An Essex fruit and veg grower has launched a new apple juice into the market to help use some of the farm’s surplus topfruit.
Cotchel juice has won listings with two London restaurants and launched in an Essex co-operative. It is made in four flavours using varieties including Braeburn, Opal, Conference and Evelina, and is pressed and bottled in Essex.
Founder and third generation farmer Pete Thompson is now looking for further stockists in the retail and hospitality sector, with the juice set to launch in 23 Chelmsford Star Cooperatives in Essex in December. It is already available at the Langham Hotel and Eat 17 in London.
“Every year tonnes of fruit is wasted around the country because it’s too big, too small or too ugly to be sold,” he said. “Instead of letting the unwanted fruit from our farm be wasted or processed off the farm, we decided to turn it into something delicious.”
Thompson, who has previously sold his apple juice under the Tendring Fruit brand, added: “Cotchel is all about create a great tasting fruit juice using fruit we can’t sell and taking small steps towards reducing food waste.”
Merchandising manager at the Chelmsford Star Cooperative, Stewart Linehan, said: “Cotchel is doing great work to not only reduce food waste but also producing a great tasting juice with bold and bright bottle design that will look good on our shelves.”
The Cotchel name comes from market slang for the “bits 'n' bobs left over”, according to Thompson, with the barrow boys up boxes of leftovers for family and friends.
