Innocent Drinks

Innocent made its first smoothie in 1998 and is now one of the leading brands in the UK market, dedicated to producing drinks and smoothies that are 100% natural and good for you. Lucy Ede is Head of Product Development at Innocent Drinks.

What is your role at Innocent?

I'm the Head Of Product Development. That means that I head up the team that comes up with our delicious new recipes.

How did you get into the business?

I've been passionate about food since I was very young so working in food was the natural step when it came to starting work. My first job was as a food selector for M&S.

What do you most enjoy about your job?

Nothing beats seeing people drinking our smoothies and knowing that I helped come up with the recipe.

How do you go about creating a new Innocent smoothie?

We're always looking to come up with recipes that taste totally delicious. New recipes come about in all sorts of ways. Sometimes ideas are sparked by a visit to a deli or a food hall, or even by a newspaper article. Sometimes we are given a brief, which could be to come up with a new recipe for a kids range, or a whole new concept like our new Superfoods range.

We then get to work in the kitchen. This involves hours of blending, adjusting the quantities of the lead fruits until the balance is perfect, with a base of crushed fruit and juices. Years of experience means that we instinctively know what goes with what - we always add banana for natural texture and sweetness, add a base juice (usually apple) which turns the whole crushed fruit into a drink, and finally a squeeze of citrus to liven it all up.

They need to have a great texture and a colour that's appealing. All our drinks are 100% natural so are always going to be really healthy.

Once the recipe has been perfected, the next stage is to see what people think. Taste testing the recipe is the crucial stage; if customers don't like it then it won't get on shelf. Testing is done at friends' offices (and yes we are always looking for new offices, so if you are interested drop us a line) where around 60 people taste the new creations and tell us what they think. Everyone who takes part gets a free smoothie as a thank you.

We do some number crunching to work out which recipe tastes best, and then if it passes, we take the recipe to the factory.

The fruit buyers get enough fruit in, and then we scale up the recipe so the factory can make up a large batch where it is expertly blended, gently pasteurised and bottled. We always do a trial first to make sure the fruits behave themselves before we give the green light.The whole new recipe development process can take as little as three weeks.

Is there a secret to the perfect fruit smoothie?

I think that above all a smoothie should be 100% natural and taste great without any artificial aids - we always look for intense fruits with distinctive and impactful tastes for our lead ingredients. Blackberries for example have a strong, intense flavour that's instantly recognisable.

What is the perfect beauty-boosting smoothie?

All our smoothies are naturally good for you and your skin as they are made from pure crushed fruit. We recently launched a Detox smoothie within our new Superfoods range - pomegranates, blueberries and acai. It's packed with vitamins and antioxidants.

What is the perfect cold-busting smoothie?

Our Vit C Superfoods smoothie is made with blackcurrants, acerola cherries and rosehips all of which are very high in vitamin C. In fact, just one little bottle provides you with 500% of your RDA of vitamin C. So it's pretty good for warding off colds.

What are the benefits of drinking smoothies on a regular basis?

One Innocent smoothie provides you with a minimum of two portions of your five-a-day so drinking one is an easy way to do yourself some good. They are packed with vitamins, nutrients, fibre and no artificial nonsense.

Berries are used as a key ingredient in many of the Innocent recipes: what is the most versatile berry to use in a smoothie recipe?

I'd have to say raspberries - they can add both sweetness and acidity to a recipe. They are incredibly fruity and have a rich, intense flavour. Their soft texture also makes them ideal for smoothies.

What is your favorite berry?

It would have to be blueberries. I love them for their delicate aroma and flavour. They're really good for you too as they are packed with antioxidants and vitamins. Plus they are delicious in muffins. Yum!