Laprig Valley

Description

Jackie is the third generation of the family to farm at Hardacres. Hardacres is a small farm of approximately 190 acres.

The name derives from the Laprig Burn, which runs along the fields on the farm. The name was rebranded to Laprig Valley in 2016, as the burn runs along a very small valley at the bottom of the fields below the manufacturing unit.

Up until 2015, trading was almost at Farmers Markets, together with a few “one-off” markets. In 2016 it was decided to update our labels and produce promotional literature as we felt that our juice is a high-end product aimed at foodies, high-end retailers/delis, etc.  We wish to keep the product artisan made on the farm. Additionally, we manufacture from UK apples, which means that stocks can only be made September-February. Our orchard is taking shape, but we cannot produce enough apples for our stocks. This is a true farm diversification.

We are constantly looking to bring new tastes on board and are delighted that the Apple and Chilli Juice has been chosen as one of five winners in the Food Talk Show inaugural awards. The Apple and Chilli juice was created as the result of a chance conversation. In 2014, we had a surplus of chillis growing in the greenhouse. Having made them into a concentrated juice, we set about mixing that with various varieties of apple juice. The best combination is with Bramley, so that, when drunk, the experience is of the sharp juice, followed by the hint of chilli.

The concept behind the single variety juice is that each apple has a different taste, depending on the natural sugars in the apple itself. No additional sugar is added, customers buy the pure juice, to which a small amount of Vitamin C has been added as an antioxidant.

We also produce mixes such as Apple and Rhubarb and Apple and Raspberry. All soft fruit is grown on the farm.

Laprig Valley has received a gold fork from the Great Taste Awards for their Bramley Apple juice and has also been shortlisted in the Great British Food Awards in the non-alcoholic juice category.

More recently, Laprig Valley has been shortlisted in the Soft Drinks category in the Scottish Rural Awards 2019 for their innovative juice flavours.