HPP and juice innovators

Claire Phoenix is FoodBev Media managing editor – magazines. This is a personal blog and views expressed are her own.

After exploring high pressure processing (HPP) innovators Preshafruit and Coldpress yesterday, there are now three other companies worth a closer look.

Two are cold pressed companies – including Aartizen – the bottles shown here with cucumber and kale, beetroot and wheatgrass added to apple juice – and the other a juice bar with plenty of ideas.

“I am pressed” promises no more waiting in line at a noisy juice bar. Its custom built hydraulic press uses thousands of pounds of pressure to gently extract vitamins, minerals, and enzymes with minimal oxidation and without any heat, creating clean, smooth, fresh tasting juice.

This HPP as opposed to heat process leads to elimination of harmful bacteria while maintaining vitamins, minerals and enzymes and preserving a fresher taste.

The company’s juicing facility is located in the heart of the Midlands, UK, close to the independent farmers who grow fresh, produce, minimizing the transportation time from farm to bottle to you. They say: “We don’t believe that you should have to compromise taste for nutrition. We craft each of our juice blends in small batches, creating delicious and innovative flavour combinations that satisfy all taste buds. We are proud to have converted green juice skeptics into believers”.

The Starbucks purchase of Evolution Fresh also underlines the belief that fresh juice is pressing to be a major category. No longer is chocolate always the craved for treat, today’s healthy consumer is looking for the latest in premium juice.

Wild Juicery

The Wild Juicery juice bar in London’s buzzing Neal’s yard offers cold-pressed juices, nutrient rich smoothies and snacks. The friendly staff give education and guidance on best quality nutrition, wild foraging, biodynamic agriculture, superfoods and superherbs, as well as ‘cleanse’ programmes, using fruit and vegetable juices, and tonic herbal tea and raw foods to detox.

• The Juicy menu features organic cold pressed juices, such as Electrified (apple, celery, cucumber, kale, fresh coconut water, lime, fresh aloe vera and green powder).

• The Smooth menu features smoothies such as White Zen (raw almond milk, dates, cold brewed coffee, fresh coconut, fresh Irish moss, vanilla and cardamom).

• Potent, a synergy of pressed juices, tonics teas & NYR herbal tinctures, like the Focused (a mix of apple & wild blueberry, Rosehip & Nettle Tea with Hawthorn Tincture & Wild-crafted Raw Honey) and Hot, which features hot drinks such as Superfood Hot Chocolate, Reishi & Chaga Mushroom Tea and coffee from Monmouth Coffee.

According to communication guru Andre Dang, prices vary from £3.20 for a small Vibrant juice (which contains apple, celery, cucumber, spinach, parsley, lemon and ginger) to £6.80 for a large Green Incredible smoothie (which contains apple, celery, lemon, banana, kale, fresh coconut, fresh aloe vera, fresh Irish moss and Wild Juicery green powder).

 Look out for them in ready to drink cold pressed versions soon!