A SOUTH Cumbrian food and drink business is bidding to get its product on the shelves of one of Britain's biggest supermarkets.

Mawson's Original Drinks, a soft drinks manufacturer which is based in Staveley, attended a special event run by Morrisons which gave them the chance to pitch their products.

The supermarket giant has announced a search for local suppliers last month after its market research found their customers wanted to see more food and drink made and produced from their communities.

More than 100 producers applied to take part in the regional programme. The best producers were then invited to Grimsargh Village Hall in Lancashire, where they pitched to Morrisons' buyers, customers and local store colleagues as well as the local Women’s Institute.

Mawson's - which has a company Friendly Food and Drink, which produces chutneys and preserves - produces a range of traditional beverages including sarsaparilla, dandelion and burdock and ginger beer. It traces its routes to Oldham, where it was set up in 1933, and is now based in Staveley and owned by Geoff Monkman.

Mr Monkman said: "It was for members of the public, customers, their staff and the local WI was also there. We all had a 6ft table around the room in a village hall."

This event took place in Grimsargh Village Hall in Lancashire and featured more than 100 producers from around the north west.

"It was a bit like a little fete in the village hall."

He was pleased for his firm to be at the event and hopeful that it might lead to his products - which are typically stocked in smaller retailers - ending up on the shelves of one of Britain's biggest supermarkets.

"The people went around the room and tasted and scored," he said.

"They then put their response card in a Morrisons box. The buyers also came around and and took us into a separate room for a one-to-one."

He pointed out though that this was not a Dragons' Den-style grilling but an informal discussion about his products.

"You never know but we had some great feedback from people," he added.

The suppliers who Morrisons think can supply its stores will be invited to a final round of pitching at the supermarket’s head office in Bradford.

Cumbria's only other representative at the event was Heksket Newmarket Brewery, near Penrith.