting new trees has always been a huge part of what we do here and since 1984 we have planted over 10,000 trees to help give back to our planet. These range from native Oak and Scotts pine, Cyprus pines and Field Maples. On the farm we’ve planted 28 acres of flower rich margins for butterflies and pollinators, a mix of White campion, St Johns Wort, Red clover, Oxeye daisy, Birdsfoot trefoil and various grasses.

We have 60 acres of Elderflower Hedgerows, which come alive during May- June every year. We harvest these and within 24 hours of doing of harvesting, the flower heads are poured into a vat and hand-stirred gently – and so begins our decades old tradition of making Belvoir’s much-loved elderflower cordial.

Our mantra is to give back to the land more than what we take.

GR – The business was originally started by owner, Peverel Manners. Is Peverel still actively involved in the business today?

Yes, Peverel is actively involved and hands on across the full business, driving the Brand with his wisdom interlinked with forward thinking and understanding of the Category.

GR – What makes Belvoir Farm’s products unique and why should people (both retailers and consumers) buy them?

Here at Belvoir Farm, we want to celebrate nature in all its real, imperfect, dramatic glory. We offer premium soft drinks, Crafted with Nature; that’s what our Brand is all about. We are refreshingly real and reassuringly delicious, there’s artistry in our still cordials and lightly sparkling soft drinks. Retailers and Consumer should choose Belvoir Farm as each of our products are made using simple ingredients, carefully selected – including our own organic elderflower -with natural fruits, hand-picked flowers, fresh juices, and spices.  We’re true to nature and let the ingredients do the talking.

GR – You’ve recently launched a range of Botanical Soda’s that can be used as mixers. Is this category something you will be exploring further, perhaps with the introduction of more flavours?

Yes, we did! The Botanical Sodas are crafted with nature and only carefully selected ingredients, absolutely no artificial preservatives, flavourings, colours or sweeteners. We take pride in utilising Botanical inspired ingredients to offer a sophisticated, premium taste & with less than 4.5g sugar per 100ml (HFSS compliant) and therefore less than 20 kcals per 100ml these products are ‘Better for you’ without the debit language.

We are very excited with the opportunity these mixers are unlocking, stretching our portfolio into a different area bridging the gap between Adult Soft Drinks & Low/No. The NPD and innovation Team are working extremely hard in the Kitchen, continuing to stay on the front foot of innovation of new products. In the future, we endeavour to explore introducing more flavours to the range.

GR – Is Belvoir Farm open to the public? Can people visit and see how your drinks are made?

Unfortunately, not. But, during the previously mentioned Elderflower Harvest we call on the local community to come together and pick the Elderflowers straight from the hedgerows and deliver to Belvoir Farm headquarters. What is amazing, is that we pay for what they pick! So, although we aren’t open to the public for visits, they play a fundamental role in a key ingredient that sits within the core of Belvoir Farms product range!

 

GR – Last but not least, what is your favourite Belvoir drink?

For me, it has to be Freshly Squeezed Lemonade. It is made up of three simple ingredients and tastes wonderful.

 

To view the full range of Belvoir Farm products please click here