Tom Morrow's is a Devon-based family-run producer of Demeter-certified biodynamic and organic cordials, the only makers of biodynamic cordial in the UK. The business celebrated its first anniversary in January. Here Tom Morrow tells what the first year was like.

TOTNES (NNA) - Our first year has been an exciting journey - we were led through the seasons by the ripening fruit ending up with a unique and delicious product, and sales that exceeded our expectations. We have met and formed relationships with many lovely people on the way. Now we are looking to expand.

Our story began in January last year when we first started making the cordials. Part of our aim was to support local biodynamic growers and get biodynamic produce into the wider public domain, and after several years of pressing our own apples and making jams and syrups from the hedgerow it felt like a natural progression. The biodynamic community is an inspirational environment and we really enjoy working within it, and it enables us to offer a product that has real integrity, from the plant to the finished cordial in the bottle.

We started from scratch, fitting a new commercial kitchen into a barn next to our house and experimenting with lots of fruit and flavours. We registered with Demeter in May 2011, embarking on some rapid learning, meeting growers, sourcing fruit and deliberating over different techniques to extract the best flavour.

We've been able to involve our family in the manufacturing of the cordials and the business, helping to get our children to understand more about where food and drink comes from. As parents at the South Devon Steiner School our whole family have been inspired by biodynamics, and contact with our local biodynamic growers at Velwell Orchard and Cholwell Farm have brought us nearer to this nurturing and sustainable method of growing and gardening.

In the last year we've sold the cordials to local cafes and shops interested in an alternative to sugary drinks and we found people willing to support local producers. We are also reaching out to conference centres, shops and cafes across the country interested in the biodynamic nature of our product. We have total confidence in the superiority of fruit grown the biodynamic way; it simply tastes better and our customers' comments re-enforce this.

We are now looking for more Demeter fruit and we are keen to learn more about bringing the biodynamic method to our processing and preservation.

END/nna/cva

If you're interested in getting involved, please contact Tom Morrow's at becky@tomorrowscordial.co.uk.

Item: 120215-01EN Date: 15 February 2012

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