Have you ever wondered how you could make fruit taste better? In this weeks blog we talk to Hogg Norton Fruit Liqueurs who's mission is just that.
Hogg Norton make delicious and award winning fruit liqueurs which are perfect for drinking on their own or mixing in to a wonderful cocktail.
They use some of our fantastic glass bottles to help package their creations. They are currently using the 50ml Mini Flask bottles and our 250ml Polo bottles for their packaging.
We were lucky enough to chat to Mike a few weeks ago all about his business and what next year has in store for Hogg Norton.
Hi Mike, how are you today?
Marvelous
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
An Entrepreneur
What is Hogg Norton Fruit Liqueurs and how did it start?
Hogg Norton Fruit Liqueurs started as a lot of business do, sat around a table talking with friends. We were drinking some home made Sloe and some flavoured spirits I had made and I said I could do this commercially.
Adrian showed an interest and after discussing together Hogg Norton was born out of our surnames and that has led to 7 international awards over the last 3 years. So we have been on an amazing journey from where it all started.
I’ve noticed from your website that all your products are natural and preservative free. How important is this to you?
This is very important we believe that we get the best flavours from what nature gives us – all natural so all the flavour and colours come from the fruit and we believe this gives the best taste.
How many liqueurs do you currently stock and do you have any plans for new flavours?
We currently have 11 flavours - Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Gooseberry, Mixed Berries, Spiced Plum, Sour Cherry, Sloe, Rhubarb, Seville Orange and Elderflower flavours - we are looking at a coffee liqueur as well as a new one in the future.
Your tag line is pretty bold! “Fruit as nature didn't intend it, but we did and it tastes intoxicatingly good” Was this what started the business? Did you think you could make fruit better than it was?
We want to enhance the natural flavours of the fruit and produce something that is intoxicatingly good that our customers can enjoy and we think we have done an exceptional job doing this.
Congratulations on your recent Great Taste awards! How important is it to see your products doing so well?
These are very important as they are what we benchmark ourselves on. We have won 7 Great Taste Awards in the last 3 years and with the Seville Orange we got 3 stars and came 3rd in the region for the best products across the whole Great Taste Product range and the only Liqueur to do so this year. This shows we have consistently produced a quality product and as these are judged by a panel of industry experts we exceed industry standards.
Your branding is very cool. Bright colours, simple designs and really easy to identify. How important is branding in your market?
Very important. Our branding is our identity, vibrant, clear to see the product and a little bit of fun and looks great on a stores shelves or in your drinks cabinet.
You’ve got an impressive range of products. With 11 different flavours! Which is your most popular?
The berry ones are great and all sell well but as for one that probably sells the best is the Spiced Plum. We use Victoria plums and a few days before we bottle it we add the Star Anise and Lemon Zest. So you get a plum flavour and then a little hit of the spices, which gives a great warming feeling when you drink it.
Which of your liqueurs is your favourite and why?
My favourite changes with the seasons. At winter time it's the spiced plum. It's great on its own or as a long drink. It's also fabulous in a whiskey with the Sloe a very close second. Summer time it’s the Raspberry.
According to your website your fruit liqueurs are perfect on their own, with a mixer or in a cocktail. Can you give us a cocktail recipe using one of your fruit liqueurs?
I love a sour cocktail and a Raspberry Sour is amazing (you can use any of liqueurs).
50ml Raspberry Liqueur,
30ml lemon Juice
20ml simple syrup
A few drops of a foamer (or egg whites)
All into a cocktail shaker and shake well and then pour into a cocktail glass.
How has the global pandemic affected your business? Have you had to adapt your business plan?
We have looked more to the online sales with our retail outlets being closed but we are now seeing that increasing as we are starting to get back to some sort of normality.
How would you rate Sen5es as a bottle supplier and how important is it to have a reliable supplier for your business?
This is massively important to us and to have a great supplier that we can work with that can manage our supply chain and have our bottles available in stock and with the quantities we need.
Also working with Sen5es is great as they are innovative and have some bottles we use as a special. The motorbike for example. We sometimes use this bottle and it is a great visual and a talking point with our customers. Plus they are responsive and deliver on time.
What would you like to see from Sen5es in the future?
Maybe some packaging and some seasonal bottles lines.
What did you think of this weeks spotlight on the fabulous Hogg Norton Fruit Liqueurs? Will you be trying out any of their delicious fruit liqueurs?
Thank you so much to Mike over at Hogg Norton for taking the time to talk to us for this blog. What a great company to be working with! We can't wait to see what flavours they bring out next.
Thank you so much for reading another of our customer spotlights. Where we get to chat to one of our amazing customers and highlight the incredible work they are doing.
Did you want to get involved and be our next customer in the spotlight? Let us know by heading over to our Facebook or Instagram page! Or you can even leave a comment below.
All the best
The Team at Sen5es
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