1982 — 2026
Our story
From forest and field to your table
1982
Two Grandmothers, Two Worlds
My story begins with two grandmothers. Grandma Nevenka lived in northern Croatia, surrounded by lush gardens and forests. Grandma Marija lived in Dalmatia, amid rocky karst hills fragrant with sage and lavender. Every summer I stayed with them — and every summer I learned something new about plants and the art of preserving them for winter.
At grandma Nevenka's we made raspberry syrup. We picked the berries by hand, pressed them, added sugar and pasteurised. No recipe, no scales — just instinct and experience. That was my first lesson: nature provides everything you need.
Cousins Davor and Pavle
2010 — 2011
The Conversation That Changed Everything
In 2010 Mirela and I were driving towards Ljubljana. We talked about what we really wanted to do — something hands-on, a product we could be proud of. "Why don't we try making syrups?" said Mirela. "Like at grandma's." That was the moment. In 2011 we started our first experiments: small batches, handwritten labels, elderflower freshly gathered from the forest.
'It tastes like holidays at grandma's' — and that was precisely our intention.
Svibanj 2011.
The Living Room as a Factory
In May 2011 we produced our first proper batch: 7,500 litres of elderflower syrup. The living room of my parents — Mladen and Anka — was packed with canisters. The garden became a workshop. Dad helped with the barrels, and my father-in-law Vjeko handled the logistics. It was chaos — but it was our chaos.
We had no pump, so we used gravity: my father Mladen stood on the balcony with the barrel, while Mirela and Vjeko waited below to catch the elderflower syrup. Improvisation at its finest.
2011
The First Product on the Market
Our first packaging was a 40 ml sachet — shaped like an airmail envelope, bearing the Agropošta logo and the Latin name of the plant. Simple, honest, instantly recognisable. Zagreb's cafés took to it straight away.
The Croatian daily Jutarnji list wrote about us: "The family that took Zagreb's cafés by storm." That was our first real moment in the spotlight.
Kadulja / Sage / Salie
Sage Adventures
Sage is my favourite plant. I first discovered it at grandma Marija's in Dalmatia — growing wild on the rocky karst hills above the sea. My friend Ljerka shared her recipe with me. We gave it a go. The first batch was a complete failure — the colour was lovely, but the taste was wrong. We fed it to the bees.
The second attempt was better. The third was perfect. That's how we work: we don't stop until it's perfect. No shortcuts, no compromises.
'The first batch we gave to the bees. The second was better. The third was perfect.'
2012 — 2013
From the Garage to Real Production
In the second year we made 22,000 litres of syrup — in a space we had specially fitted out in the family home. We developed our own production method: no off-the-shelf machines, but a system we had designed and built ourselves.
In 2013 we moved to a professional space with real equipment: an industrial boiler, a sachet-filling machine, stainless steel tanks. The same feeling, more capacity.
Our philosophy
Nature in a bottle — the difference you can taste
Most syrups on the market are made from flavour extracts or concentrated juices. Fast, cheap, uniform. At Agropošta we always start with the plant itself. Fresh elderflower blossoms, hand-picked sage leaves, ripe raspberries — everything goes straight into the pot.
The result is a syrup that lives. One that may taste slightly different each season, depending on sun and rain. That is not a flaw — that is honesty. You taste nature, not a laboratory.
100% Organic
All ingredients are certified organic, grown without pesticides or artificial fertilisers.
Made with love
Every product is artisanally prepared with attention to quality and flavour.
Certified quality
Our products meet the highest quality and food safety standards.
Today
From a family garage to your table
What began with a few barrels and a wooden spoon to dissolve sugar has grown into a certified organic company reaching all of Europe. The living room served as a warehouse, the garden as a workshop — and the passion has remained unchanged.
Today our products meet the highest international quality and food safety standards. But the philosophy is the same as in 1982: pure, honest and made with love.
Explore our syrups
To be continued…