A lot of fruit has been squished since Sejuiced first began. Sejuiced’s founders, Sylvia Garvin and Valerie Maximen tell their tale….


What was the inspiration behind Sejuiced?

 

It was in the small hours, one morning in 2004. We were watching a fabulous sunrise on Bondi Beach in Sydney, bleary eyed but upbeat after a fantastic Soul II Soul concert and after-party. We were tired, thirsty and in desperate need of a pick-me-up…and whilst gazing out to sea the idea hit us. Why not provide fresh drinks for thirsty event-goers like us? It seemed like an obvious thing to do. We loved the delicious fruit juices served in the Lebanese cafes in London’s Edgware Road. They had cured many Sunday morning hangovers (thank you Ranoush!). Live events and fresh drinks just seem to go together…and we have a passion for both.

 

 

 

We returned to the UK (via a gruelling but unforgettable mountain climb in Kenya..!) filled with enthusiasm for our concept. As we had little experience of making fruit smoothies, getting some practice was the first step. We hijacked a friend’s BBQ and begged guests to try our drinks. Their feedback was good, so we then “went public” at a few community and sports events. Times were tough as it was very early days in the world of smoothies. People would stare at us strangely and ask “what’s a smoothie?” We tried not to feel embarrassed, and offered free tasters to win them over!

 

 

Getting a market stall on Portobello Road market was a boost. We were lucky enough to get a pitch in a prime part of one of London’s most famous markets. We served up fresh juices, smoothies and milkshakes to many rich and famous people from our tiny stall, including Jason Donovan and the founder of Innocent smoothies (and no doubt many others who we did not recognise, as Sylvia is dreadful at remembering faces!) For over 2 years we traded on Portobello Road on Saturdays, waking up at the crack of dawn (ouch) and sacrificing our Friday nights out (boo). But whilst our social lives dwindled, our biceps bulged – we were buying, lifting and blending huge amounts of fruit, often serving more than one smoothie a minute! With huge amounts of washing up to contend with at the end of the day, we were always the last to leave our market pitch. Exhausted, we had to fight off the miserable traffic wardens every week, who tried to give us a parking fine even though it was obvious that we were working at top speed.

 

Eventually, we felt it was time to hang up our market trader aprons. Sejuiced’s corporate work was becoming demanding, as were our boyfriends (who not unreasonably wanted to see us on a Friday night!).

 

We are in total awe of market traders though, their stamina and resilience is amazing. They work 12 hour days without a guarantee of making any money. Imagine setting up a shop from scratch every day…and then having no customers because it’s chucking it down with rain (and you’re cold and wet too). It takes a strong person to stay cheerful at times like that, which they somehow manage to.

A few events organisers spotted us working on Portobello road, and asked whether we would be available for their events. Our first exhibition juice bar was the Ski and Snowboard Show at Olympia working for Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports. They asked us to make juices and smoothies on their exhibition stand. It worked fantastically well: their stand was packed. Things really ‘snowballed’ (sic) from there …

Not to be afraid, and to think big. We were both absolutely petrified at the thought of driving a huge van. We were in denial for a long time, even running two smaller vans rather than buying one big one! This unnecessarily wasted both time and money. Never let fear hold you back.

 

 

Sylvia and Valerie would like to thank all the people who have contributed to Sejuiced’s success – from Soul II Soul for inspiring us, the markets office at Portobello Road and Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports for giving us a break and not forgetting Sylvia’s boyfriend, who (very nervously) leant us his flat to first get the business started! ;0)