From May to June, it's elderflower season in the Cotswolds. For a few weeks each year, the hedgerows fill with delicate white blossom, creating one of the countryside's most distinctive flavours and scents. It's a flavour we've always loved at Bensons, particularly when paired with crisp British apples.
At Bensons HQ in Sherborne, we've been enjoying the arrival of elderflower and even taking part in a little harvesting of our own, making the most of this short but special season.
A Short Season Worth Celebrating
Part of elderflower's appeal is its fleeting nature. The blossom reaches its peak throughout June, creating a narrow window when its flavour is at its freshest and most aromatic.
Traditionally, elderflower is harvested on dry mornings when the flowers are fully open. Timing is everything. Too early and the flavour has not fully developed. Too late and the delicate floral character begins to fade. It is a harvest that follows the rhythm of the season and one that is over almost as quickly as it begins.
Step out into the Cotswold countryside at this time of year, and you cannot miss it. Elderflower lines country lanes, footpaths and field edges, bringing a scent synonymous with the start of summer.
Why We Love Elderflower
Elderflower has long been a favourite ingredient in summer drinks, bringing a fresh floral character that feels right at home alongside apple.
Light and fragrant without being overpowering, it adds a delicate lift that works beautifully with the crisp, naturally sweet flavour of British apples. The result is refreshing, balanced and perfectly suited to warmer days.
Capturing Elderflower at Its Best with Bensons
That pairing sits at the heart of Bensons Apple and Elderflower Pressed Juice.
British whole-pressed apple juice is blended with aromatic elderflower to create a drink that feels light, refreshing and unmistakably seasonal. Crisp apple and delicate floral notes come together to create a juice that is easy to enjoy from the first glass to the last.
Made using British apples pressed in the heart of the Cotswolds, it is never ever from concentrate. As with the rest of the Bensons range, ingredients are sustainably sourced from where they are at their peak before being blended by hand on our National Trust farm.
Available in both 750ml glass bottles and 250ml glass bottles, it is a simple way to enjoy the character of elderflower long after the blossom has disappeared from the hedgerows.
A Taste of Summer
Elderflower is one of those flavours that feels synonymous with summer in the Cotswolds. Whether it is enjoyed on a sunny afternoon, shared around the table with family and friends, or poured straight from the fridge on a warm day, it always seems to fit the moment.
While the blossom season may be short, its flavour lives on in Bensons Apple and Elderflower Pressed Juice.