Two outstanding South Devon producers have been recognised as the best in their field at the Soil Association Certification’s Best of Organic Market (BOOM) Awards, the UK’s only organic awards. Announced as winners at the highly anticipated annual awards ceremony on the 5th of July, in Bristol, Buckfastleigh’s Luscombe and Ivybridge’s Owens Coffee were acknowledged for their unwavering commitment to excellence in the organic sector, winning two of the subcategories in the ‘Best of Organic Non-Alcoholic Drinks’ category.
Up against the finest in the organic non-alcoholic drinks market, Luscombe’s Hot Ginger Beer was awarded the ‘Best of Organic Soft Drinks’ award and Owens Coffee’s Jabulani received the ‘Best of Organic Coffee’ accolade.
The awards are held at a time when the organic market has shown remarkable resilience, with the organic market growing 1.6% in 2022, taking its value to £3.1 billion – its highest level yet. This marks 11 consecutive years of growth and over 25.4% growth since 2019. The BOOM Awards come at an undoubtedly difficult time for businesses, and recognise the extra level of care and attention organic producers take to produce high-quality drinks products that meet rigorous organic standards.
Discussing Luscombe’s Hot Ginger Beer being named ‘Best of Organic Soft Drinks’, Paul Stevenson, Head of Marketing at Luscombe, commented; “As the first UK soft drinks brand to be awarded Soil Association organic accreditation, we’ve been dedicated to upholding these standards and championing them for many years. With the increasing research on the harmful effects of pesticides throughout the non-organic food supply chain, plus the need for sophisticated premium soft drinks to cater for the growth of consumers looking for quality low/no options, we are proud to not only be leaders in responsible organic production but also to use the finest ingredients and lead on taste. It’s win-win.”
Liz Orgill, Marketing Director at Owens Coffee, said; “Having made the decision to only produce great-tasting, organically farmed coffee with organic certification in 2010, we first won the subcategory in 2019 with our Gara blend. This year with three finalists and our Jabulani winning Best of Organic Coffee, we are proud to be working with farmers in coffee-growing communities across the world who are dedicated to making a high quality, better cup of coffee for people and the planet. That’s why this award is such an important one! We’ve naturally grown a solid reputation in Devon and the surrounding regions over many years, but recognition from a national organisation like the Soil Association Certification elevates our standing and directly connects us with all of our lovely customers who support us right across the UK.”
Soil Association Certification’s, Commercial and Marketing Director Alex Cullen said: “We are delighted to see Luscombe and Owens Coffee named as the winners. The BOOMs celebrate the best that the industry has to offer, and the greatest new hopes for the future. Farming is a major global driver of emissions and habitat destruction – even larger than aviation. Organic production offers vital solutions for climate and nature, which is why we’re so excited to see Luscombe and Owens Coffee getting excellent results. This drive to innovate means the organic market remains popular and resilient.”
The brands, products and personalities were selected by the public and judged by a panel of experts, including food and drink expert Andy Clarke, author and chef Xanthe Clay, broadcaster Romy Gill and Briony May Williams, baker and presenter.
This is not the only win for Owens Coffee this month having recently been awarded a gold for their house coffee blends ‘Bantham’ and ‘Dart’ in the regional Taste of the West Awards.
Luscombe’s Hot Ginger Beer is available from Luscombe.co.uk. Owens Coffee Jabulani is available from Owenscoffee.com along with Owens’ new BOOM Awards Tasting Pack including Jabulani, and the two coffees named as finalists, Romero and Tunki.
For further information about Luscombe please click HERE , for further details about Owens Coffee please click HERE and to find out more about the BOOM Awards please click HERE.
