Beatson Clark Bottle Lends Retro Look to Kombucha Brand

Beatson Clark’s new 330ml Amber Alpha drinks bottle is proving to be a perfect fit for Hip Pop organic kombucha.

The retro apothecary-style bottle lends a premium look and feel to the fermented tea brand, which can be found in Booth’s supermarkets, Harrods and independent health shops, farm shops, coffee shops, and delis nationwide.

Glass packaging manufacturer Beatson Clark worked closely with Hip Pop to develop its new drinks bottle, which is based on an Alpha Sirop pharmaceutical bottle normally used for medicines.

Unlike the original pharmaceutical design, the new bottle is tested to 3.0 bar which makes it suitable for carbonated or fermented drinks.

The new retro drinks bottle forms part of Beatson Clark’s extensive standard range and can also be used for beers as  it is available with both an MCA and a standard crown neck finish.

“We talked to Beatson Clark directly about the bottle and they’ve been great – super responsive!” said Emma Thackray, co-founder of Hip Pop.

“When they were developing the bottle they took the time to find out what we wanted and involved us at all stages of the process. They sent us prototype drawings and we were able to play around with the sample bottle. They went out of their way to get our our feedback and use it in the design of the bottle.

“It’s a beauty and when you hold it in your hand it has a lovely substantial, chunky feel. We like the glass because it’s a premium packaging material and it has a twist cap so you can reseal it.

“The packaging is also important to us because kombucha is a health drink and we get lots of comments about the health benefits. Amber glass protects the contents from UV rays and is free from harmful chemicals or plastic liners, so it is the perfect choice for kombucha.

“Sales are going very well. Since the pandemic people are even more aware of their health, especially gut health. And the bottle helps us to get that message across.”

Emma set up Hip Pop two years ago with her business partner Kenny Goodman. “We got into it because I lived in the United States for a while and discovered kombucha and fermented foods.

“Kenny had IBS and I said why not try it? It tastes amazing and it’s also really good for your tummy,” she said.

Kombucha is a naturally sparkling fermented tea which was first brewed in the Far East 2,000 years ago.

Hip Pop kombucha comes in four flavours: blueberry & ginger, strawberry & pineapple, apple & elderflower, and ginger & yuzu.

Jonathan Clark, Business Development Manager at Beatson Clark, said the design of the new drinks bottle helps Hip Pop to stand out from the competition while the amber glass protects the kombucha drink from UV light.

“It looks different, a bit out of the ordinary, and often an unusual shape or design can make consumers look twice – it’s a good way to make your product stand out on the shelf,” he explained.

“This bottle is unique in the UK and it’s proving very popular with breweries and drinks manufacturers.

“For a small initial outlay customers could also customise the bottle by adding their own embossing to the bottle with a minimum order from just 150,000 units.”

Beatson Clark’s amber drinks bottles contain over 60% recycled glass, making it a highly sustainable packaging option.