Page 34 - Food & Drink Business August 2018

BEVERAGES
✷ BOTTOMS UP
The Hemp Kombucha will roll out in Australia next month.
CRAFT BEER
CONTINUES
UPWARD CLIMB
Craft beer production is booming due to a growing taste for premium beers and a stronger emphasis on quality, according to researcher IBISWorld.
Although per capita alcohol consumption has declined, craft beer sales have grown strongly, with consumer preferences shifting towards premium food and beverages, including
craft beer.
It is expected that consumers
will continue to opt for premium and craft beers, particularly small, seasonal batches with a local or regional focus.
Industry revenue has increase at an annualised 9.7 per cent over the five years through 2017-18, to reach $486.3 million. Industry revenue is expected to increase by 6.2 per cent this year.
Despite the presence of major brewers such as Lion, SAB Beverage and Asahi, the industry is still highly fragmented, according to IBISWorld. Although Lion and SAB Beverage still dominate the industry, enterprise numbers have continued to grow strongly, with small niche brewers thriving. As a result, the industry’s two major players have both lost market share.
Despite strong revenue growth, increasing industry participation has intensified price competition, which has slightly reduced industry-wide profitability over the past five years.
Exports are also projected to grow as a
share of industry
revenue over the next five years, as demand
from several Asian countries, such as China, strengthens.
However, an anticipated rise in cider consumption is likely to threaten industry growth. As a result,
promotional and marketing activity is
expected to increase.
34 | Food&Drink business | August 2018 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au
Amping up
the hemp space
A low-sugar kombucha drink with hemp as a key ingredient is soon to hit Australia with the promise of ‘all health, no high’.
A new beverage that unites
two big health trends is set
to roll out in Australia next month. Hemp Kombucha, a creation by Hemp Oz, combines probiotic fermented tea
with a hemp oil infusion and botanical terpenes sourced from the Australian outback.
Hemp Oz co-founder Adam Flint said the legalisation of hemp in food and drink last November was a green light for the company to tap into Australia’s growing love for kombucha and healthy drink alternatives.
“We’re bringing together some of the biggest trends and using the experience of myself and founder John Leith to offer a healthy beverage that ticks lots of boxes,” he says.
Flint says the impetus for the hemp kombucha – as well as a lemon and ginger hemp-infused water that’s soon to roll out – are part of the larger story of the company’s medicinal cannabis range.
“Our company is part of a group called Hemp Oz, which gives consumers access to medicinal cannabis – and the holistic approach of the company is to provide solutions at different stages of people’s journeys.
“We’re all about preventative measures consumers can
take today.”
Flint says the new hemp kombucha is rich in plant-based protein, magnesium, dietary fibre, amino acids, omega 3s and 6s.
“There’s a gap in the market for drinks that haven’t got much sugar,”he says.
While the kombucha variety has less than two grams of sugar per 100ml serving, the hemp-infused water has no sugar and delivers an “adult” flavour that offers an appealing alternative to alcohol.
“Soft drink sales are declining as people are trying to avoid them altogether,” he says.
block who are proud of our product,” Flint says.
Hemp Oz also plans to export the product range – which could include hemp milk, a botanical soda, and a new kombucha flavour in the future.
“We’re currently getting advice for taking the products overseas,” Flint says.
“We’re proud of the fact we’re an Australian-owned company, employing Australians and building a new industry. A lot of manufacturing is in decline in Australia, so it’s great to be able to create a strong offering for the future.”
“ Globally, people are drinking less alcohol and there’s a stronger emphasis on taking control of your own health.”
Flint says the tide has changed in terms of how beverage makers market their goods, with consumers demanding authenticity.
“You can’t get away with fancy marketing machines anymore. You have to present the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so people can make informed decisions and align themselves with brands they trust,” he says.
“We want to arrive with a bang as the new kids on the
Currently, the product is bottled in Victoria, but longer term will be made from scratch themselves.
The team has plans for the beverages to be sold in independent bottle shops.
“We want to get it out of health food shops and into the hands of people who are health-conscious – even non-kombucha lovers,” Flint says.”
The two drinks are expected tolaunchinSeptember. ✷