Can you share with us any stories about the dodgy batches and accidental fermentation that eventually led you to the perfection of your syrups?
We started with the idea of making weird and wonderful soda flavours as well as making the classics but from good ingredients. But for so long sodas have just been made from flavours, sweeteners and acids so recreating some of the classic flavours like cola and tonic but with real ingredients was a bit of work but it makes getting them right all the more worth it.
In the early days we made a batch of Pinot Noir soda with grapes from Martinborough. I guess the grapes were a bit more volatile than the fruit we were used to using because we had a few exploding bottles and had to ditch the batch.
Tell us about your non-negotiable brand values, and why it is that you are dedicated to making your drinks free from preservatives and artificial sweeteners, and with less sugar than most?
We’re all about consuming less and better. It’s moderation over prohibition. I’d much rather have a glass of lower sugar soda than smash a 1.5L bottle of ‘diet’ soda. Or two great beers than 10 average ones.
We use Fair Trade Organic Cane Sugar which is pretty natural stuff when compared to aspartame, acesulfame potassium and even stevia, and our drinks are noticeably less sickly sweet than others.
One of our founding values was transparency, we don’t want to do anything we’d need to hide or be embarrassed about.
We’re also committed to treating people well which is why we use Fair Trade ingredients where possible and are Living Wage certified.
What has been the biggest obstacle you’ve faced in running a small, speciality drinks business in NZ?
Market size is tough when you’re doing anything niche/premium. The whole ‘soft drinks’ market is massive in NZ but really dominated by 2 companies. So it’s about getting more people buying local, quality brands even if they are a bit more expensive, which is where having less of it comes in too. Craft beer has led the way in this and other categories are following suit.
And the biggest highlight/reward?
Personally, still having a job to go to after 10 years where I’m still learning, being creative and working with a team of people I like is a simple but great reward.
As a company, being part of the shift to local, natural, quality food and drink is constantly rewarding.
Which of your syrups/sodas is your personal favourite and why?
Like everyone I’m a big fan of our Feijoa, because we always sell out so it always feels special. But our Ginger Ale is probably the one I have the most, it has a great kick and goes with everything.
Your sodas are now being enjoyed in Australia, the United States, Hong Kong and Canada. Can you give us any sneaky insight into any new initiatives that are on the horizon?
We have our work cut out just expanding in the markets we’re in at the moment. We have some more retail stores coming on in Aus this year and there are some cool opportunities in the USA that we’re trying to move ahead and hopefully can get over there again soon to help push that forward.
