26 Sep 2013 2013’s Beverage Innovation Awards
“This years awards have been our biggest awards scheme to date which proves that innovation is driving the beverage industry,” said Bill Bruce of organiser, FoodBev Media.
“This was evident from the overwhelming amount of entries, range of new products and packaging ideas, use of new ingredients, great new marketing campaigns and huge variety of nutrition and environmental projects as well as brilliant manufacturing and technology innovations which are set to change the industry.
“Each year the Beverage Innovation Awards collate and celebrate the best new ideas within the industry. At FoodBev Media we particularly look forward to hosting the awards at Drinktec.
“The once every four year event attracts an audience of over 60 000 industry leaders because it hosts the biggest unveiling of innovation within the industry. This year was no exception and the awards highlighted the growing investment and commitment from companies to innovate in order to increase sales both from consumers and business leaders.”
The headline sponsor was Rexam Beverage Can. Associate sponsors included Aptar Food + Beverage, Sensient Flavors, O-I and Smartseal.
Awards results
Best juice or juice drink
Winner: Berry White Organic Drinks (UK) with BerryWhite
Finalists in this category were: Dr Antonio Martins Coco (Germany) with Dr Antonio Martins Coco; Gerber Juice Company (UK) with Del Monte Naturally Light; and Olgerdin Egill Skallagrimsson (Iceland) with Floridana Goji.
Best sparkling beverage
Winner: Guayaki (US) with Sparkling Yerba, Yerba Mate, the caffeine alternative with the “strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea and the euphoria of chocolate” is now available in a sparkling beverage.
Finalists in this category were: SHS Drinks (UK) with Schloer Raspberry and Rhubarb Punch; Kondrauer Mineral –und Heilbrunnen (Germany) with Hopster; Blu Drinks (Poland) with Blu Energy Drink Mojito; and Steaz (US) with Steaz Sparkling Green Tea Steazy Cola.
Best functional drink
Winner: Inno-bev (Israel) with Wakeup! Post Lunch Waker
Finalists in this category were: The Chill Group (US) with Just Chill; and Wellness Works (US) with Oatworks
Best sports or fitness drink
Winner: Future Nutrition (Ireland) with Little Dragon 30g Protein
Finalists in this category were: Kill Cliff (US) with Kill Cliff, The Recovery Drink, Douple Awesomeness; and Kinetica (Germany) with Kinetica Protein Shake
Best dairy drink
Winner: Arla Foods (Denmark) Arla Bubble Latte
Finalists in this category were: Bio-tiful Dairy (UK) with Bio-tiful Dairy Drinks; and The Good Whey Company (UK) with Upbeat high protein dairy drink
Best children’s drink
Winner: Zeekei (Germany) Coobo bottled bubble tea
Highly commended: Meiji (Japan), with Meiji Anpanman children’s milk drinks ‘for successfully promoting healthy eating to children’
Finalists in this category were: Athena Brands (US) with Green Mustache; Gerber Juice Company (UK) with Del Monte Fruit Burst
Best still or sparkling water
Winner: Beverly Hills Drinks Company (US) with Beverly Hills 90H20
Finalists in this category were: Koha Water (New Zealand) with Koha Water; Silverwater (US) with Silverwater; and Research and Production Company (Lithuania) with Melt Water
Best flavoured water
Winner: Spendrups (Sweden) with Loka Likes Old School
Finalists in this category were: Natural Immune Products (UK) with Mune 100% Natural Immune Support; Vöslauer Mineralwasser (Austria) with Vöslauer Balance Juicy; and Oviva (Canada) with Oviva Pure Maple Water
Best functional water
Winner: Natural Immune Products (UK) with Mune 100% Natural Immune Support
Finalists in this category were: Voda Naturalna (Poland) with Voda Collagen; and Genuina Lyndoia (Brazil) with Acquafibra
Best bottled beer
Winner: SHS Drinks (UK) with Dead Crow Bourbon Flavoured Beer
Finalists in this category were: East 9th Brewing (Australia) with Lick Pier; and Sulimar (Poland) with Cornelius Grejpfrut
Best mixer or ready-to-drink cocktail
Winner: Smoke Ventures (US) with Smoke
Finalists in this category were: Funkin (UK) with Funkin Brazilian; SHS Drinks (UK) with Bottlegreen Pink Tonic Water; and Feel Good Drinks (UK) Feel Good Non-Alcoholic Cocktails
Best ready to drink coffee
Winner: Chi Drinks (UK) with Chi Espresso Coconut Milk
Finalists in this category were: All Market Europe (UK) with Coco Café; and Top Roast (US) with Premium Arabica Concentrate – Dream Pak
Best ready to drink tea
Winner: TEAloe (US) TEAloe Brewed Green Tea and Juicy Aloe Bits
In this category Flora tea Company was Highly Commended for it’s innovative Cold Brew concept
Finalists in this category were: Crystal Geyser Water Company (US) with Tejava Premium Iced Tea; and Steaz (US) with Steaz Iced Green Tea with Coconut Water
Best new beverage concept
Winner: H2M Beverages (US) with 989 OnDemand
Finalists in this category were: Chi Drinks (UK) with Chi Chocolate; Tate & Lyle Ingredient (France) with Drop by Drop Create; Beverly Hills Drinks Company (US) with Beverly Hills 90H20; Nosh Detox Delivery (UK) with Nosh Raw; Flora Tea Company (UK) with Flora Tea Tube; Femme Natural Energy (Sweden) with Femme Boost; and Inno-Bev – (Israel) with WakeUp! Post Lunch Waker.
Best new brand or business
Winner: The Good Whey Co (UK) with Upbeat
Finalists in this category were: Chi Drinks (UK) Chi Espresso and Chi Chocolate; Fakeer (Czech Republic) with Fakeer Energy Drink; Femme Natural Energy (Sweden) with Femme Boost; and SHS Drinks (UK) with Equator
Best new beverage ingredient
Winner: Arla Foods Ingredients (Denmark) with From waste to value add with Nutrilac functional milk protein
Finalists in this category were: Kino Biotech (Singapore) with Kinohimitsu J’pan Stem cell drink; Oviva (Canada) with Oviva Pure Maple Water; and Studio One Creative (US) with Rize Performance Beverage
Best environmental sustainability initiative
Winner: Frigoglass (Greece) with Solar Ice Cold Merchandiser
Coca–Cola Hellenic – Russia was highly commended in this category for successfully engaging with volunteers and communities to develop eco friendly behaviour
The Finalists in this category were: Valvira / EFSA (Finland) with 100% rPET bottle – Gaia Organic Vodka; Coca-Cola system in Russia, with Bon Aqua, for the cleaner future of Lake Bakal; Vöslauer Mineralwasserr (Austria) with Sustainability campaign and recycling focus; Alliance of Beverage Cartons and the Environment (UK) with UK’s only beverage carton recycling facility; APPE – (France) with Expansion of APPE PET Recycling Plant; and McCann Erickson (Austria) with Gosser Green Brewery
Best Corporate Social Responsibility report or initiative
Winner: SAB Miller (Mozambique) with Farming better futures, Impala project
The Finalists in this category were: Coca-Cola Enterprises (UK) with Deliver for today, inspire for tomorrow; SHS Drinks (UK) with Look after your mates; and Coca-Cola HBC Hungary/Mindspace, with The Green Danube Partnership – Danube calling.