A bit about Urban Cordial
Todays guest is Natasha Steele from Urban Cordial. I started using Urban Cordial a few years ago when I was recommended them by a friend. The taste was absolutely delicious, and I loved the variety of different flavours that kept coming out.
Looking into the company, I loved everything they stood for; sustainability, natural products, low sugar, protecting the environment, sourcing locally. It was in line with everything I believe in, and as a new mother, it was exactly the kind of drink I wanted my kids to be consuming. And then, like most food products I buy, I didn’t think any more of it - I just bought it and drank it - it became habit.
It was only when planning this podcast, looking for guests - entrepreneurs with exciting innovative products, but who come from unconventional or unexpected backgrounds. That my cousin Victoria - producer of this podcast suggested the wife of a friend in the theatre industry, someone called Natasha. She described Natasha as the founder and ‘chief juicer’ of a juice company who would forage in her allotment for ingredients to turn into cordials. She added very little sugar, worked on the recipes and started selling them for fun at her local farmers market.
‘From there it grew and grew and the product is really excellent’ Victoria said, ‘they’re called Urban Cordial, do you know them?’
It felt serendipitous, and so we got in touch and had the most fantastic conversation with Natasha about her journey and where her fruity road is taking her.
We spoke about many things, with a real focus on the big problem of food surplus in supermarkets. I found out that over one third of food around the world never reaches our plates - a percentage so unbelievable it seems embarrassing to be a part of. As part of urban cordial, Natasha contacts local farms and uses their surplus to produce the cordial and to date has helped save over one hundred tonnes of fresh fruit from ending up in the landfill.
We also spoke about the power of female friendships - Natasha has the most fantastic group of female entrepreneurs who she exchanges ideas, advice and support with.
I can’t wait for you to hear about her company and another female-boss leading the way. Check out the podcast here, and Urban Cordial here!
So have a listen (subscribe!!) and leave a comment - we’d love to know what you think of our chat!
Suz x
Know someone who might be perfect for or podcast? Drop us an email on vicki@scottishbeecompany.co.uk
Transcript
Suzie Millar 0:00
Thank you so much for coming along to be on this podcast today. I'm really, really grateful to you for coming along because I know that you're super busy. And and I suppose the first thing that I wanted to chat to you about was your company Urban Cordials. What's it all about? And how has it kind of transformed over the course of the last five years?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 0:18
Yeah, we just had our fifth birthday. We actually started longer than five years ago, because it was a hobby before it became a business. I used to work in the city, I was an auditor. And I used to just make cordials in my spare time, because I didn't drink alcohol, it was just something else to have a drink. And then I would sell at a farmers market, but only at Christmas. So I did like two markets, every Christmas just for two years, just for a little bit of extra pocket money. And then I started to do it more part time. And then eventually, I got listed in a very well known two Michelin star restaurant, and so quit my job and decided to go at it full time. In terms of like how the product has changed, the product itself hasn't changed too much, we have always been a low sugar brand. And we've always used some surplus fruit. And now 100% of our fruit is surplus, and probably in the last five years, we've saved around 90 tons going to waste. But the majority of that is in the last two just over two years.
Suzie Millar 1:47
And what's the reason for that?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 1:49
Its because just over two years ago, we did a huge rebrand and completely changed everything because theoretically, is the main thing that has changed and changed our production process. And as a result, it tastes better. And we reduced our range, we had too many flavors previously. And now we've got a core range of eight flavors. And it's just gone from there, really. But yeah, our cordials, there's nothing artificial, so they're naturally low in sugar, we don't add any alternative sugar, we just put in a lot less and say the majority of it comes from the fruit that's inside. And our production processes zero waste. So all of the fruit pulp goes to animal feed, and our production facility produces around 12 and a half to 14 tonnes of waste a year. And that's like plastic, cardboard, whatever. And now 100% of it is recycled.
Suzie Millar 2:40
That's amazing. And did you sign up to a program that would help you to do that? Or is that something that just comes quite naturally to you anyway, to know how to to do waste, basically?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 2:53
I have a very amazing, like an amazing manufacturing partner. So it's what they do. So it just, it just seemed to be the perfect pairing perfect partnership for for me to find them, they will also be only people that would fully replicate our process. So everyone else said just use fruit juice from concentrate or add in more sugar. That's basically what every other brand does, which allows them to keep their prices really low because the quality of the produce in there as either low or low quality or like just not very much fruit. And my manufacturer was able to do exactly what I wanted, which means that our product is super good quality, and nothing's compromised. And they already do all of the recycling. Yep. Extra recycling on top of this. Yeah. Yeah. And now they're even starting to help source our surplus fruit, which is brilliant as well.
Suzie Millar 3:51
And how do you how do you go about sourcing surplus fruit is surplus fruit, something that all farms produce? Or so what I see is a real common thing and what usually happened to
Natasha - Urban Cordials 4:03
it, so other people gonna buy it. So ice cream companies will buy like a lot of strawberries and raspberries to make strawberry or like raspberry report ice cream, whatever. Jam companies will take some but it's more difficult for jam because we can take all of the fruit with all of the leaves and foliage because it just gets filtered out on the press. So it doesn't matter to us. Whereas obviously, jam companies need everything hold and more of a more of a pristine condition. And then a lot of juice companies will take it and there's some of the waste goes to I can't remember the name of the process but basically like to create energy. But it's not that using waste fruit is not a very energy efficient way of creating energy doesn't create very much energy basically. So yeah, so other companies do purchase it. We're not the only ones doing it or they just throw it so it just goes So it just goes to the landfill. Yeah. And it depends on the time of year. So it's more than that it's more of the imported product in the winter tend to get thrown. And in the summer, because obviously it costs a lot of money in the summer, there are some farms that just leave it in the field, it's for the birds to where to eat it or for it to rot back into the ground. That depends on the farm.
Suzie Millar 5:20
Such a shame that all that fruit is going to waste. And, and I think, remember that you've told me before that some of it is actually stuff that could be sold in supermarkets, it's perfectly good quality.
Natasha - Urban Cordials 5:34
It's perfectly good. I mean, all of its good, because if it wasn't, we wouldn't be able to use. But some of it is perfectly good. The reason why some of it, it can't go to say supermarkets, for example, which is very legitimate reason is that they it's it's about to turn so supermarket needs what like a week's shelf life on it or like 10 days. And if it's only got two days left on it, then obviously they can't take it, but we can because it's going straight into our bottles, or sometimes as a seasonal glut. If there's been a really good weather. And so the pickers can't, it's comes back to the same reason. But the biggest can't pick it fast enough to keep up with everything. So then obviously, it's about it's too late. So that's gotten shorter shelf life. So there are some really very legitimate reasons why the supermarket can't take it or when it's misshapen. Yeah, that is not a legitimate reason.
Suzie Millar 6:29
No, and how much because obviously, that's the sort of stuff that you see in the news that people are, are not wanting to eat to the shape and fruits and that they're all going to waste. But that's really interesting that actually some of the times that the fruit is going to waste it is a completely legitimate reason.
Natasha - Urban Cordials 6:42
And sometimes it could be worth the damage. And I understand why. Say, you know, someone doesn't want to eat an apple that's got little bit like some like bruises on it that's been caused by a hair like hell, if there's like a freak hailstorm, which does occur, it tastes perfectly fine. But I can understand why, you know, a couple of bruises or like little holes or something would put somebody off.
Suzie Millar 7:08
Yeah, absolutely. But what would kick me off? I think if you actually put me off as well. But that's what I love, though about your product, though, is that you can just take all of that. And use because no one's gonna have known that no one right. Yeah, yeah. So when you're doing the pressing, do you have to take the outer part of the fruit? Does it come off? Or does it all get completely pressed,
Natasha - Urban Cordials 7:30
it will get suppressed, it all gets washed, obviously.And through that washing process, we can actually pick out like the bad pears and the bad apples. And the and the berries get the apples and pears go up on like a big machine and get washed and grated down and through the press. But the berries, they get hand bucketed onto our press. So very easy to see if there's, you know, a bad one in there as well. But nothing gets peeled, just gets either shredded or go straight on to the press and then all the pulp comes out the other end.
Suzie Millar 8:05
And that's what you said goes to animal feed. Yeah. And what animals Wow.
Natasha - Urban Cordials 8:10
Oh, it's just me just picks. Yeah, I believe it's just pigs. Yes, the local farm to the place that you get to where we are because we're in the countryside.
Suzie Millar 8:21
And so you said obviously you started the product product has never changed. I find it really interesting that you decided not to use sugar at all. Was that a personal health choice? Or was it What was the reasoning behind that?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 8:36
So we do use sugar, okay, we just use a lot less sugar. So if you look at other brands, the first ingredient tends to be sugar and that product and ours other than our elderflower, which is the second it's the second ingredient in all of the other products. It's the third ingredient. And it's just, I don't like sweet foods and sweet drinks. So it's very difficult to sell something that you don't like the taste of. Yeah, and it's also not necessary. You know, there's the sugar tax in place that is like would if if our company was big enough and we had to pay that like be debilitating on the business and health reasons like you just don't need to conceive that much. Yeah,
Suzie Millar 9:23
well I've actually looked out for your products because and I've I've bought them before and for that reason because anytime I go try and look for a cordials that I can give my son that just absolutely packed with not just sugar but no because of the sugar tax as far to me and yeah, all these sort of chemicals and I think I don't really think that that's going to be that much better. And I think of sugar. And yet there aren't any cordials out there that I have seen that have as little sugar in them as yours does.
Natasha - Urban Cordials 9:54
no that aren't there's like and there was another company I think they've gone under now and they were saying that They wouldn't no sugar, and they had stevia in it, which is fine because it's natural, but it has its own taste. So it just tends to COVID the flavor of, and they were also using fruit juice from concentrate, which is really high in sugar. So it just kind of defeated the purpose. But really all companies need to do is add less sugar, and we still have really stable shelf life of two years. And that's just the best before date. You know, it's perfectly fine up. I mean, I've never drunk a bottle after two years. They don't last that long. Before. Yeah, and they're sold before like the two year mark, but they're perfectly fine. Yeah, yeah, that's the only date. I don't know. Well, but I do know, the reason is because it makes the product cheaper. And that's why these products can charge such an awful amount of money.
Suzie Millar 10:49
So even with buying surplus fruit, it's still cheaper to buy sugar, is it?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 10:55
Yeah, yeah.
Suzie Millar 10:56
That's really interesting. Yeah. I'm free juice from concentrate, which is what a lot of the news as well, the warehouse that you run the processing facility, it's just a massive press, and then it goes into a bottling plant.Is that what happened?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 11:08
He said, so huge press. And then from that the juice comes off the press and it goes in a tube and then it goes into a massive VAT. Imagine like a wine. That Yeah, you know, like, what, how wide is stored. And then it goes from there, it gets sift into like a huge mixer, that's when we add the sugar. And if the flavor has lemon in it, or ginger, and it goes into that, and it goes back into another VAT, where the herb or whatever it's added. Because we have no no artificial flavorings. So if say it's like rasbian, rosemary, it's that literally fresh rosemary that gets steeped into the product with the fennel wheeze, the fennel seed leaves, dried sage, we don't use any like we don't use like essence of sage and essence of clove or whatever it is, is what it is. And then it goes into a bottling line. However many hours later, once we reduce it down,
Suzie Millar 12:05
and that whole process takes How long?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 12:07
About 36 hours? depends on the flavor. Yeah, between 24 and 36 hours.
Suzie Millar 12:17
So it's actually quite quick for you to be able to turn around product. Y
Natasha - Urban Cordials 12:21
yeah, yeah. Imean, probably like the actual making of the products. It's like 24 to 36 hours, and then it has to get bottled. And it depends take week probably bottle about 10,000 units a day. That's like full on like, yeah, exact hours, like, just solid on the bottling line. Yeah. Okay.
Suzie Millar 12:38
And we're blessed are you selling into?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 12:40
No. So we sell into loads of independence all over the place. Hopefully loads of restaurants in. I know. And we sell online through our web shop, and then through other web shops as well.
Suzie Millar 12:55
So I find it so interesting when people have completely changed the way that they've they've been that their working life as them. Because obviously I've done that myself. But you were an auditor before. Yeah. And then suddenly you went to making cordial? I know that you said that you did it as a hobby. But how did you had you always been interested in in being creative with food products and things like that? Or just again? Wasit reactive? Wasit because there was nothing out there that you liked? So you just did it?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 13:27
Prettymuch? Yeah. I mean, I love food. Yeah. Food is always been like a huge passion. Basically eating it. Do you love cooking, and I'm a good cook. But it's not been like, it was never a thing. It just I just happened upon it. It didn't i didn't set up making it to start a business.
Suzie Millar 13:49
No, it was just something that you did on a Saturday. For fun. Yeah. And then how did you get into auditing in the first place? Then was it was it just one of those things that you did? Because you felt that you should be doing that? Or was it something you enjoyed?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 14:04
Finished uni and I had worked for a year and then I traveled about? And then I was like, well, I should probably earn money. And and I fell into it. And then I hated it. Yeah, I really didn't enjoy it. I stopped learning the company. I was weird. Like, every time I tried to put a request in to do a training to do some form of training always got rejected. And so what I was doing just became like, very second nature. But then also, I just didn't put effort into it because I was just bored. And what I love about businesses, I'm constantly learning, I'm able to put myself on any course I want to. Yeah, one's gonna say no. Other than my accountant. That's like a constant learning experience doing this. Yeah.
Suzie Millar 14:53
So learning is obviously really important to you then in that case?,
Natasha - Urban Cordials 14:56
yeah, I just like to my mind to be active. You know, I'm not coaster. And I felt like I was becoming one in that job. Because it was just yeah, it just didn't just became dull.
Unknown Speaker 15:08
Yeah. And you need the stimulation. And actually, that's something that I found about our businesses that you sort of thing or once you've once you've done it for a couple years, you'll know everything that there is to know about the business. And then you just think then you realize there's no, there's always something else to learn and to be better at and all that kind of stuff. And there's so many different facets. If you run your own business, you've got your you kind of doing everything. Oh, yeah.
Suzie Millar 15:33
So is there any part of it that you don't enjoy? forecasting? Hate 4k? smart. I was saying yesterday, I hate it. I absolutely hate it. And the thing is, unfortunately, because I've tried loads of times to get accountants to help me with it, or even our online accounting software to help help me with it. But nothing fits your business you I have to program individual Excel spreadsheets.
Natasha - Urban Cordials 16:02
Yeah, mine is an Excel spreadsheet. Yeah.
Suzie Millar 16:04
And it's because you're the only one that can go. Well, I just don't think that in June, we're going to sell that much. But in August, we will. And yeah, he's not really programs that are.
Natasha - Urban Cordials 16:16
Yeah, for that sort of stuff. I don't find no, there aren't. It's just yeah, hater. But at least I know how to do it. So
Suzie Millar 16:25
yeah, well, you started off from a good point, if you already were aware of how to Excel spreadsheets from your previous job. Okay, so yeah, one of the questions I like to ask in the podcast, because of obviously the business that we run, Scottish Bee Company is who's in your hive? And what I mean by that is, who who do you find inspiring, it might be someone that you work with, it might be someone that's fictional, it might be a real life person that you've never met? And, and sort of do you have a circle of trust? or? Yeah, people up on a pedestal and kind of follow?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 17:00
Yeah. So it's a great question. That's the question we have, I have an amazing business mentor, who's incredible. he happens to be my parents best friend, which is nice. Yeah, have that relationship with him. I've also got my parents who are incredible. And my husband, he's amazing. But outside of like that immediate family, because my mentor is kind of like family to me. I'm part of a girls group, not singers, girls group. There's about eight or 10 of us in it. So really small, and we all have food businesses, and we're all non competing. And we're all at like, some early stage, some are like really established. And we're constantly ask each other questions we got for dinner with each other. And yeah, they're amazing.
Suzie Millar 17:54
How did that start?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 17:55
So just a couple of girls started it and what we've had up now for about two years. So it's like a jam company, a chocolate company, a granola company, not butter, cured meats, broth, vegan cheese. Me. Tea mazing. They're not nine of us in it. So yeah, we just we don't compete with each other. And we just constantly offer advice and unknown. A lot of moaning Yeah, yeah. So they're cool. And I think in terms of like, other people, is just Well, I, you know, listen to a podcast of like, an someone that's just done amazing things and inspiring things with their businesses. So people can inspire me all the time. And make me think, gosh, I need to make something of this. Like that's, that's pushes me to, to do stuff. Like I've got an amazing friend who runs a creative hub in Nigeria, in London. And she's currently living in she just moved to London because her youngest turned five. So she wants to go to be in school here. So she's here with her kids on her own running this ridiculous business. She has been invited to have like tea with like the royal family for the work that she's done. And her husband is in Nigeria because he runs his business there. So he's trying to like, come over here with be able to like, manage his business in Nigeria. And she's so she's running that full time and she's a full time mom and she is doing a master's in international trade full time. Which she got a full scholarship for. So I like like look at like a business school in Madrid, which is like doing it remotely. And I just like and she speaks fluent Spanish as well. I like she's amazing. She's like literally she's like incredible select when she tells me like what she's up and things like that, like that inspires me. So I anyone you know, when you see that and you're like, oh god, I thought I was busy. I've got another friend who has a full time job. And she's a full time mom. And she's started a charity giving, providing free children's clothes, toys, food at this time for people in poverty. And I'm just like, like those types of people and Swami because they're like, so busy. Yeah. And so capable. And you need those people around. You don't need to spur you on and inspire you and make you go forwards with what it is that you want.
Suzie Millar 20:31
Yeah. And your business mentor. Did he have experience setting up businesses? Is that why is a good mentor?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 20:37
Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. So he has a he had his own business, which he sold. And now he's like, the non exec for a lot of businesses, a lot of different businesses from like, law firm to a gym to a restaurant to a music venue. So he just like he understands business.
Suzie Millar 20:53
And that's the other thing you need, isn't it? Because you need two people that are inspiring, but you also need people to say, hang on a second, I don't think you should be going in this direction.
Natasha - Urban Cordials 21:00
Yeah, yeah, exactly. And, you know, I think it's good to get advice from someone that's like not in the food industry. Because at the end of the day, like businesses, but businesses business, it doesn't matter. What type of business it is, it's essentially the bare bones of it is the same. And so it's good to just have people from different with different experiences that you can lean on and learn from,
Suzie Millar 21:27
and what are your next steps with the business, then where do you see it going? Because obviously, it's had such a huge transformation in the past five years, and then also having to deal with the pandemic, and everything's changed. change that?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 21:39
Well, I think what I think there's a real opportunity in like my category, specifically to grow, because it has that we have a huge focus on sustainability. And we have a huge focus on being low sugar. And there are two areas that people want in their lives, both on a personal level and a commercial level. So I think there's and there's not been any shake up in the category for the pot like for, well for like, well over a decade, and like no one's come along to successfully shake it up and challenge the status quo ever. So I think there's real opportunity for growth. And essentially, you know, we want to be what fevertree is to tonic. Yeah, accordion is to premium cordials. And you know, when before fevertree came along, it was just like Schweppes and Britvic or whoever the other title company was, and they've paved the way for a lot of other companies to come along and shine and shine a gap in the market, say, if I can get my brand to bring other companies into the atmosphere gordios obviously, that'd be competitive to us. But like, what an amazing thing to create that that shift in the status quo found out
Suzie Millar 23:03
and What's this? What's the first step in that? What's your plans?
So just, you know, replace Beaver, all of the deli shops across the country. And to have restaurants and bars no longer use like bottle green or beaver as their core do or for pubs not to use Britvic or like razors, because they're just terrible. And to place a value on a product that has the ethics that our company does, and to get into those places. And then to eventually export as well to countries that are called your consumers. So the main ones, it's like Scandinavia, Germany, Netherlands, South Africa, and Australia, you forget that people don't actually because we have such an array of flavors don't wait for same with crisps. In the UK, we've got these completely complex flavors that we like to consume. And then you go to the states and they only have paprika. And salted crisps and accordions are the same. So yeah. like where's my salt and vinegar? Yeah.
What do you think has been your biggest challenge or failure. And I really love to hear about these because I think a lot of people talk about all the positives about their business and all this kind of stuff. And we're kind of a perfectionist in this country about where we're taking things. So I always think that challenges and failures are the opportunity for growth. And I just find it really interesting to find out what other people's have been Have there been any big failures for you?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 24:41
I think. I don't know if it's like a failure. But if I were to do something differently, I would have had a co founder. not have done it on my own. Which like, sounds amazing, but it's actually it would be amazing to have someone that has the skill. That balance is mine. Yeah. And I think that the business would probably be double the size. While it wouldn't be double the size to what it is, if I had somebody else next to me, that was also running the show, I really believe that helping to run the show.
Suzie Millar 25:16
What are the skill sets that you have? Or which ones do you lack?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 25:21
I'd probably want someone to come in to do the finance side. So the forecasting the accounts, the budgeting, the probably also like help with the operational side of things. That's what I would bring someone on to be a co founder, if, you know, five years ago,
Suzie Millar 25:41
would you consider that now? Five years down the line? Or would I consider bringing on a co founder now?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 25:46
No. Yeah, too late. Too late. Yeah, too late. Now I just need to hire. And because because I don't have that, I'm not strong in that skill set. I have found it very difficult to go out and raise money. Because I'm, it's just not you know, someone, if I had to be on a panel, and someone's just start questioning me, I'd freeze when they would start asking me all about the financials, because just not, yeah, it's not my strong suit. And that's what's probably hindered me from really pushing myself and going out to raise that investment with the business. So I think that's probably a failure slash challenge. Yeah, absolutely. I don't think I've had any, like, failure failures, anything but any failures, because we're so here, I think it's I think it's more of like a challenge. There's there's been lots of challenges along the way. You know, people be like, oh, everything looks like it's going so well. your Instagram looks amazing. The job of Instagram. Pat, myself on the back of one bed I'm sitting at right now. Yeah. I think another challenge, a big challenge for me, which I overcame is the rebrand because I thought my old branding was like, fantastic. Yeah, actually, it's like, totally shirt.
Suzie Millar 27:10
Who told you it wasn't? What made you think to change?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 27:15
I wanted to, I wanted to outsource production, and get a manufacturer and I needed a new bottle for that, and a new label. And so I decided to just shift the change the branding, and make it more professional and people buy with their eyes. So if they haven't been able to taste the product, you need them to put the product in their hand. And when it's in their hand, the percentage of them putting it into their basket increases by something like 40% is quite a large number. So I knew that even though I loved the way my bottles looked, I knew that they weren't doing that. And they were getting lost. So I hired an amazing branding agent See, who I still do work with. And she initially I was like, I want to keep this shape of the logo, and I want it to have this in it. And basically, as soon as she presented me like six options that are how I can change changer. And I was like, Oh, yeah, my my brand sucks. Because a couple of the options had what I had requested. And I was like, that just doesn't work.
Unknown Speaker 28:24
Yeah, it's so funny, isn't it? You do need people, these people who do branding are so talented. What I can't believe is that when you say to them, I have this idea. This is what I would like it to look like, and then they send it back. And it's it's exactly what you've asked for. And you think, how did you manage to put that into? Like, yeah, I don't know, how did you manage to put that into practice? It's like onto paper. Yeah, that's it. And they're always thinking about how things are going to look and feel and what the customer experience is going to be and all that sort of stuff as well, which Yeah, I mean, I I'm so glad that we spent money on on branding, because it's, you know, it's the sort of thing that it's like, it's like PR as well. Yeah, people sort of think it's a sort of superfluous spend. Yeah. And that you think, Oh, I'm probably shouldn't spend that much money on this, because I don't have that much money at the moment. But then once you spend the money, you realize it was worth it.
Natasha - Urban Cordials 29:19
Yeah. And it just slowly like builds. It didn't it was not cheap to do, but we're now reaping the benefit of doing it, like a year and a half later, two years later, when, you know, people are still commenting on how much they loved the branding. We've won like several awards for we get like we just listed with a distributor a couple of weeks ago, just a small one. But the first time ever a distributor hasn't tried the product. They were like these look amazing. And that wouldn't have happened for their old fronting.
Suzie Millar 29:51
No way. That's great. That's really great. Getting eye catching. Yeah. And then what do you do so what do you obviously we've talked a lot about Your Business What about what you where you see the business going, etc? What do you personally do to reset?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 30:09
I have an allotment?
Suzie Millar 30:10
Oh amazing. What do you grow?
Natasha - Urban Cordials 30:11
so a lot so I went for the first time this year on the weekend, and we planted some raspberries blackcurrants strawberries and rhubarb and some purple potatoes. And I've got a Pear Tree On there an apple tree, a plum tree. And then we plant courgettes, peas, beet, true. Beans, cucumber, tomatoes, pumpkin core shots. That's a funny flower. Because it's not like a lemon. Yeah, it's it's quite, it's quite big, but it's just I share it with a friend. So like we're only two people sweet. We just grow a little bit. Yeah. Lots of things. And I mean cucumbers go crazy. So we probably last year we had like three, two cucumber plants and I've probably got two months worth of cucumbers out of it. Yeah, can you do anything over the winter there, which I tried last year, but unsuccessfully I was going to try and do pack joy. And I grow covelo near Ray that light that goes through the winter. But it's pretty much gone now. Fantastic. That's so cool. And then I've got garlic that you I mean you can grow their own vegetables you can grow but I'm a Fairweather gardener I do that. I'm a fair weather most things outdoor activities like I love swimming so I go swimming outdoors in the probably from around by end of April. I go through till September. Well I do that.
Suzie Millar 31:39
Yeah, my husband just started doing that. And then he's doing are you do do the one where you don't wear what suits you just wear your swimming costume? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, he gets up at 530 every morning to go swimming in the sea. And I'm talking I actually don't know how he does.
Natasha - Urban Cordials 31:57
Cuz Yeah, you're in Scotland. Yeah, actually, like that I have I would probably get because I've not done cold water cold or to the coldest I've been in, it's probably about like eight or 10 degrees. And I couldn't put my hands in. And so if it gets that cold again, I'd probably get gloves. Yeah. Then I would do a wetsuit. Yeah, unless I was like my you are up in Scotland then. Then I would do a wetsuit.
Unknown Speaker 32:23
Yeah, it is. Yeah, I mean, that's what we had we I used to we do it and we were wetsuits, and suddenly, now he's not wearing wetsuits. He's just going in and his swimming trunks and a beanie hat. Yeah. Crazy. But yeah, it's so good mental health wise, though. It really helps you calm down and sort of reset and everything like that.
Natasha - Urban Cordials 32:45
It's amazing. The waters amazing.
Suzie Millar 32:47
Thank you so much for being on our on our podcast. I'm honestly so grateful. I just find your business inspiring. And I really do think that you have a completely unique brand. And everything that you've said about where you want to go with it in the future just makes sense to me. I think yeah. No doubt that you'd be able to be the fevertree of cordials.
Natasha - Urban Cordials 33:09
Yeah, fingers crossed.
Suzie Millar 33:11
Super, super exciting. Thank you again. I'm honestly I'm really grateful. No worries.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
