Gran Stead's Ginger Co | Press releases

As you would expect, we love all things ginger here at Gran Stead’s, so it was a happy coincidence when, nine years ago, we found ourselves on a stand at Brighton Food Festival next to the industrious team from Auntie Val’s.

Our non-alcoholic ginger drinks are enjoyed by our fans as far away as Belarus and Prague, but it is our local market which has had a huge boost in recent months.

Gran Stead’s Ginger Co’s brand new drink, Spiced Ginger Punch, has been shortlisted in the Cold Beverages - soft drinks category for the 2015 Good Choice! Quality Food Awards.

The Good Choice! Quality Food Awards are the most prestigious awards for food and drink products on sale in UK grocery outlets. What sets these awards apart is the impartiality and robustness of the judging process and the invaluable feedback which entrants receive.

Sussex based Gran Stead’s Ginger Co has beaten off global competition to go gold in a prestigious drinks contest. Chris and Rosemary Knox are delighted that their brand new drink, Spiced Ginger Punch, has been awarded the highest accolade in the British Bottlers’ Institute (BBI) contest.

The winning drink is prepared by hand by the husband and wife team and is the latest in the collection of six alcohol-free beverages. It is the third gold awarded to Gran Stead’s by the BBI, following wins for their Mellow Ginger in 2013 and Fiery Ginger in 2014. Gran Stead’s Blackcurrant with Zing also achieved a BBI Diploma in 2014.

NEW Spiced Ginger Punch from Gran Stead’s Ginger Co is a delightfully sophisticated soft drink, combining a secret spice blend with a fruity base and Gran Stead's signature ginger kick. This zingy little number is the latest in the collection of alcohol-free beverages from husband-and-wife soft drinks specialists, Chris and Rosemary Knox of Portslade, East Sussex.

Made to Granny's secret recipe with a secret combination of exotic spices, the versatile Spiced Ginger Punch is perfect chilled over ice as a tingling summer thirst-quencher, or gently heated as a welcome winter warmer. Ready to drink and free from artificial sweeteners and preservatives, Gran Stead's newest addition is also an ideal mixer for your favourite tipple or simply a uniquely punchy alternative to mass-produced soft drinks.

“People are always telling us our drinks make a refreshing change; they’re not pop and they’re not juices,” says Chris Knox. “They are a fusion of exciting new flavours with a traditional-style still soft drink, and we're sure that the new Spiced Ginger Punch will be a favourite for customers new and old.”

Sussex drinks makers enjoy a double celebration

A PORTSLADE couple are “over the moon” after their spicy ginger drink saw off international challengers to win a gold medal in a prestigious competition. The award-winning drink is Gran Stead’s Fiery Ginger won Gold in the British Bottlers’ Institute (BBI) annual awards and is prepared by hand at Mile Oak Farm by Chris and Rosemary Knox.

Gran Stead’s Chris and Rosemary Knox took their drinks to new heights when they posed for photos high on a ridge at Rudgwick, West Sussex, to mark the launch of revolutionary food project Local Food Britain.

The drinks experts were invited to join other Sussex food producers for the windy photo and were delighted to oblige.

Gran Stead's Mellow Ginger Drink has been shortlisted in the Cold Beverages - soft drinks including cordials category for the 2013 Quality Food Awards. A record number of entries were received this year so being shortlisted is a real achievement.

Only two other drinks were selected as finalists in this category - Little Miracles Green Tea, Ginseng & Pomegranate and Ocado ZEO.

The Quality Food Awards are the most prestigious awards for food and drink products on sale in UK grocery outlets.What sets these awards apart is the impartiality and robustness of the judging process and the invaluable feedback which entrants receive.

NEW drink Gran Stead’s Blackcurrant with Zing will make it difficult for witches, wizards and warlocks to stay chillingly spooky this Halloween. For this spicy concoction - luscious blackcurrant juice with a ghostly touch of ginger - is deep, dark and devilishly warming.

Inspired by an historic, 19th Century recipe that can be traced back to the original Victorian “Granny Stead”, Blackcurrant with Zing is ideal for handing round in mugs after a stint of trick or treating. Serve it warm with ginger cake and spicy biscuits.

A Sussex drinks business is buffering austerity Britain and taking its ginger drinks global with new products, new branding and multiple export deals.

Mile Oak drinks firm Gran Stead’s Ginger Co. has seen demand for its non-alcoholic ginger drinks rise dramatically over the last four years, with more than 20 per cent of its trade now coming from abroad.

The following are snippets taken from a variety of recent articles in the press about Gran Stead's drinks.

“It works equally well as a mixer with Whisky but I've been having it straight or on the rocks. Boy is it fiery. Certainly packs a punch ...”
(Fiery Ginger)
Foodiequine

"Thirst quenching and very easy to drink – both drinks are a little taste of the summer to come. The Traditional Still lemonade is not too sweet, extremely lemony and moreish without becoming sickly. The Lemonade with ginger is more grown up and has a gentle warming kick which became more intense if you gulp it back. I’d recommend both for a picnic.”
Victoria Stewart, London Evening Standard

I must say that before these beverages arrived I was unaware that I was reviewing non alcoholic drinks and was rather looking forward to the sugary kick of some nice old fashioned ginger wine. None the less I persevered with the three bottles of drink that arrived on my doorstep.

The ginger wine is apparently made to a 150 year old recipe and is similar in its dark amber brown colour to the alcoholic version. Winner of gold in the Great Taste Awards, the taste is unexpectedly fruity from the lemons, which works very well with the ginger giving a pleasing tartness to balance the sweetness. Initially, it isn’t stronger than a fiery ginger beer, but wait a couple of seconds for the after burn - this packs some serious heat!

A Sussex couple are raising a celebratory glass after their handmade ginger wine beat off global competition to go gold in a prestigious drinks contest. Chris and Rosemary Knox entered their Gran Stead’s soft drinks into the British Bottlers’ Institute (BBI) contest for the first time this year. They were delighted when their Dark & Mellow Ginger Wine was awarded the highest accolade by a panel of industry experts. Gran Stead’s other ginger wine, new Light & Fiery, scooped silver.

Award-winning beverage business Gran Stead’s Ginger has been nominated as a finalists in the Sussex Food & Drink Awards 2012/13. Finalists were announced by Sally Gunnell OBE at the official awards launch at the South of England show in June.

Gran Stead’s ginger wine.

Wonderful old-fashioned, non-alcoholic ginger wine handmade by a family company and using a 150-year-old recipe from the original Gran Stead.

Their website lists local stockists and also features delicious recipes and ideas on using the wine.

We’ve also been told it makes fabulous ice lollies!