Currant affairs
A berry good drink made from Nelson’s finest crops is also giving local growers a sweet deal
FORMER BAKERS-TURNEDjuicers Pete and Marleen Suy, joke that they left the bread business to have a sleep-in. But launching the fast-growing natural soda business, Pete’s Natural Sodas, has meant some restless nights as they keep up with more than 30 per cent growth in the past year. Luckily, the natural goodies such as vitamin C, antioxidants and the reportedly stress-reducing hops in their drinks leave Marleen and Pete with a spring in their step. Their popular sparkling blackcurrant drink, Pete’s Natural Currant Crush, is this year’s Label & Litho Drink Champion.
“A most enjoyable drink!” said the judges, who commended the “sweet blackcurrant flavour and balanced acidity, great aroma, colour and subtle hops notes”.
Although Pete and Marleen are from Belgium, Pete’s Natural Currant Crush has been described as “tasting like childhood” by many Kiwis who grew up on little paper sippy boxes of blackcurrant juice. But Pete’s Natural Sodas are worlds apart from “Big Berry” and “Big Cola” offerings, using 30 to 50 per cent less sugar and fresh spray-free fruit. The experience is closer to drinking Nelson/Tasman in a glass. The blackcurrants and the hops come from down the road in Tapawera, and the lemons are sourced from Golden Bay, Upper Moutere, Hawke’s Bay and Kerikeri. Local sunshine powers the solarpowered factory in Motueka. Other sustainability measures include paper labels and recycled glass jars, and growers are paid a fair price. They call this “fair trade at home”.
“What sets us apart is using all New Zealand-grown fruit, which has to do with sustainability and keeping our footprint low as well as making sure that the local farmers get paid the proper money,” says Marleen. “We saw a lot of fruit rotting on the ground because people don’t get paid enough to pick it. But New Zealand fruit is such good quality, even the secondgrade fruit with blemishes is fantastic and great for juicing.”