A UK fruit juice company dedicated to fresh, raw melon juice has released its first two flavours. Here's what we made of them.
The UK is getting its first taste of raw melon juice thanks to Mello, the only producer in the country using a technique called High Pressure Processing (HPP) to squeeze the goodness out of every melon and into a bottle.
Mello currently comes in two varieties: cantaloupe and watermelon.
Why raw?
Mello claims that traditional juicing methods “damage the taste and health benefits of the melon”. Heat pasteurising destroys vitamins, minerals and enzymes found in the fruit, they say, while cold pressed juice is “often pumped full of additives”.
Mello's HPP process involves skinning, deseeding and juicing the melon, then placing the juice under intense pressure to kill microorganisms and prevent decay while retaining all the nutritional benefits of the whole fruit and keeping the juice fresh.
Who thought this up?
The founder of Mello, Rose Aldean, comes from the Middle East, where fresh melon juice is commonplace.
Disappointed that she couldn't find it after moving to the UK, and tired of the mess making it for herself at home, she decided to start up her own company to produce the juice. Rose shunned the normal juicing methods employed in the UK as she believes it damages the colour, taste, aroma and health benefits of the fruit.
What do we think?
Mello sent us a couple of bottles to try out, and we’ve got to say we were impressed. The watermelon juice is very refreshing, although I was a little less keen on the cantaloupe juice which is thicker than most juices. They taste great, as Mello's pressing method really has managed to capture that 'fresh' flavour.
Lovefood Editor Charlotte commented that she “liked the juices’ velvety texture, and they taste exactly like a fresh melon – they're so invigorating! I prefer the watermelon too though.”
Mello retails for a pricey £2.39 per 250ml bottle though, so it’s likely to be a rare treat rather than a daily refreshment for most.
Where can I get some?
You can find a list of Mello stockists on their website. Although the stores you can buy it in are fairly limited at the moment, the juice is, from today, available to order through online supermarket Ocado.
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