which (new) way next?

We've always liked doing new things and meeting new people. innocent was created just over ten years ago in exactly this way. Rich Jon and Adam decided to buy £500 of fruit and make it into smoothies to sell at a little festival in London called Jazz On The Green. They tried out their new smoothies with an ingenious new voting devise called the yes no bins and met lots of new people who said they liked their smoothies.

A few years later we came up with another new idea to return to our festival roots and put on a great get together in a big London park. We called it fruitstock and we held it each year for four years. Then we wanted to try something new again (you might be picking up a running theme here?) so we came up with the innocent village fete which we held last year and the year before in the same big London park.

This year our village fete is having a year off. We're working on something new and exciting for next year right now though. So we'd love to hear what you'd really like to see us do next? A traveling dog show? A touring swimming pool? The same village fete but in your back garden? Come 'tup North for once? Lots of small festivals instead of one big one? Something you can get involved with at your computer instead of 100 miles away?

Please let us know all your best (or worst) new ideas by leaving a comment on this blog post.

Comments

[Seakay]

I think that it would be fun to have a travelling beach or park with a sandy or grassy strip, deck chairs and a van or kiosk selling Innocent drinks (or giving them away if you're feeling really mad/generous!)

[Gelsomino Picciuto]

We love you to host a fete / festival with us here in St Albans, next year - we'd love to be part of your plans we have an array of facilities large enclosed garden, restaurant, bar, Forecourt dining lovely picturesque church yard behind, perhaps this is something you might consider - we are licensed for entertainment, performance, cinematography and dancing - I also worked at fruitstock a few years ago with the global infusion group and ran the bar in the VFP area, love innocent and hopeful to arrange something for next year with you - Gels MD Kashu St ALbans

[Tania]

Travelling repainted ice cream vans, parked up in city centres and visiting towns, beaches and country parks, selling SMOOTHIE ICE LOLLIES and doing the job of advertisting/getting the Innocent name out to more people as you go!

Surely a healthy ice lolly would be an ideal summery step to take in 2010?

[Vicky S]

BRING BACK FRUITSTOCK!!! Loved the 2006 one - I had the best time! Defintely need more live music action.

What about a beach party?

[Missy V]

A beach party. In aberdeen!!!

[Charlotte Amelia]

some kind of circus with old school caravans and anyone from innocent with skills can take part - you can run workshops leading up to it for the team. deck chairs, ice cream, animals, face painting, workshops for kids and adults and live music please! love that bandstand in regents park. Thanks

[Lisa]

Awww! Snot fair I want some innocent fun this summer!
Spose you can come to our beach party instead. Nice sandy beach,lots of silly games.
You book the bus, I'll do the sand sandwiches!
Date: 18th July 2009
Place: South coast
Weather: wind & rain!!!

[hanna ox]

Come and join us and 200 friends and family in mighty Somerset for some cider drinking at our wedding in August 2010 at...
http://www.gantsmill.co.uk/weddings.htm
Just down the road from Glastonbury festival, the Worzels are not yet booked in!
:) xxx

[Mark]

Never mind taking a swimming pool on tour with you (with the added carbon footprint that would entail); why not do a tour of lidos, which would also boost their business and further promote exercise and healthy lifestyles..?

[Mags B]

the fete was great fun but fruitstock more managable. yes, lots of little fruitstocks all over the place sounds good to me, not big, not clever, just sweet, simple innocent.

[Ivor Goodidea]

Fruitstock we miss you already! A beach party would be excellent - do that :) More ducks and goats, sheep and dogs this time though please. Can we have it back next year though?

Or a floating party with boats, giant lily pads and stuff?

[Harpreet]

i'm very sad that you are not doing a fete this year - your reasons are not good enough!!
:o(

[amanda]

Have some human fruit machines. Three people with a bag of fruit each. The player dings a bell and they pull a piece of fruit out. Three matching fruits and they win a smoothie! You could visit school summer fetes (especially mine!) - it would be fun and brilliant advertising.

[Beth]

Have a bake off!!!!

[Linda Clarke]

We had a fab time last year at the village fete, which was the first one we'd been to - I say do it again!!! There was something for everyone. Please, please, please put it on again.

[Louise Shane]

How about something to do with kids - maybe at schools??! My sons' school is one of some that have achieved 'healthy school status' (certificate and all!)that means they aim to provide healthy food/promote exercise/drink lots of water & healthy drinks/promote a healthy lifestyle and educate the kids etc... You could take one of your great vans along - during the day or to a school fete/bbq etc - and get the kids involved & encouraged!! They are your customers of the future!

[Poppy]

ooh i like the circus idea someone mentioned above :D !! That would encorporate the tapdancing dogs and nice smoothie lollies someone else mentioned. Sorry i just stole eveyone elses idea, but they were good!! :D

[nicky thomas]

fruit machine idea is genius. schools visits would be great (please go to Godwin Junior in Newham!) and i love the beach idea.
of course, i can suggest these again at the AGM. Hurraaah !

[laura]

and you said u wouldn't change! poor excuse. Obviously coca cola said no to fruitstock.

[KT]

How about something in Winter to cheer up the gloomy months?

[OntheRun]

A innocent fun-run. Proceeds to go to charity. All competitors to wear a knitted booble hat - the sort that adorns smoothies from time to time - but grown-up versions. Spot prizes for the fruitiest hats. Bigger prizes for those wearing knitted running shorts and vest. Even bigger prizes for knitted running shoes.

[Catherine Kirk]

Innocent Idol! Tour the country in an exciting bus and people can present you with their own smoothies/ veg pots/ ideas for sustainable farming or recycling. Then after you have chosen a short list the public can vote on what they would like to see in the shops. Extra points for people who present ideas dressed as fruit.

[sharon]

wah! that's rubbish, Can't you still have the Innocent Village fete while you think of a big new idea for next year. I'm very disappointed in you tsk tsk

[Emmylou]

What about a travelling medicine man (or 10) They could travel the country, beaches, school fetes, wherever. Diagnose the right smoothie for people, whether they're happy, sad, hot, or tired. Dr Innocent cures all ills :)

[Stephen C]

I agree with the schools visit idea. We too have "healthy schools" status and our kids would love a fun way to look at healthy eating (or drinking anyway). Come and be part of our Summer Fair - would only need a couple of people to attend etc. along with a stash of fruit and some smoothie making machinery! Or maybe tie in with World Cancer Research Fund's "Fruity Friday" initiative and do school visits on or around the day. (We'll be making many smoothies for this next week, with much use of innocent recipe books...)