95% of Britain's Blackcurrants make it

The once humble blackcurrant is fast building a reputation as the secret super fruit. Packed full of goodness, discover more about this secret (unsung) hero.

But how do we grow blackcurrants here in Britain? And how do the Ribena growers make sure that their fruit is as juicy and delicious as possible?

Like the property market, growing blackcurrants is all about location, location, location.

Our growers chose the best plots of land for growing our blackcurrants. This land is usually sheltered from the wind and next to woodland. Oh and of course it’s very important to have lots of nutritious soil for our blackcurrants.

We begin harvesting in July when the blackcurrants have turned from green to a luscious purple colour. Then our growers work really hard to harvest in all the blackcurrants. From dawn to dusk a special machine shakes the berries from their bushes, literally tickling them off.

Most of the 95% of juicy blackcurrants that get into Ribena are picked and squashed into juice within just 24 hrs. Which is why your favourite drink always tastes as fresh as a summer breeze.

What happens to the other 5%? Well, you’ll have to find out for yourself.

You know the phrase about good things coming in small packages? It was coined with the blackcurrant in mind. At least it should have been - because weight for weight, blackcurrants contain nearly four times as much Vitamin C as an orange.

Blackcurrants are practically bursting with antioxidants too. These are warrior-like substances that work together to protect your body’s cells from attack. And if that isn’t enough, we’ll let you into a little secret, Antioxidants including Vitamin C have been used in products that help your skin to look healthy and radiant.

For further information about blackcurrants please go to www.blackcurrantfoundation.co.uk (link will open in a new window).

At Ribena, we've been doing business with some of our 45 British blackcurrant growers for over 60 years. Like all the best partnerships, the relationship benefits both parties. Growers receive long-term contracts, valuable help on growing blackcurrants and in return they provide us with absolutely fantastic blackcurrants.  Here’s to another 60 years of working together!

Your taste buds aren’t the only thing Ribena cares about. We’re rather fond of the British countryside too. That’s why we’ve formed a partnership with The Wildlife Trusts – one of the largest environmental charities in the UK, who manage over 200,000 acres of land. A major aim of the charity is to encourage greener farming methods. They give growers advice about how to best grow blackcurrants in a way that helps British wildlife.

The Wildlife Trusts help growers to help wildlife. This can involve anything from installing bird boxes to planting new trees. Doing these things helps to protect native British species like the barn owl, dormouse, otter and bumblebee.

Now it`s not just you who loves Ribena dormice do too.