Member Article

Denbighshire’s fruit infused spirits company celebrates first year working with Cywain

A Denbighshire fruit infused spirits company is celebrating its first year working with national food and drinks support agency, Cywain.

Shlizzy, run by entrepreneur Elisabeth Jones, 37, from her home farm in Bodfari, Denbighshire will celebrate in style as the company takes its next business step to reach new and larger markets, helped by Cywain’s Development Manager, Llior Radford

“It’s an exciting time for Shlizzy,” explains Lizzy Jones whose name inspired the fabulously fruity flavours and gifts prepared by the company on the Denbighshire family farm.

“We’re working with Cywain on our company brand, labelling, license to sell Shlizzy products wholesale and all the relevant legal requirements. Having Llior from Cywain guiding me through these processes is invaluable as we take the company on to the next business level.”

This all comes at a time when Lizzy is also busy out in the fields transplanting gooseberry and blackcurrant bushes in preparation for coming yields to use in her fruit infused gin and vodka products. Several hundred cherry bushes have already been relocated on the farm, in anticipation for next year’s crops.

Set in the picturesque Vale of Clwyd, Lizzy is the second generation of her family to farm the land at Maes Sied, Bodfari. Locally, Maes Sied is well known as the local pick your own fruit farm where families ventured out on day trips back in the 80s and 90s and spend the whole day on the farm picking punnets of strawberries and raspberries, in between petting the farm animals.

“Those days are well and truly gone,” explains Lizzy, “and when we lost our father a few years ago, it was important to me and my sister, Rosie, who helps out during the busy picking and pruning seasons, that the farm remains in the family as a legacy to our father, David Jones.”

The former teacher thoroughly enjoys experimenting with different flavours using her home produced honey and home grown apples, blackcurrants, cherries, plums, red currants, rhubarb and gooseberry infused vodka and gin.

Coming in mini bottles of 20ml for those special gifts and favours, 50ml, 110ml and 200ml, Lizzie hopes there’s something to suit everyone’s taste and price range. Prices start at £3 for a 20ml fruit infused gin or vodka or £8.50 for a three pack small gift bag, £5.50 for a 50ml bottle, £12.50 for a 110ml and £22.50 for the larger 200ml Shlizzy bottles.

“I’m currently hand painting personalised bottles and adding special messages on the tags such as birthdays, Christmas or thank you gifts, but the new branding will assist with expanding the volume of bottles I will be able take to market.”

Llior Radford, Cywain Development Manager who supports new food and drink businesses in Denbighshire and Flintshire said: “Shlizzy’s unique selling point is the farm to bottle story. Lizzy uses her quality home grown fruit to create a product that brings added value to her primary Welsh products.

“The love and care that goes into each and every bottle gives the customer, not only a quality tasting product, but confidence in the goods due to Lizzy’s farm to bottle story. I look forward to further developing the business, and supporting Shlizzy in reaching new markets.”

The fruity spirits can be bought at local food and drink markets and wedding exhibition fairs.

Cywain a Menter a Busnes project adds value to primary Welsh products within the food and drink sector. The project was financed through the Rural Development Plan for Wales funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Harris .