Raisthorpe wins Great British Food award

Artisan drinks producer Raisthorpe Distillery has won a Great British Food Award for one of its premium Yorkshire Tonics.

Its Pink Grapefruit tonic triumphed in the fruit juice and mixers category of the prestigious awards for 2020.

The category was judged by critic and food writer William Sitwell who said: “This was an exquisite drink, beautifully made with a really natural taste. It gets the balance perfectly between the grapefruit and the sugar content of the tonic, you get that wonderful, gently bitter, totally real, refreshing taste of grapefruit softened by the tonic.”

Raisthorpe, based on the Yorkshire Wolds, launched its range of six tonics two years ago in response to consumer demand for premium flavoured tonics.

In addition to Pink Grapefruit, the range includes Strawberry and Pomegranate; Citrus; Apple and Elderflower; Skinny; and Premium. A new Mixed Berry tonic has just been added to the range.

Raisthorpe has seen online sales of its tonics increase substantially during the coronavirus pandemic. They are also stocked in Booths and Morrisons supermarkets, farmshops, delis and independent retailers.

The Great British Food Awards 2020 showcase the finest artisan food and drink from across the UK. The celebrity judges also included The Hairy Bikers, Michel Roux Jr, Raymond Blanc and Miguel Barclay.

Operations director Oliver Medforth said: “We are thrilled to have won top spot in the fruit juice and mixers category in this year’s Great British Food Awards. Winning a national award is a great accolade and tops a fantastic year for our Yorkshire Tonics.”

Raisthorpe is a family business, launched more than 10 years ago by Julia Medforth at the family farm in Thixendale.

The company also produces a range of award-winning gin liqueurs, vodkas and dry gin and last year invested in a new still to increase capacity at its production facilities.

Its Pink Grapefruit tonic also won a 2-star award at last year’s Great Taste Awards.