This week we start with what is known in the trade as a teaser. Not the sort of 'you've got a curly beard, it makes your face look all weird' teaser (ouch, that hurts). More like 'something good's going to happen soon, don't want to give it all away' teaser. Make sense? Thought not

A big watery teaser

You might recall that our juicy water drinks are changing. They're going to be called This Water, and the launch of our new baby brand is only days away now. We've got plans for This Water - we want to do more with water than just add juice. But we're starting off nice and steady, with our classic juicy water recipes wearing posh new This Water labels. Watch this space for more news as it comes in.

Matt's ma's marmalad

You may remember our Matt (for his trousers), and you may also remember his mum Southport Deb (for her blog). Well, Matt's mum has just made us a fresh batch of 'Three Fruit Marmalade' especially for our new kitchen. The story goes that she tried a Gordon Ramsey recipe that didn't go to well, then switched to a tried and tested Delia Smith version for the final product. We hear that she might be selling her marmalade on eBay at some point, so if you like the sound of this why not leave her a word of encouragement here.

Blogging in Danish

We'd like to introduce our Scandinavian blog to you. Admittedly it is in Danish, so good luck in being able to understand it, but there are at least some nice pictures, like the one opposite of a dog in a basket. One smart feature on the blog is the 'rejseplanen' (you'll find it on the left hand side of the site), which is pre-programmed to give directions to Viking Towers from wherever you might be in Denmark. So if you fancy popping in to see our Danish friends at Viking Towers, let them know and they'll put the kettle on.

Hit the wall

Our intrepid marathon people all made it round the track, even though it was hot in London on Sunday. Nicky, Ceri, Eloise, Nikki, Giles, Rach and Anushka are sporting big smiles and gorgeous blisters - we salute them. But we're quite annoyed they didn't bring those foil wraps in for us to have a go on, so as punishment we've asked three of them to have a quick running race here at Fruit Towers, just to see how fast people can move after running a marathon. Watch their efforts here.

And finally...

There's no two ways of getting round it - this week we're going to talk about tax. But it's not boring, honest. And we do mention high heels later on to make up for it.

Please sign our petition

A little while ago we posted some stuff on our blog about VAT. The long and the short of it is that the government charges VAT on healthy fruit juices and smoothies. And that seems wrong to us. Especially when other foods, like hotdogs and chips, remain tax free. Not quite encouraging healthy eating, is it? So we've set up a petition on the Prime Minister's website to tell the government that they could help more people get to their five a day by removing this daft tax. And seeing as the innocent family (i.e. you) is getting quite big now, you could all help to make a difference by saying "I think taxing healthy stuff is dumb."

To sign up click here. And get your friends to sign up too, please.

Travels in India

Our Helen is in India, doing some work for the innocent foundation. She's gone to Chenglepet in India to visit and help out at a project supported by WOMANKIND, and she'll be putting together a full report on her trip when she gets back in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, you can follow her news on the blog.

You go girls

Nicky, Nikki, Ceri and Eloise (who used to work here but doesn't anymore) are running the London Marathon this weekend. We'd just like to wish them well, especially Nicky. She's nursing an injury sustained at the big charity party that the ladies organised in order to raise money for WellChild. Nicky wore her big heels especially, but they hurt her feet. She's hobbling around Fruit Towers this week. We're all slightly anxious. Will she make it on Sunday? Follow the marathon ladies' final few updates on our blog everyday this week.

And finally...

Hello everyone. It's a short week, but that doesn't mean we're going to let you down. How could we, when we've got Candonga and the magic of David Copperfield up our sleeves?

Das Geschäft ist eröffnet

It's official - innocent has launched in Germany. We're going to be based in Hamburg, home of the beef patty in a bun. Of course, we'll need a home in Germany, so last week saw the official opening of Frucht Towers, located in the Fruchthof, which spookily enough is the old fruit wholesale area near the harbour, next to the Deichtorhallen (Hamburg's world famous art gallery). More pictures and stuff here and more German news as things develop...

Nos gustan las fresas

We love strawberries. We use a lot of them in our smoothies. And last week we went off to Spain to check our main Spanish variety - the Camarosa. Our Spanish strawberry farms are located in Andalusia - the region's climate (think hot) means that these fruits have an intensity and sweetness that we think can't be bettered. And that's what makes your strawberries and bananas smoothie taste so bueno. Downside to being in Spain last week - it wasn't as sunny as the UK. Upside - sherry and cheese. And strawberries, of course.

The world's poshest treehouse

We talked about excellent treehouses a couple of weeks ago, but we reckon that the Duke of Northumberland (aka Ralph Percy) has got the market cornered. Have a look at his mighty forest dwelling here (it's got the internet and everything) and rejoice at the fact that the Duke has seen fit to stock our drinks in both the Treehouse and the Pavilion at the Alnwick Garden. The whole place is the brainchild of his wife the Duchess and looks like a nice spot to visit this summer. They even have a Poison Garden - ideal for annoying relatives.

Is it fete?

We love summer, nature and the countryside. And we love village fetes too - all those hay-bales, home-made cakes, bunting and strangely shaped vegetable competitions. We've been thinking about fetes quite a lot recently, and we wondered if we could find out what you think of them (this link was only available to family members) too. It'll take less time than baking a cake. Promise.

And finally...

PS here are the winners of the eco books...
Carrie, Paul, Eli, Gez, Sophie, Jane, Margaret, Sarah, Judith, Hazel, Kirsty, Gail, Emmalina, Carys, Sarah, Liz. John, Sally, Howard and Evelyn.
Well done everyone.

Hello and welcome. Unlike some email newsletters, we're a bit lacking in cheap restaurant deals, celebrity gossip or discount flights. But if you like smoothies or are considering destroying the Earth, read on.

Smoothie of the month</b>

It's a new month which means we've got a new smoothie for you; juicy pomegranates from southern Turkey (where the conditions are perfect for the pomegranate tree) mixed with sweet Williamette raspberries. Packed full of vitamin C and healthy anthocyanins and the perfect accompaniment to a spring-time lunch in the park. Pomegranates and raspberries will only be around for a few weeks, so get it while you can.

Freddie Star

A couple of weeks ago we asked if any of you knew of any kids who might like to be in a new advert for our kids smoothies. Thanks to everyone who entered. After wading through over 300 entries we decided the right man for the job was a very nice young chap called Freddie. He's got very curly hair, lives near the seaside, and when we did a screen test with him, he excelled (very good at pulling faces). Just think - in later years, when Freddie lands a Golden Globe for his portrayal of a troubled cop fighting against the system, you can say you saw him here first.

Field trips

If you're having second thoughts about flying the family out for that 2 week stay on an oil-rig in the East China Sea, we've got a book of more sustainable holidays that you might like to read. ecoescape was written by some friends of ours and is a guide to green travel in the UK including things to do, places to stay and eat and ways to get around. It's available for free in all good tourist offices, on this website (for £3.65) or if can you answer a simple question, we've got 20 copies to give away here (link only available to family members).

Juicy gossip

We have a small secret we'd like to share. No not the one about what really happened to Richard's antique trumpet (what happens in Guildford stays in Guildford). It's the other one, about our juicy water drinks. We've been making juicy water for over three years, and they've grown up to be a very tasty member of the family. But they're more about water than fruit and we thought they needed some special attention - a place they could call their own. So from May onwards, juicy water will be known as This Water - a brand new brand, meaning innocent can focus on the fruit and This Water on water. 

We can't say much else right now but we promise to show you more stuff in the coming weeks.

Other stuff...

A guide to power napping.

20 great historical myths.

10 ways to destroy the earth.

How to spot a good smoothie.

Did you know?