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A berry good idea

Chris Hudson
30/ 7/2008

MOST siblings home alone will watch TV, play computer games or fight.

But when Scarlett Shaw, ten, and Rowan Shaw, seven, found themselves minus parents the pair blew a big raspberry at convention and decided to start their own juice business – for charity.

The Gorsey Bank Primary School pupils, who live on Moor Lane, went up the road to get the freshest ingredients possible, wild raspberries, and set up stall at the front of their house.

Never having made juice before, the youngsters improvised with lots of water, a bit of sugar and some nutmeg, putting their ad hoc creation on sale for 10p a cup.

Much to their surprise the majority of the passersby bought a cup of their sweet thirst-quenching liquid and paid above the odds after the pair explained that all monies will go to the Wilmslow Animal Sanctuary only yards away from their house.

Scarlett, who wants to become an Olympic gymnast, said: "We picked the berries from a bramble bush and I made the recipe up – I thought it tasted okay. "We put a sign up and asked people if they were interested and most people were – a lot gave us a pound."

And from tiny raspberries grow mighty bank accounts as the pint-sized entrepreneurs made £20 for their efforts, which is not bad going for an afternoon’s work.

Dad Ian Shaw, owner of computer firm Ocean Systems, said: "I was quite surprised when I came home from work to see a table at the front of the house selling juice.

"It was funny watching them together because Rowan was reeling the customers in and Scarlett was sealing the deal. They worked really well as a team."

The Shaws plan to donate the money they made to the Humane Education Society on Newgate, Wilmslow, as they often cycle there to see the cats – the pair have their own family feline called Jess, 16 – and the other animals, including a pot bellied pig.

The Wilmslow Animal Sanctuary was over the moon to hear about the thrift shown by Wilmslow’s miniature Richard Bransons.

Volunteer David McCallum said: "We appreciate any money raised or donated, but for two youngsters to give up their own time and energy to raise money is extra special."

Using nature’s fruits to make money is juice the ticket to become a smoothie in the business world and a berry good way of becoming Alan Sugar’s next apprentice.