Northamptonshire CC is drinking to success by supporting a local family firm. The council has highlighted the diversity of its economic growth at the LGA conference in Harrogate by promoting products made by Hibiscus Drinks. The authority decided it wanted a company on its stand that revealed it was not only housing that's part of its growth but other industries and services as well. The Hibiscus Drinks Company is a family-run organisation in Northampton, producing health drinks based on the Hibiscus flower – a plant high in blood-pressure reducing anti-oxidants. Alan Burns, strategic planning and policy manager, Northampton Partnerships, said: ‘We don't have a large amount of agricultural land in the county, but this company revealed there were opportunities in the sector. ‘It was an informal partnership that wasn't based on a single "big idea", but rather to provide an economic background to a county that people often ignore and simply pass through.' Burns also revealed there may be further joint campaigns in the future, promoting Northamptonshire as a health-conscious council.
