Posted by oliver

I recently became involved in a debate about what form was best with wheatgrass juice, and the relative economics. In discussing this, I'm naturally precluding that you're growing and juicing your own. If you are, well done! It's just that for many it becomes a chore too much, too much time is consumed, they don't have the space etc .

One lady related how she was buying frozen wheatgrass shots.

She was content because they were organic, frozen during transit, and thought they were cheaper than ours by a significant margin. The headline might suggest so!

The reply which I made was this, and encompassed a number of points, as the headline is horribly misleading.

Firstly, the person buying the frozen grass juice was purchasing a six-month supply, in an attempt to cut down the packaging etc. The frozen supplied does use a colossal amount of packaging relative to Tonic Attack. However, the frozen juice would require an awful lot of freezer space, probably more than most people have available. Everything we send is instantly recyclable – brown paper envelope, one tin! However, the sachets are not, so that is one Achilles heel!

Secondly, you would need to remember every night to remove one frozen shot for the next day. How often would you forget that? What would you do when you were not going to be at home? It happens!

Thirdly I contemplated the differing quantities. It’s important to appreciate that our sachets contain 33ml shots, versus the frozen pots with 28ml. This significantly adjusts the financial comparison.

Fourthly, our juice includes two parts of the plant, to give much more complete nutrition. Because we grow the crops hydroponically (no soil/root medium) and therefore we include both juice from the root and the leaf. You eat leaf and root vegetables, so why not eat leaf and root juice?

Fithly, regarding the organic point, we do not certify as organic. That’s because organic production doesn’t allow anything to be produced in hydroponic conditions without soil mediums. However, because we’re using Ocean Solution, we are providing all the minerals that any soil can provide, and therefore our plants are equal or better in nutritional status to any other. Furthermore we have none of the other “complications” associated with growing outdoors.

Next, should anyone want to buy a six-month supply from us, I'm very happy to quote. In reality, our shelf-life is shorter, and so we would be shipping three times in that period. Therefore we would supply a lesser quantity, with our shelf-life being a maximum 10 weeks. By supplying in bulk, we would only be delivering an 8-week consignment, not 26 as with the frozen.

The bonus in all this would be that we do not obligate you to use up your freezer space, as our juice stores at ambient temperature. You can take it wherever you go, and the moment you think of doing so. No pre-planning required.

Taking all this into account there is less than 3p between these options, per day. I suggest that is splitting hairs! The differential in price makes no account for the differential in convenience, space requirements etc etc.

In the end, it comes down to personal choice, inevitably. You have to make your own decision on this, and decide what you want and what fits your lifestyle etc.

Whatever that is, it is better to be drinking wheatgrass than not at all. Nonetheless, feedback that I am constantly receiving is that people like the convenience of our tin landing on their doormat, sachets that don’t need a fridge or freezer space, neat and easy to consume every day, and great to taste. Take your pick! Wheatgrass juice or broccoli sprout juice – remembering that you don’t get broccoli sprout juice from an outdoor grown source, or frozen or any other way.