With their expert support and industry advice, North Somerset-based food and drink innovation centre The Food WorksSW is helping Well Fruited, the winners of their 2023 new business competition, get one step closer to realising their dream of seeing their new fruit SuperBlend™ drink on the shelves of independent farm shops, delis and major supermarkets.
As part of their competition prize Alex Williams and Ben Kaye, the duo behind the drinks brand, have recently spent time in the centre’s state-of-the-art drinks development kitchen with Zoe Plant, the centre’s New Product Development and Innovation Manager. Together they explored options for scaling up their business including faster production processes and gained invaluable insights into factory layouts and specialist equipment such as the centre’s blending machinery and high sheer pump. With The Food WorksSW’s nutritional expertise Alex and Ben were also able to perfect their existing recipes, develop new flavour combinations and test new pasteurisation methods which resulted in them extending the shelf life of their SuperBlend™ drink.
Alongside their development days in the specialist drinks kitchen, the pair also benefited from expert technical support from Rachel Goff, Senior Technical and Site Manager, who helped and advised them on labelling information.
Well Fruited’s 100% liquid fruit drinks use the whole fruit which means they contain nutrients within the fruit that aren’t possible to extract through juicing or cold pressed drinks. The nutrients inside each bottle have many health benefits, from sugar-regulating fibre to mood boosting antioxidants.
Alex Williams co-founder of Well Fruited said, “Our time at Food WorksSW working in the drinks kitchen and with Zoe and Rachel has been so helpful and inspiring. It really is an amazing facility and I’d recommend it to anyone developing or planning on taking their food or drink product to the next business level. We’ve been able to look at ways to develop our business and gained so many insights into the drinks industry which we simply wouldn’t have been able to do without their expert knowledge and advice.”
Zoe Plant added, “For anyone like Well Fruited who are in that in between stage with their food or drink business where they are looking to increase production before moving to a permanent base, then The Food WorksSW really is where you need to be. We can offer so much support and the very best development kitchens. It’s been fantastic to support Well Fruited as they take the next steps in growing their business.”
The Food WorksSW 2023 Competition saw 13 entries from businesses and individuals from across the UK and was judged by an esteemed panel of experts including Orlando Murrin, President of the Guild of Food Writers.
Runners-up included Jaz Skye of Weston-super-Mare based Jivee, who uses sea moss as a main ingredient to make jellies, fruit cider vinegar and sports drinks, and Gregory Davies, co-founder of Auntie’s, an Indian-inspired condiments company from Coventry.
The only centre of its kind in the south west, The Food WorksSW is based in the heart of the Weston-super-Mare Enterprise Area, less than 30 minutes from Bristol, and is in close proximity to Junction 21 of the M5 motorway. It has five product development kitchens each with its own specialist equipment for dairy, bakery, drinks, commercial and trial which are available for flexible short-term contract hire for food and drink businesses of all sizes to test, develop and manufacture their products – prices start from just £96.90 per day (inc VAT).
For more information on how The Food WorksSW can help you and your business, visit foodworks-sw.co.uk, or to stay up-to-date follow @foodworks_sw on Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). For more information about Well Fruited visit wellfruited.co.uk or for updates follow wellfruited on Instagram.
Main photo: Alex Williams shaking the hand of NPD and Innovation Manager Zoe Plant with the team outside The Food WorksSW.
