“There is a gap in the market for a radical alternative to ordinary soft drinks,” says Guy Woodall, founder and chairman of Thorncroft Drinks (Surrey). “Soft drinks are perceived as unhealthy and there is good reason for this. They may have as much as 15% sugar an/or be full of artificial colour, flavours or sweeteners. There is room for a whole new category which caters for thirsty people who cannot stand colas, find standard soft drinks too cloying and water too boring.”

The company’s Healthy Thirst brand is made using natural, often fresh ingredients, which it macerates in its production plant. The slightly sparkling isotonic beverages, which come in six variants, have around half the calories of other soft drinks and no sweeteners or additives.