4th March 2013 - Blog post numero uno...

Sunday, 17 March 2013

So here we are; the Roots Soda Co. blog. Your one-stop shop for exciting murmurings from Roots HQ, complete with photos, rubbish metaphors, occasionally successful attempts at cutting-edge humour, and of course the serious business of updates from your new favourite soda barons.

By way of an introduction, I shall take you back to the hazy days of spring 2012. London was gearing up for the Greatest Show on Earth; rumours of a Spice Girls reunion were gathering pace; and the soda world remained a little flat (that’s ironic). Somewhere in north Edinburgh, the creative minds of Messrs Pool and Seller were ticking over, fervently searching out a vehicle for their passions that had gone unharnessed since their seemingly-inevitable journey to rock and roll stardom was thwarted some months previous. A toing-and-froing of ideas ensued before it was decided that it was time for the Great Soda Revolution.

Mark ploughed his energy into becoming a student of the soda; all the while learning about what makes the humble soda such a wonderful enigma; more than just a series of taste sensations – an experience in liquid memory-making. Recipes were tried and tested, and seeds sown for what this idea could become.

It was decided that the best place to first inflict the drinks to the world would be one of Edinburgh famous farmers’ markets, during the Festival. And so this is what we did. Armed with a mock-vintage pop-up bar and our two flagship flavours (Hoodoo, and the then-titled Strawberryhead (now Kaleidoscope)), Mark and Jon began the daunting process of selling their wares. Although wholly confident in the product themselves, it was a nervy experience waiting to see what Joe Bloggs thought, and luckily he didn’t disappoint. He loved them; as did his missus, Janet. A couple of markets later, and it was decided that we were ready for stage 2, which was to be the production of the drinks at a commercially viable level.

Fast-forward a few months and things started getting serious. Roots Soda Co. was invited to be part of the brand spanking new Business Innovation Zone at Queen Margaret University, with Mark and Jon attending the launch, complete with a run of bottled soda. Aside from a great chance to parade the wonderfulness of the drinks themselves, this was also our first chance to show off the latest bottle/branding designs, which had taken an almighty leap forward with the input of graphics guru and part-time bike-poser, Chris Davey. Suffice to say, all thumbs were up.

And so to 2013 - the self-proclaimed Year of the Soda. The Factory has been established in Edinburgh’s upper north side. It has been receiving forty licks of paint in order to beautify, and to comply with Env. Health regs. The office has been kitted out, and adorned with snippets of its founders’ past, present and future. The place has all the character that befits a theatre of soda dreams; and we love it.

And so…the journey has begun. Bottled Roots Soda should be in shops near you within the next couple of months. It’d be ruddy ace if you could report back your findings of the Roots Soda experience once you start indulging. Using words like ‘amazing’, ‘mind-blowing’ and ‘life-changing’ would be preferable in such correspondences; however anything you want to tell us would be greatly received. All’s left to say is Follow us! (not literally); Like us! (literally); and Say Hello! (again, literally).

Thank You.

Jon, Roots HQ.

Contact

e: hello@rootssoda.co.uk
t: +44 (0)131 552 4495

Unit 13
New Broompark
Edinburgh
EH5 1RS

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