Bespoke Kombucha Bottle Boosts Sales for Equinox

The UK's best-selling kombucha tea is now being sold in new bespoke glass bottles made by leading glass manufacturer Beatson Clark.

Equinox Organic Kombucha is a fermented tea craft-brewed in the Calder Valley in West Yorkshire from Chun-Mee green tea, raw cane sugar, spring water and kombucha culture.

Having started life seven years ago as one of the first kombucha breweries in the UK, parent company Flower of Life is now one of the largest kombucha producers in Europe.

To reflect the growth of the business Managing Director Daniel Spayne decided on a packaging rebrand and approached Beatson Clark for a bespoke bottle design.

Flower of Life is in the process of becoming a Certified B Corp – a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit – and was keen to ensure its rebrand helped to protect the environment.

“We’d been discussing the concept of a bespoke bottle with Beatson Clark for a while,” said Daniel. “We wanted a more reliable supplier closer to home because we put the environment at the centre of everything we do. 

“As part of the rebrand we wanted to update the packaging that we had – it was perfect for the small-scale business selling at markets but it wasn’t suitable for a national roll-out.

“We’ve updated the packaging to be more in line with what consumers are looking for today, and because Beatson Clark in South Yorkshire is only 40 miles away from our site in Hebden Bridge they fitted the bill perfectly.”

Beatson Clark’s Business Development Manager Chris Palmer worked closely with Flower of Life during the brand design process, attending branding meetings and going through aspects of glass production.

“The new 275ml white flint bottle is like nothing you’ve seen – it’s shorter than the old bottle and displays a unique craft nature that reflects our product,” said Daniel.

“It’s all part of making the packaging live the product – a high-end, craft-brewed kombucha – and the bottle shape really adds to that. What’s more, Beatson Clark ensured that our bottles contain more than 35% recycled glass.”

One challenge for Beatson Clark was to provide as large a space as possible for the Equinox Kombucha label without impacting the design of the bottle.

“Our label is based on a sundial or sunray concept,” said Daniel. “It’s wider at certain parts than others, a funky design which links in to the curves of the bottle. 

“To have room to include all the information, Beatson Clark needed to design a bottle with as wide a label application space as possible.

“Beatson Clark have always done everything they can to be flexible for us and to make sure that they provide us with an excellent service and a high-quality product.”

Early signs are that the packaging rebrand is having a positive effect on sales.

“We’re very pleased with the new bottle,” said Daniel. “We’re a high-growth business and we’re seeing an increase in sales thanks to the new branding and the continuing growth of the kombucha market.”

Chris Palmer commented: “We were very pleased to be asked to design and manufacture this new bespoke bottle for Equinox Organic Kombucha.

“The company had been using a standard bottle imported from overseas and they were looking for a UK manufacturer closer to home. After a number of discussions about their packaging rebrand their design agency sent us a concept to work from. .

“It’s a good example of how a creative collaboration can produce a stylish bespoke design which can really improve shelf appeal and boost sales.”

Equinox Organic Kombucha is available in Waitrose, Holland & Barrett, the Co-operative and Abel & Cole organic food delivery.