I WISH I’D KNOWN…

...how big a challenge the weather would be. Elderflowers can come early, in which case we have to drop everything and get out there to pick. If they’re late, we have less time to process them before the festival season begins. If it’s wet, many of the blooms are damaged.

...how demanding it can be to run a small business from home. But it does mean no commute to work! And I don’t have to deal with office politics, as we are all working together as a family. However, even though we’re not travelling to work, we are going all over the country to sell our drinks. That can be tiring, but we meet great people on the road. We could work 24/7, so we have to remember to switch off.

...that you need to be prepared for anything – or be very flexible. I have never had a business plan. We have grown gradually and are very careful with money, but if our equipment breaks down, it’s a big setback. Our family motto is ‘Adapt and Overcome’.

...you don’t have to keep growing. I want to keep the business at a manageable size so I can deal directly with the public, which I love. We also sell through delis, pubs, independent outlets and farm shops in Worcestershire, Shropshire and Gloucestershire, including Gloucester Services. I’d like to keep that balance.