29 Oct22620 Best Traditional Caribbean Drink Company 2022 - London Looking for a taste of the Caribbean in a cool, refreshing drink? Then look no further than Londonbased company, OTC Beverages (OTC). The company, headed up by CEO, Shirley White, has worked hard to refine and reproduce an authentic Caribbean taste throughout its range. We take a look at OTC’s journey so far. Founded in North London in August 2018, the inspiration for OTC came from Shirley White’s desire to keep alive the traditions of her Caribbean parents and their predecessors. Her father came from Montserrat and her mother from Jamaica. Shirley noticed that many of the old recipes were in danger of being lost as the previous generation got older. And so, when Shirley’s father celebrated his 80th birthday in 2017, she decided to take action. She says, “The generation who had created the culture, food, and beverages that I’d grown up drinking and eating were getting older… I felt moved to preserve their legacy, and that’s how OTC Beverages came to life.” In 2018, OTC launched two classic drinks – non-alcoholic ginger beer and sorrel. Although we know and love ginger beer as a recreational drink, the health benefits of ginger are widely recognised. Shirley explains, “Ginger is a wonderful antioxidant and it has anti-inflammatory properties. It’s been shown to keep your heart healthy and even helps to reduce blood glucose levels. OTC ginger beer combines ginger with citrus – lemon or lime. Combining these two ingredients is like magic for the body.” Perhaps less well-known in the UK, the Caribbean plant, sorrel is packed full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, too. It’s said to promote an effective immune system as well as helping to improve circulation. Pasteurisation is used to prepare many modern drinks and juices. During this process, fresh ingredients are heated to 70oC or above. Although the shelf-life of the product may be significantly increased by doing this, we lose many of the original nutrients for good. Understanding the importance of retaining the nutritional benefits of the raw ingredients, all OTC drinks are organic and cold-pressed. The ingredients are hand-picked too. This ensures the products are free from toxins associated with conventional farming and provide almost the same level of vitamins and minerals as the raw plants themselves. In 2020, despite the challenging times associated with the global COVID-19 pandemic, OTC launched a third drink – butterfly pea flower with lime, to high acclaim. Butterfly pea flower is thought to help with cleansing and detoxification as well as stabilising blood sugar levels. This beverage was shortlisted by the Great British Food Awards, receiving a mark of 12/15. It may have taken some trial and error for Shirley and the team to find the perfect recipes for OTC’s drinks, but it was worth it. With a string of industry awards to its name, we can’t wait to see what OTC comes up with next. Contact: Shirley White Company: OTC Beverages Limited Web Address: www.otcbeverages.com
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