For new brands

How to start a drinks brand in the UK

Taste Right Technical Consulting

Most people who come to us with a drinks idea have already done the fun part, they've made something in their kitchen that friends and family love. What trips brands up isn't the recipe, it's everything that has to happen between a jug on the counter and a can on a shelf. Here's the order we'd actually work through it in.

Research the category before you commit to anything

Before you spend a penny on packaging or production, find out what's already on the shelf in your category, at what price, and who's buying it. A crowded, well-funded category (energy drinks, kombucha, functional soda) is a much harder and more expensive door to push open than a newer one. This isn't about copying what's already there, it's about understanding what your product is actually up against.

Find your point of difference, and be honest about it

Being vegan or organic used to be enough to stand out. It isn't anymore, most drinks are already vegan, and organic mostly just adds cost. What matters now is a genuine reason for someone to pick your product over the one they already buy, whether that's a flavour combination, a functional benefit, or a story about where it comes from. Write this down in one sentence before you go any further. If you can't, that's the actual work to do next. If that difference is a health or wellness angle, our guide on how to develop a functional drink that actually works is worth reading before you commit to a recipe.

Get the recipe production-ready, not just kitchen-ready

A recipe that tastes right in a saucepan doesn't automatically survive a real production line, or a six-month shelf life, or the cheaper ingredients you'll likely need once you're buying at scale. This is usually where founders lose the most time, taking a home recipe to a co-packer only to find it needs reformulating from scratch. Get this checked by someone independent before you approach a manufacturer, not after.

Understand what packaging format actually costs

Cans, glass, PET, pouches, they all come with wildly different minimum order quantities and per-unit costs at small volumes. Cans have become the default for a reason, workable minimums and reasonable flexibility, but the unit economics only really make sense once you're printing in serious volume. Price your product against what it costs at scale, not what your first small run costs, or you'll never get there.

Then, and only then, approach a co-packer

Co-packers want confidence that a brand will grow, and they want to see a company that looks ready: a proper domain, a professional deck, a brand that's thought about who it's for. Going in too early, with an unfinished recipe and no real plan, is the fastest way to get ignored by the manufacturers you actually want to work with. For what to actually look for once you get there, see how to find the right co-packer in London and the UK.

Plan your route to buyers before you launch

Soft drink buyers at the major retailers do their range reviews early in the year, well before the spring and summer sales season. Smaller premium retailers buy all year round and are often a better place to build a track record first. Selling in a few well-chosen independents before chasing a supermarket listing gives you proof that your brand sells, which is exactly what bigger buyers want to see before they'll take a chance on you.