Having a family-owned business which grew out of a childhood hobby and love for your what you are doing can be a true blessing.
Such is the story of Agropošta – a Croatian brand making 100% natural drinks, in ways which are a well-kept family tradition. We had a little talk with Pavle Švaić, an entrepreneur and the brand is owner, who kindly introduced the concept behind Agropošta and gave us a few words about its products.
Do yourself a favor and find about it below!
1. Tell us a little about the history behind Agropošta. Where does it all come from, the idea to make these drinks?
Ever since I was a little kid, I loved spending time with my grandmother in Podravina (a northeastern region of Croatia), who introduced me to the art of making fruit juices, syrups and homemade winter stores. We used to take long walks in the woods, picking up berries, mushrooms and fruits, which turned into a hobby of mine.
My parents also share this love for nature, so it is really like that old phrase – „it runs in the family“! It eventually turned into a family business of making unique homemade, yet very traditional beverages.
2. How did you get started?
Me and my wife Mirela were making these syrups for ourselves and our friends, using some of my grandmas recipes. Since neither of us are afraid of challenges, we asked ourselves – hey, why not make some more and try selling them?
We turned to both mine and Mirelas parents and even though they are in retirement, they all happily joined the project. We chose the name „Agropošta“ because it is like a service delivering homemade natural products to customers. Our personal friend Neven Rinčić helped us with the logo and design of the brand. The products are packaged in little satchets, with the logo in the shape of a postmark.
After distributing the first batch to bars and restaurants, it just went off from there, more and more people started ordering the product. We are truly proud to say Agropošta is a great team effort.
3. Let is talk about these lovely products of Agropošta – what are they exactly?
We currently have five different flavors of cordial syrups: elderflower, lemon, lavender, sage flower and raspberry. You can dilute them with water to your own taste, depending on how sweet you want them to be.
They can be served as juices with your breakfast, lunch and dinner, or mixed with alcohol for aperitifs and cocktails.
It started with elder and raspberry, because most people were already used to drinks made of these flavors. Eventually lemon came along, also because we had a great source of delicious local lemon fruit. Sage and lavander are „teasers“, they sound kind of exotic and draw much attention, because not a lot of people have tasted drinks made from them. It is definitely for those who want to try something new. The one made from sage flower is a favorite with everybody in the family.
4. What goes into the whole process of making them?
It takes an extra amount of care and love for it. It is not just grabbing a fistful of fruit from a tree or bush and squeezing them out. You have to know the plant you are making juice from, when to pick its fruit, which part of it, how to treat it when its picked to get the best of its flavor… There are a lot of details into the whole thing.
People often ask us if there are any secret ingredients – there aren not, but every flower is different, you see. It depends on when it was picked, under which weather, at which location and altitude, etcetera. All these conditions affect the final product, because nothing is artificially created or modified, with no preservatives or additives.
5. And where do you pick these flowers?
All of them are hand picked from various locations and regions in Croatia, like plains of Posavina or hills of Lika and Gorski Kotar. The lavender is from an eco-farm in Međimurje, the north, whereas lemons and raspberries are from our beautiful coast and its islands.
6. To wrap up, where can these drinks be found?
Besides Croatia, we also export to shops markets, bars and restaurants in Slovenia, Germany, Great Britain and Belgium. Of course, we have plans to expand our catalogue and find more partners worldwide.
Further information can be found at http://www.agroposta.co.uk/
Refresh your day with these awesome all-natural drinks from Agropošta!
Author: Dan Mekinec
Photos: Agropošta
