OUR STORY
Our Mission
To create delicious fresh pressed elderberry products that support our values; promoting health, supporting our local community and living sustainably.
Our Products & Ingredients
Focusing on quality over quantity, we handcraft our syrups and fresh press our juices to create products that demonstrate the difference. Always fresh and never dried or preserved, our ingredients are non-GMO at the minimum and organic if humanly possible. We use only domestic and local sources, minimizing our carbon footprint and participating in local food systems.
Our Origin
Katie and Ben Reneker’s interest in the elderberry started at home and quickly grew into their wider Carmel community. When their two boys grew to school age, the family started looking into ways to chase off classroom bugs and discovered their fondness for an immune-boosting morning shot of elderberry syrup. Because the products came from Europe, Katie was surprised and delighted when she began identifying these captivating plants in her local community. What she had understood to be an exotic fruit was suddenly within reach. And an opportunity to create a business that aligned with her values of sustainability emerged. Katie soon began working with local farmers to create Carmel Berry Co., one of the first elderberry brands to source domestically.
Press & Media
Carmel Magazine
“Carmel Valley Family Builds its Business on Berries”
Edible: Monterey Bay
“How elderberries spawned a new business and nurtured a community.”
Monterey County Weekly
Botanical cordial, beloved in Europe, is stealing the taste buds of locals.
Voyage LA
Artisan Food is an art form too!
The Salinas Californian
“Elderberries offer up nutrition, great flavor”
Carmel Magazine
Carmel Valley Family Builds it Business on Berries. Page 76
Mother Earth News Blog
“Bottling Great Elderberry Flavor” A look into how Katie bottles her artisan, small-batch, nutrient-rich syrup.
Open For Business TV interview
Local TV interview on Access Monterey Peninsula. Everything you ever wanted to know about Carmel Berry Co and elderberries!
Radio Show Playing With Food
Radio program on Cottage Food Operators featuring Carmel Berry Co.