Sea buckthorn, hailed as the next big 'superfruit', is set to hit the UK in a new juice drink.
Pep a blend of sea buckthorn, wild berry fruits and natural fruit sweetener would be the first drink of its kind in the UK, claimed marketing company Drinks Brokers. Drinks based on sea buckthorn berries, which typically grow in areas such as the Himalayas, are already popular in Germany and Scandinavia as a source of vitamins including A, C and E but haven't been available here.
The drink (rsp: 99p for a 250ml bottle) had a "dry and refreshing" taste and was aimed at the adult juice market, said the company, which is seeking listings in supermarkets and wholesalers and hoping to sell it overseas.
"The grocery trade has been asking us to innovate there are a lot of me-too products out there but this ingredient is completely new to the UK market," said Drinks Brokers director Simon Hardy, who added that he was keen to branch out into other flavours.
Tony Ferguson, MD of The Ingredients Consultancy, said the adult taste and health claims of Pep would appeal to the UK market. "You could perhaps classify sea buckthorn as a new superfruit," he added.
Pep would tap into the growing popularity of functional products with natural ingredients, said Tom Ellis, strategy and research director of branding agency 1HQ, but the acid test would be the taste.
"When people see a new product and ingredient they need to instantly understand its benefits and be reassured on its taste," he said. "It is established in other markets so I think there's real potential."
Pep a blend of sea buckthorn, wild berry fruits and natural fruit sweetener would be the first drink of its kind in the UK, claimed marketing company Drinks Brokers. Drinks based on sea buckthorn berries, which typically grow in areas such as the Himalayas, are already popular in Germany and Scandinavia as a source of vitamins including A, C and E but haven't been available here.
The drink (rsp: 99p for a 250ml bottle) had a "dry and refreshing" taste and was aimed at the adult juice market, said the company, which is seeking listings in supermarkets and wholesalers and hoping to sell it overseas.
"The grocery trade has been asking us to innovate there are a lot of me-too products out there but this ingredient is completely new to the UK market," said Drinks Brokers director Simon Hardy, who added that he was keen to branch out into other flavours.
Tony Ferguson, MD of The Ingredients Consultancy, said the adult taste and health claims of Pep would appeal to the UK market. "You could perhaps classify sea buckthorn as a new superfruit," he added.
Pep would tap into the growing popularity of functional products with natural ingredients, said Tom Ellis, strategy and research director of branding agency 1HQ, but the acid test would be the taste.
"When people see a new product and ingredient they need to instantly understand its benefits and be reassured on its taste," he said. "It is established in other markets so I think there's real potential."
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