Bottle Green

Recently we were very kindly asked to become Bottle Green Ambassadors - an opportunity which we jumped at because we LOVE Bottle Green elderflower cordial. Shameless to say, we never actually knew they were a Cotswold based company and that that they are so much more then just elderflower cordial. But they are, in fact they've been based in Stroud since they first started picking their own elderflower on hedge rows. Now, not much has changed but the company has certainly gone from strength to strength. However their values, their recipes and the way in which they make their drinks hasn't change much. Bottle Green bringing out new ranges and limited edition products every year and that's where us Ambassadors come in! We've been invited to test some of their new flavours, give our feedback and promote their delicious products. Not a bad gig, hey? 

Last month we went along to their Cotswold factory for our first visit. Welcomed by Laura & Jenny, we joined other passionate business ladies, Katie from The Cutlery Commission & Pia from Vanilla Pod Bakery, two lovely ladies we had only met via social media so it's great to have an opportunity to work with themm& then the fun began! We started the afternoon making mocktails & cocktails (what's a Tuesday afternoon without Gin?) One sweet and one savoury. It gave us the chance to try some of Bottle Greens existing products, play around with different flavours, experiment with mixing spices and fruit & basically break the ice. So much fun! They even added a competitive twist, one of us would win best cocktail... *Drum roll please* MILLIE WON! with her delicious 'Winter Shrub' made using Bottle Green Apple & Plum Cordial, ginger and lemongrass pressé, cinnamon, apple juice and bay leaf. Christmas in a cocktail! 

Next it was onto the factory tour. We geared ourselves up in super trendy hair nets, steal capped boots, lab coats & high vis vest - we think we pulled it off! We headed into the small but seriously efficient Bottle Green factory. Here they put the Cotswold into Bottle Green, using their own, Cotswold spring water found on the site all those years ago. The story is that the original founders employed a chap, called Jim Terret, that could find them a natural spring by dowsing. He found a spot and told them to dig. When they called him in frustration having not found any despite digging beyond 50m he told them to go back up a notch and low and behold, there it was. Sadly he died that night ad so never knew they had found the spring, but his legend lives on in the name of the Stroud based Bottle Green Terret factory. 

BottleGreen have struck the balance between appealing to a mass market by gracing the shelves of your local supermarket, all over the UK, but also remaining true to and  at the heart of where it all began...Our wonderful Cotswold countryside. 

Watch out for the new tonic waters including light, elderflower and grapefruit, on the shelves soon. We were so pleased to see them in The Tavern, Cheltenham, last week. Fever Tree, move over, you've got competition! 

Thank you!

Millie & Meg x