Ref. 29450-43EAGER buyers have cleared supermarket shelves of a pomegranate juice drink invented by a Swindon man.

Earlier this week, the Evening Advertiser told the story of James Brett.

Mr Brett, who lived in Wroughton as a child, was plunged to such a low by a series of family tragedies in his teens that he ended up living rough in woodland and surviving on his wits.

But he pulled himself up by his bootstraps to become a businessman.

He invented Pomegreat after being served pomegranate juice by a street vendor during a trip to Pakistan. Since the Evening Advertiser story was published, he has been invited to appear on television and radio and Pomegreat has vanished from the shelves of Swindon's three Sainsbury's branches.

The chain began stocking the drink nationwide on Monday, and Pomegreat is also sold in Waitrose and a number of other outlets.

Mr Brett said: "Pomegreat has sold out in Sainsbury's.

"After the story appeared, I was on the radio and television, and the phone has been ringing ever since with people saying they can't find Pomegreat anywhere."

New supplies will be available in Sainsbury's early next week.

In the meantime, it is available by the litre from the Swindon Pulse Whole Foods Co-operative Shop in Curtis Street, which sells only items judged to be healthy.

It is also available in one-serving bottles from S & R Motors garages across Swindon.

Steve Chamberlain, manager of Sainsbury's in Bridgemead, said: "Usually when we begin stocking a new drink, we order between two and four cases to test the market.

"We ordered four cases of Pomegreat forty-eight litres and they sold out in three days.

"The product is going very well, and we have ordered 15 more cases.

"There is no real competition, because this is an original product."

Pulse Whole Food Co-operative member Cath Dolling said: "We have been selling it since February, and sell about six litres a week, which is a lot for a drink in this shop."

She added that pomegranates are good for the digestive system.

Barrie Hudson