WAITROSE LISTS PURO SMOOTHIES

Waitrose has listed Puro brand smoothies developed by Barefruit Products, a Northern Ireland company which uses a unique production process that retains a higher percentage of vitamins and minerals in the drinks. Waitrose is to sell the smoothies at 35 UK stores, the majority in London and Home Counties. The Waitrose listing follows a recent launch in Fortnum and Mason for the Puro branded smoothies at its Piccadilly store. Other retail customers include specialist stores such as Daylesford Organic in Gloucestershire and the Peyton and Byrne caf? and restaurant chain in London. Puro smoothies are made by hand using whole fresh fruit, not fruit purees or concentrate and involve a pressurisation process that maintains Vitamin C levels and minerals while offering a 21-day shelf life. The traditional method of pasteurisation used by competitors can destroy a significant amount of Vitamin C because it involves boiling the fruit in its initial and/or final preparation stage. Barefruit Products was formed in October 2005 by local entrepreneur Rosemary Cowan and has seen significant growth in its business since then. The company has also won a series of business awards for its enterprise and the quality of its products.Barefruit's success demonstrates the values embedded in the recently launched ???Northern Ireland Good Food Is In Our Nature??? campaign.