Softly, softly

Everyone’s going to be wanting a cool and refreshing soft drink as the mercury rises, so be prepared and see your sales sparkle

Mix 75ml elderflower cordial with 1 litre of cloudy apple juice. Add a small handful of roughly chopped fresh mint leaves and give it a good stir. Pour to half fill cups and top up with sparkling water.

Raspberry lemonade slushie

Put 600g raspberries, juice of 3 lemons, 225ml soda water, about 9 ice cubes and 3 tablespoons of agave nectar in a blender or food processor and blitz to get a smooth slush. Makes 6 servings.

Did you know?

60% OF SOFT DRINK CONSUMERS GO FOR HEALTHY OPTIONS WHEN CHOOSING A DRINK

Summer days conjure up visions of picnics, family fun days out, meet-ups with friends in the park, lazing on the beach – all of them sitting in the sun, drink in hand. And what better thirst-quencher than a refreshing soft drink? While the bestsellers are a must-stock, think about ways to refresh your range and you’ll seriously boost your sales this summer.

HEALTH FOCUS

The pandemic has created a refocus on health, so look at healthier options.

As sugar is the big ‘nasty’, lean more towards low and sugar-free options. Low-sugar cola sales were up 22.4% over the past 12 months, according to Fentiman’s Low No Moderation 2020 Report, and with brands such as Coca-Cola providing a choice of flavours across its light cola portfolio, you can offer something different.

Soft drinks brands such as Britvic are seeing consumers taking a more natural approach to what they drink. Think naturally healthier options, such as Aqua Libra. Sparkling water is fast becoming a popular choice for refreshment, including plain and infused variants.

POWER SURGE

Energise sales by stocking energy and functional drinks – those that provide a natural energy lift or enhance wellbeing are big news. A recent report on soft drinks by Mintel revealed 31% of adults are interested in premium soft drinks that contain additional functional benefits. Big sellers are Britvic’s Purdey’s, CCEP’s Monster Ultra and Lucozade Energy’s zero-sugar range.

Frappé

Pour 200ml chilled strong coffee into a blender with 50ml milk, ideally whole, and a few handfuls of ice. Add a tablespoon or two of sugar syrup (you can always add more at the end if not sweet enough) and blend until foamy and the ice is slush. For an extra-special finish, give the option to top with whipped cream or even a scoop of ice cream.

CAFFEINE FIX

Sales of ready-to-drink coffee increase as the weather gets warmer and they offer a point of difference. The category is worth £165.6 million and is up 20% in value year-on-year, making it the fastest-growing segment in soft drinks ** . Costa Coffee RTD cans are the ones to stock to take your share of a healthy profit.

FRESH AS A…

Elevate your offering by making your own fresh soft drinks. Juices and smoothies are essentials but think beyond for maximum appeal. Lemonade is enjoying a revival. Using green lemons, and offering lower-sugar variants and new flavour combos will capture attention.

Mix up a batch quickly and easily by whizzing roughly chopped lemons, caster sugar and cold water in a food processor until the lemon is finely chopped – use roughly 50g sugar and 15ml water to every lemon. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a bowl and press to get out as much juice as possible. That’s a base to which you can dilute with sparkling or still water or fruit juice, or add fresh mint leaves to give it a cool, refreshing flavour.

NEWCOMERS

Citrus fruits are the stars of the soft drinks world but there’s a new band of the zesty little fellows making a play for summer drinks. Pomelos are the easiest to get hold of and have a bundle of health benefits. They’re packed with vitamins and minerals, including potassium and fibre, and are an amazing source of vitamin C. Simply juice or mix the juice with sparkling water for a refreshing premium drink.

Top tip

MAKE YOUR SOFT DRINKS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD BY USING DIFFERENT STYLES OF GLASSWARE AND GOING ALL OUT WITH FRESH GARNISHES, SUCH AS HERBS

Pomegranate fizz

Take a large bunch of fresh mint, tear half of it and throw into a jug with 2 quartered limes. Give them a bash to release the flavours. Add 1 litre pomegranate juice and 500ml lemonade. Add ice cubes to serving containers and strain over the pomegranate mix through a small sieve. Garnish with the rest of the mint or fresh rosemary sprigs and pomegranate seeds.