Granddaughter revives family drinks firm with healthier range
FORMER soft drinks giant Bon Accord is set to make a comeback – without the sugar-laden, neon-coloured drinks of the past.
Once a dominant brand on the Scottish soft drinks scene, the company is now four generations on and has been revived for today’s more health-conscious consumers.
Natural sweeteners and real fruit juices are now the order of the day, with Karen Knowles, the great-great granddaughter of the original founders, determined to offer customers something different.
Ms Knowles said: “When I was pregnant and out with family and friends, I was struck by how uninspiring soft drinks were and how much sugar was in them.
“It felt like there was a real lack of choice for adults. Noticing this gap in the market was the inspiration behind bringing back Bon Accord.
“Having worked in the food industry for the last 10 years, I began to realise that I had the skills to revive the brand with new high-quality recipes aimed at adults.
“We have produced a range of drinks, which can be enjoyed on their own or as mixers to your favourite tipple.”
The new flavours include cloudy lemonade and rhubarb, both sweetened with natural ingredients and containing no refined sugar or artificial sweeteners.
The company has also launched a new Scottish tonic water, developed to be paired with gin.
The recipes were developed and tested with the help of the University of Abertay’s Food Innovation department.
The firm took into consideration the upcoming “sugar tax” legislation when deciding on their new creations.
Bon Accord director Nathan Burrough added: “People are more clued-up on what they drink and it was our priority to make soft drinks to savour, drinks which are made with natural ingredients and are lower in sugar.
“The new tax pushes producers to think about the ingredients they use and we are already ahead of the game. This is a really exciting time.
“Bon Accord is back and better than ever.”