Shove your nose in a bunch of flowers! (Belvoir Elderflower Cordial)

Member Name: dee778

Product:	Belvoir Elderflower Cordial
Date:	02/07/09 (48 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Light, delicate smell and taste - very refreshing.

Disadvantages: A bit pricier than your average cordial

I bought this cordial after Nectar offered me extra points for buying it at Sainsburys. I bought it for £2.82, which is the same price as the Bottle Green elderflower cordial that I normally buy. The price is a bit expensive, but I am happy to pay a little bit more for 'grown up' tasting cordials.

~~marketing~~

The design of the bottle gives the cordial a very homemade feel - the bottle is much the same shape as and size as a milk bottle, it has a label which is designed to look as if it has been hand written, and it is sealed with another label with simulated handwriting on it. All in all, this clever marketing makes you feel as if you have bought a homemade product at a local fete, and that is a much more natural product than other similar cordials.
The bottle also has the word Belvoir embossed into the glass, giving it a feeling of quality and the idea that you are buying local farm product (you almost want to return the bottle to the farm after drinking!).

~~ingredients~~

On the label you can see that the cordial is "made from fresh flowers, lemons and no preservatives". A hand drawn picture of an elderflower completes the effect. On the back label, Belvoir reinforce the fresh home-made message, tellling us that the cordial is made on their farm with "masses of freshly picked flowers...fresh squeezed lemons .. with no nasties" such as preservatives or flavouring. The ingredients are: sugar, Belvoir spring water, fresh elderflowers 8%, fresh lemon juice, citric acid.

~~smell, flavour and use~~

The flavour if the cordial is much lighter than other elderflower cordials that I have bought. You can taste the sugar, but that sugar does taste natural and unadulterated. I would say the flavour is very natural, and it does taste like something your grandmother would make from natural ingredients.

The smell is extremely flowery - I love it! It compares very well to other cordials that can smell sweet and cloying.

I usually dilute my cordial with sparkling water, and it provides a lovely, refreshing drink for hot days. I also dilute it with still water and put a bottle in the fridge. It is much more refreshing than traditional dilutables. The label says that you can make 10 pints from the bottle, but I think I can make more, as it does not need to be too strong, and in fact does benefit from being made weak so that you can taste a hint of flavour.

~~ Belvoir Farm~~

If you look at the website (www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk) you will see that this really is a family run business. Mum (Mary Manners) started making her cordials, and the family have carried on the tradition to her recipes. The MD is Pev Manners. The farm is located in Grantham and boasts of its environmentally friendly ideals. The elderflowers are organic and the bottle is recycled.
The website has some gorgeous recipes to follow, including a cocktails section. My favourite is the Flaming Devil (you will have to look at the website to see what this is, but Vodka and elderflowers are involved).

~~conclusion~~

I am a total convert to Belvoir Fruit Farms. I prefer the consistency, smell and taste of these cordials to all of the others, and I believe in the organic and environmental principles of the organisation.

Summary: Give it a go