Published on June 8, 2022
What is Belvoir Farm doing that makes it so special?
Deep in the Leicestershire countryside amongst the wild hedgerows, Belvoir Farm celebrates nature with their soft-drink range, all made from carefully-selected ingredients for the most delicious and fresh taste.
In 1984, Belvoir Farm started making Elderflower cordial in a 750ml and 250ml bottle. They sold 88 cases (1056 bottles) to the local fine food stores and farm-shops. By 1985, they had sold 3,564 bottles and in 1988, Belvoir Farm has sold 1,000 cases. Utilising the great outdoors, with all its imperfections and wildness, Belvoir Farm cherish their company value – ‘Crafted with Nature’. As a part of the Countryside Stewardship scheme, they focus on sustainability, conservation and natural habitat conservation to work alongside their modern farming techniques and staying profitable.
The month of June is highly important to the Elderflower farm which they call the Vale of Belvoir, For six weeks, the amazing elderflower is at its peak and is ready to burst into bloom. The Belvoir team, alongside some local pickers, handpick all the flowers that go into each bottle, knowing when the harvest is at the perfect point for picking.
Within 24 hours of harvesting, the flower heads are poured into a vat and are gently hand-stirred. This process has been practiced for decades now, starting with the original recipe from Mary Manner, as it has stood the test of time.
Once the year’s harvest has done and gathered, the land is again prepared for the next year. With gentle tilling, aeration and organic fertilisation of the plantation whilst protecting the natural wildlife, wildflowers and, most importantly, pollinators, working alongside nature’s cycle and the wider eco-system.
Doing their thing while helping nature do its thing
Belvoir Farm does their part to give back to nature and the land, so giving back what they are taking. Here are a few ways Belvoir are helping out:
- The Bees – In 2021, they have welcomed the latest additions to the Belvoir Farm family, 3 brand-new bee hives as a part of their Countryside Stewardship Scheme as well as planting acres of wildflower, giving the bees somewhere to thrive.
- Wildflowers – On the farm, 28 acres of flower rich margins for butterflies and pollinators have been planted. This includes a mix of White campion, St Johns Wort, Red clover, Oxeye daisy, Birdsfoot trefoil and various grasses.
- Owl Boxes – The Belvoir team have strategically placed a number of owl boxes around the area to enable the owls to nest, breed and feed throughout the winter months, ensuring that each owlet has the best chance of survival.
- Tree Planting – Planting new trees has always been a huge part of what they do at Belvoir Farm. Since 1984, they 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.
- The Willow – Belvoir farm has 60 acres of Coppice Willow which is harvested each year for biomass use.
- Winter Birds – As we all know, it is vital to keep our birds well-fed throughout the winter months and that’s why Belvoir Farm has over 62 acres of land which is dedicated to producing oil rich winter bird feed.
- Zero to Landfill – They are a zero waste to landfill company. This includes all barrels, plastic, glass and sugar bags.
- Packaging – Packaging is 100% recyclable, and Belvoir Farm’s bottles are also made from 55% recycled glass.
- Upcycling – A lot of the barrels get reused but some are used by a local company to make bespoke furniture such as chairs, tables and coffee tables.
- Powered by Sunshine – They have recently installed a 340 kWp solar photovoltaic array roof on the sunniest side of the factory in The Vale of Belvoir. It totals 1672m² of roof coverage and will offset up to 67,989 kgs of CO2 per year.
Belvoir Farm’s Future
Continuously looking for ways to give back to the planet, Belvoir Farm has many exciting plans for the next few years to ensure a brighter future including their electric energy to come from 100% renewable sources by 2025, to continue to have waste streams audited by Certified Sustainable and to continue to plant new trees year on year in order to offset their carbon output.
Sparkling Elderflower is made using our traditional family recipe blending hand-picked elderflowers with lemon juice and pure spring water for a delicately refreshing taste. Alternatively, mix with a white wine for a spritzer or use as a mixer with vodka or gin.
Our 100% natural Ginger Beer is brewed with fresh root ginger and pressed ginger juice for a genuinely spicy taste with a fiery kick. Alternatively, use as a mixer with vodka, whisky or rum.
Our 100% natural sparkling Raspberry Lemonade is made with real pressed lemon and raspberry juices blended with spring water for a refreshingly fruity alternative to traditional lemonade. Serve chilled over ice.
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