Page 79 of A Year at Appleyard Farm
‘I know,’ replied Freya, beaming. ‘I’m a genius. Seriously though, it does make sound business sense, but I like the whole idea of the community thing too. I feel like I’ve been given a second chance with Appleyard, and I’d like to keep that luck running if I can.’
Willow looked down at the table again. ‘And this is research, is it?’
‘Mainly,’ replied Freya. ‘Information from other companies offering a similar service, but I’ve also got brochures here giving all the technical specifications for our equipment as well. We might be asked all sorts of questions by prospective users of the scheme, and I don’t want to be caught napping. We could need to be pressing as early as August, and that doesn’t give us much time to get all our marketing information out there and be ready for business.’
‘So you need to know where I am with Willowberries?’
Freya nodded. ‘I just love that name.’ She sighed. ‘We make such a perfect combination, don’t we? Appleyard Juices and Willowberries nectar, it’s almost as if it was meant to be – I mean who wouldn’t want to buy us?’
Willow fished in the bag she had brought with her, carefully pulling out a cardboard box and laying it on the table in front of her. Wrapped around it was a vibrantly printed sleeve of cardboard the exact colour of a dusky Victoria plum. A froth of white elderflowers trailed across one corner, curling around the lettering that formed the company name. She looked at Freya’s astonished face.
‘Go on, open it,’ she said.
Freya moved her laptop further to one side and slid the box towards her. ‘I daren’t, it’s too beautiful,’ she replied, running her fingers across the surface. ‘Is this one of the sample boxes that you were talking about?’
Willow’s smile was wide. ‘They turned out better than I could ever have hoped. They were Peter’s idea, but Henry did all the design work of course, and his girlfriend gave me the name of the people she uses for packaging.’
‘And Merry has sent these out to the list of folk that she knows?’
‘Some of them, yes, about twenty in all to start with. It was a pretty long list, but we picked some retailers, some hotels and a couple of restaurants too. All people she’s dealt with before and recommends. Fingers crossed we get one or two bites.’
Freya looked down at the box in front of her. ‘I’d eatthis.’ She grinned. ‘It looks good enough.’
Carefully, she removed the sleeve from the outside, and levered open the lid of the box. A subtle waft of summery fragrance rose up. She inhaled happily. ‘Mmm, what’s this?’ she queried.
‘Elderflower oil, dabbed onto the bottom of the box. I thought it would help to appeal to all the senses,’ said Willow.
‘Oh God, I’m fairly drooling…’
She lifted out a small bottle from the box, a lime green label swinging from its neck.Drink Meit read.
I am elderflowers, gathered when the sun warms the blooms and bees dance in the hedgerows.
I am steeped with sugar and juicy Sicilian lemons.
I am Willowberries Elderflower Nectar.
Next a tiny jar emerged with a label bearing the instructionEat Me.
I am fat strawberries that dribble down your chin, gathered from a field where skylarks sing.
I’ve begged a little lemon juice, sugar, and elderflower cordial to keep me company.
I am Willowberries Strawberry and Elderflower Preserve.
Freya set this gently to one side, bringing out the last of the tiny containers, this time a small pot with a vibrant plum label.Imagine me, it read.
I am gooseberries, golden orbs bursting in the morning sun.
I am singing with sugar and elderflower cordial and whipped into soft velvety peaks of double cream.
I am Willowberries Gooseberry and Elderflower Cream Ice.
She sat back in her chair, for a moment totally lost for words. Willow was studying her, trying to read her expression.
‘The labels are just a little bit of folly,’ supplied Willow. ‘I thought they might add to the sense of magic; you know like Alice in Wonderland…’
‘Willow, these are inspired! I’ve never seen anything like this, but what a fantastic idea, it works beautifully.’
