TV gardening presenter Daisy Payne kicks off Belvoir Farm’s Elderflower harvest season

A TV gardening presenter has kicked off the elderflower harvest season for a family-owned drinks company.

Daisy Payne, a regular on ITV’s This Morning, has kicked off Belvoir Farm’s Bush to Bottle Challenge.

The challenge invites the local community to pick elderflowers in return for cash, and these will then be picked, infused and blended to Elderflower cordial.

Daisy said: “It was great meeting the local volunteers around Belvoir Farm who had come out to help us all pick and then transform this floral bounty into the delicious drink we all know and love.

“It’s really a unique experience. Not only can the pickers earn some extra cash from their endeavours, but it’s also a fantastic way to enjoy nature and really understand the process of bush to bottle.”

During the six-week blooming season, from late May to the end of June, flowers are picked on Belvoir Farm’s 60 acre organic plantation and surrounding hedgerows.

It is the only type of harvest in the UK that relies on the community to help and people from the surrounding four counties come back year after year to collect flowers and bring them to the company’s headquarters.

Pev Manners, company managing director, said: “It’s great to take Daisy out of her garden and into the wonderful Vale of Belvoir countryside, and we’re delighted to say our annual harvest is still going strong.

“It was great fun working with Daisy to welcome her into the wonderful wild organic fields at Belvoir Farm.

“It really has given this year’s harvest a brilliant start.”

Daisy went behind the scenes to see how Belvoir Farm’s signature flavour was made. She then bottled and delivered the bottles to customers for them to enjoy.