Pickers sought for Belvoir Farm's 40th elderflower harvest

Georgia Jones launches this year's Belvoir Farm elderflower harvest appeal

A former beauty queen is fronting the 40th elderflower harvest appeal launched by soft drinks producer, Belvoir Farm.

TV personality, model and former Miss England, Georgia Jones, is fronting this year’s campaign, which aims to encourage members of the community to pick the fruit in an idyllic location and earn some extra cash at the same time.

Country-loving Georgia, married to McFly frontman Danny Jones, will be rolling up her sleeves to get involved in the harvest and hosting a VIP and community 1980s-themed vintage tea party in the elderflower fields at Bottesford-based Belvoir Farm on June 5.

“It’s going to be great to experience the whole process, from picking the flowers to seeing them transformed into delicious cordial,” said Georgia.

Georgia Jones with a bottle of Belvoir Farm's elderflower cordial

"I think what makes it really special is that, to this day, the local community is involved in its creation.”

Belvoir Farm began in 1984, when director Pev Manner’s mother Mary created a delicious elderflower cordial in their home kitchen, made with the dainty flowerheads that used to spill over into the garden.

The company’s harvest has a crucial four-week blooming season when the flowers are at their best – it runs from end of May to end of June.

Picking takes place from Belvoir Farm’s own 60-acre organic plantation and wild hedgerows found across Leicestershire and the company’s bordering counties.

To ensure product freshness, pickers will be encouraged to pick and drop-off to Belvoir Farm’s weighing stations on the same day.

Pickers are paid in cash (£3.50 per kilo) once the elderflowers have been weighed and verified.

Pev commented: “This is a landmark year for our business and elderflower harvest, and I’m incredibly proud of our team and what we’ve achieved.

"We’ve always chosen to make our drinks the proper way, not the easy way, and we get an incredible response from the community, with some of our original elderflower pickers from the early years still coming back to get involved.

"Whether you’re a seasoned or first-time picker, we’d love to welcome you to the farm to experience this special occasion.”

The company would love to hear from people who have been picking over the last 40 years and hopes they’ll return to take part in this year’s 40th celebrations.