What is Shelf Life? 

Shelf life is the period during which a beverage is stored and sold without significant loss of quality or functional properties. Shelf life differs from an expiration date, which is the date after which a product should no longer be consumed, either by operation of law or by exceeding the shelf life for perishable goods. A beverage’s shelf life is an essential indicator of the quality or loss of quality in a product. The producer is responsible for determining shelf life.  Certain beverages may have regulations or standards specific to their industry for the usage of “sell-by” dates and “best-by” dates.

What is a Shelf Life Study? 

Reliable “use by” or “best before” times cannot be determined by guesswork or by copying a competing product’s shelf life. Shelf life testing is customized to your product and the information you need to measure and control. A shelf life study is a scientific process for determining the length of time a product will meet specific standards in relation to parameters such as microbiology, taste, appearance, nutrient levels, and aroma.

Some of the ways beverage manufacturers leverage a shelf life study include:

• Improving product quality and shortening time to market
• Ensuring product efficacy throughout its shelf life
• Making sure that combined ingredients within a formula remain stable over time
• Verifying your formula’s compatibility with the packaging you’ve selected
• Making sure your formula does not degrade in a way that compromises the safety and purity of your product
• Exploring ways to lengthen product shelf life
• Defining the storage conditions required for your beverage to maintain quality over time

Testing will vary depending on the product, storage conditions, and any claims on the product. Although each shelf life study is unique, the overall process is the same.

Step 1: Review Formula and Storage Conditions

For your shelf life study to be accurate, your beverage should be made in a way that reflects normal production. These could be samples from a pilot facility, or samples from a full production run. Bench tops samples may not be representative of a true production run (due to scale-up error). Shelf life is impacted by ingredients, type of product and product claims, packaging, temperature exposure and handling, and expected usage after opening.

Step 2: Identify Factors for Safety and Quality

After reviewing the formula and storage conditions, the required organoleptic quality and food safety standards need to be outlined. Any legal claims, such as nutritional content, will also need to be factored into testing for any nutrients that may degrade over time. The testing program for a product will depend on customer and legal requirements and should follow accredited testing methods.

Step 3: Testing

There are several methods of testing that can be used to help determine a product’s shelf life. Two of the most common are the direct and accelerated testing methods.

Direct method: The direct method is a combination of real-time studies that involve storing the product under conditions similar to those it will face on the market while monitoring its properties over regular intervals of time. While this method is extremely accurate, it takes a long time to conduct.

Accelerated method: Accelerated testing modifies conditions such as pressure and temperature to accelerate spoilage reactions in a beverage. These tests help predict the behavior of a beverage under certain conditions. Using accelerated tests, brands can predict how environmental conditions and variations in ingredients will impact the end product’s properties. Although it can produce results three times faster than the direct method, the accelerated process carries some margin of error because the modified conditions may create reactions that would normally not take place on the shelf.

Most shelf life studies include both food quality standards as well as organoleptic quality standards. In addition to microbiological analysis, the product will also undergo sensory testing to ensure properties like taste, smell, and appearance meet requirements over the specified time.

Step 4: Analyze Results and Set Shelf Life

The final shelf life study report verifies that your product is shelf-stable and establishes time parameters from production, distribution, sale, and consumption. A shelf life study should also extend beyond the actual expiry date to ensure that your beverage is safe beyond the expiry date marked. qual

Shelf life testing will need to be re-validated if you make any changes to your formula or production methods.

Shelf Life Study Considerations 

When leveraged correctly, a shelf life study can deliver valuable information to help you make informed business decisions and protect and enhance product quality. Large retailers are increasingly requiring third-party shelf life tests from the manufacturers of the products they carry. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to shelf life testing. Your approach should reflect your unique product, lifecycle stage, data requirements, budget, and time table. Working with a skilled laboratory team that has experience with similar products will ensure a testing design that meets your objectives while avoiding unnecessary costs.

Are you ready to explore shelf life testing for your beverage? Schedule your free shelf life testing consultation with one of our lab technicians today.

Learn more about our full service testing facility: The Lab-Powered by BevSource.

Original article was published in Beverage Industry Blog.

“Climate change is a reality and our future depends on going further and faster on our sustainability commitments. That is why we are accelerating our commitments to offer our consumers a way to drink a carbon-neutral cup of coffee by 2022. A coffee, made from the finest and rarest beans, sustainably sourced. I truly believe that both our business and the coffee industry can be a force for good in the world by tackling this pressing issue,” said Guillaume Le Cunff, CEO of Nespresso.

Having already achieved carbon neutrality in its business operations (scopes 1 & 2) since 2017, the company’s new commitment will tackle emissions that occur in its supply chain and product life cycle (scope 3).

Nespresso will achieve carbon neutrality through the following initiatives: the reduction of carbon emission; the planting of trees in and around coffee farms where Nespresso sources its coffee (insetting); and through support and investment in high-quality offsetting projects.

1. Carbon emission reduction: A crucial element of Nespresso’s vision is to decarbonize its value chain. These immediate initiatives include:
2. Sustainable energy usage within Nespresso’s operations: Driving towards 100% renewable energy in all Nespresso boutiques and increasing the use of biogas within the manufacturing process.
3. The expanded circularity of Nespresso products and packaging: Increasing the use of recycled plastic within Nespresso machines, as well as of recycled and low carbon virgin aluminum within coffee capsules.

Planting trees in coffee farms and the surrounding landscapes (insetting): Trees are the best way to capture carbon from the atmosphere while investing in nature and building a regenerative agricultural system. Planting trees provides the shade needed to improve the quality and quantity of a coffee harvest. The roots also help protect against soil erosion and landslides and promote soil regeneration. With its partner Pur Projet, Nespresso will triple the capacity of planting trees (with insetting) in coffee-producing countries such as Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia and Costa Rica.

Accelerate to make an immediate positive impact (offsetting initiatives): Nespresso will also invest in projects to support forest conservation and restoration as well as implement clean energy solutions within farming communities.

This carbon neutral commitment is part of a broader sustainability ambition that will be further communicated later this year: to preserve exceptional coffees, build a resilient and regenerative coffee agriculture system, drive sustainable livelihoods for farmers and build a circular business.

Source: Nespresso

Eybna was founded in Israel and has established itself as a leader in innovation and design of unique custom terpene formulations, all from natural sources. Aseppak was founded in California and has established a new R&D center in Colorado.

Aseppak is committed to bringing some of the leading international talents to its fresh Denver Tech Center (DTC) facility. Eybna has joined this collective of innovation-oriented companies that will continue to perform joint research and development projects for the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry.

The CPG world is in constant need to understand what the consumer is looking for. By establishing this partnership Aseppak and Eybna will be able to leverage clinical and market data to support every new formulation.

The collective’s new portfolio is the result of interdisciplinary research involving 2 international teams. It includes CBD and terpene blends, as well as natural molecules designed for consumers looking for functionality and natural ingredients.

Eybna’s recent finding on its NT-VRL formulation will be also integrated in this mutual portfolio, and the companies are now progressing on the development of functional beverages.

 The formulas include:

• Workout formulation
• AM formulation
• PM formulation
• Revive formulation
• Hangover formulation
• Restore formulation
• Immune formulation

The partnership between Eybna and Aseppak is a game-changer for the beverage industry. Market data shows a consistent growth for wellness beverages in the US, defined as those that the consumer conceives as “a better choice health-wise”.

The data also shows an important increment in the consumption of natural ingredients with functional benefits such as turmeric, horehound, echinacea and CBD. CBD drinks alone are growing at a great rhythm and are expected to grow at an exceptional pace in the next few years.

The secret to the next generation of wellness beverages lies in achieving the best balance between nature and science. Keeping it natural, while enhancing the nutritional and functional effects generated by the combinations of these ingredients with the highest quality processing and in the most sustainable style of packaging.

The collective expects to launch a new set of functional formulas by Q1-Q2 2021. The companies will continue to collaborate and service those brands who are looking to give these consumers thirsty for the new, the good and the safe. The Denver Tech Center facility is constantly bringing together brands, technology and science in its specially designed innovation workspace.

Source: Aseppak

Curcugen is a clean, highly concentrated and highly dispersible curcumin ingredient, boasting a wholesome turmeric base and a high (50%) curcuminoid concentration produced by a patent-pending technology. The unique profile of Curcugen is supported by the results of a new human bioavailability study showing a significant increase of bioavailability over standard extracts. Incoming data from several ongoing clinical trials further evidences this brand’s superior functionality.

“Curcugen has a great potential in key categories of food supplements and functional foods due to its versatile delivery system,” says Mark L. Dewis, Ph. D, President of Natural Product Solutions of IFF. “We are happy to include this innovative ingredient in our portfolio of science-based natural ingredients. This enables us to expand our activities in the market for curcumin nutraceuticals in better-for-you products.”

Curcugen is the only curcumin ingredient to provide “whole rhizome synergism” similar to the food format of the turmeric spice used as a staple in Indo-Asian cuisine. The dispersible curcumin contains 50% curcuminoids concentration, registering significantly higher than many of the dispersible curcumin brands recently flooding the market, and strongly competing with older, more established brands.

The composition of Curcugen provides a spectrum of native bioactive compounds, including the 3 major curcuminoids in their natural ratios, turmeric essential oils, polar resins and other natural constituents from turmeric that make its bioactive profile as robust as the rhizome itself. The standard formulation grade is palatable, disperses quickly without the need for agitation, and is suitable for use in dietary supplements, foods, and beverages. Published clinical data and safety dossiers are expected later in 2020.

Curcugen’s innovative production begins with turmeric oleoresin, a base ingredient already having long-standing use in the food flavor and coloring industry —an arena in which IFF has decades of proven expertise. The oleoresin is then optimized by the patent-pending SELF-D platform technology, which takes otherwise discarded resins of turmeric and makes them functional by giving priority to those that are naturally more polar. The process simultaneously concentrates the natural curcuminoids to the 50% standard.

“We are very excited to team up with IFF Health in the promotion of our clean-label, turmeric-derived Curcugen,” enthuses K.G. Rao, President and CEO of DolCas Biotech. “DolCas and IFF Health are both strongly committed to the mission of ‘redefining how we live in and care for the resources of our world’. This mutual effort will not only meet the growing interest in curcumin throughout Europe, but support our commitment to reinvesting in the science behind our ingredients and pave the way to increased market confidence and brand exposure along the way.”

“The functional polar resins in Curcugen add significant value to the ingredient, avoiding the common practice of adding non-turmeric bio-enhancers or nanotechnology,” explains Dr. Shavon Jackson-Michel, Director of Medical and Scientific Affairs for DolCas-Biotech, LLC. “The polar resins are believed to increase the surface area of otherwise clustered curcumin molecules, enhancing their interaction with water. Based on human bioavailability data, this mechanism effectuates a significant increase in absorption. Compared to unformulated curcumin, this results in a bioavailability increase of 39 times for free curcumin, 52 times for total curcuminoids and 31 times for tetrahydrocurcumin, which is the most beneficial and active metabolite. This concept provides a complete picture on the bioavailability of curcumin.”

Prototyping for Curcugen’s differentiated delivery capabilities is already underway, and includes proof-of-concept formulations for non-traditional formats, including powdered drinks, oral dispersible powders, hard candies, ready-to-drink beverage shots and gummies. In fact, these have already been targeted as options for specific turn-key projects on the ingredient’s capabilities.

Source: IFF Health

One growing trend amongst retailers is the use of private labels to build brand loyalty and increase profitability. To compete at retail now and in the future, it’s vital to understand what’s behind the private label approach, how retailers are leveraging it, and how it might impact new and existing brands.

What is a Private Label?

A private label product is manufactured by a contract or third-party manufacturer and sold under a retailer’s brand name, or through a licensing agreement. Often, the retailer specifies everything about the private label product including what goes in it, how it’s packaged and what the label looks like. The retailer also pays to have the product produced and delivered to the store. This strategy is in contrast to buying products from other companies with those companies’ brand names on them.

Some examples of retailers who utilize private labels are Walmart, Costco, Aldi, and Trader Joes. According to a report by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), in 2018, private label made up just under 20% of the market share for consumables in the channels that Nielsen tracks.

Private-label goods are available in a wide range of industries from food to cosmetics. They are often positioned as lower-cost, high-quality alternatives to regional, national or international brands. Recently, some private label brands have been positioned as “premium” brands to compete with existing “name” brands. Earlier this year, Aldi rolled out a private label line of vegan food products under their Earth Grown brand.

Private Label Manufacturing

A private label or store brand can be the chain’s own name, or a brand name created by the retailer for their stores. The retailer will design the manufacturing, packaging and marketing of the goods in order to build on the relationship between the products and the store’s customer base. Store-brand goods are generally less expensive than national-brand goods, because the retailer can optimize the production to suit consumer demand and reduce advertising costs.

There are generally four types of store-brand product manufacturers:

• Large national brand manufacturers that utilize excess capacity to supply store brands.
• Small manufacturers that specialize in particular product lines.
• Major retailers and wholesalers that provide store brand products for themselves.
• Regional manufacturers that produce private label products for specific markets.

What Makes A Private Label Successful?

1. It supports the retail brand.

Consumers are becoming more trusting of retailers as the organizations that deliver their customer experience. As such, they expect the store brands to represent the same level of quality and similar attributes to the store itself. For example, Trader Joes keeps all its private brands free from high fructose corn syrup, GMO ingredients, hydrogenated oils, MSG, artificial colors and flavors, and preservatives.

2. It brings differentiation and adds value.

Private labels should bring differentiation to an existing category. As with national brands, private label brands perform best when they add something to the marketplace or address an unmet need. Private label brands provide an opportunity to fill a gap between existing brands or to bring new innovation to the market. In 2018, Target launched a subscription box service for its children’s private label clothing line, Cat & Jack, providing convenience for busy parents.

3. It has boundaries.

A successful private label, just as a national brand, needs boundaries in order to remain salient in the customer’s mind. Retailers can use private labels in many ways, but they must be clear and organized in their approach. Brand strategy principles apply to private brands as well, and companies must understand the different segments their products appeal to, the associations between brands, and how each brand aligns with the core brand. Macy’s is one example of a retailer with a well-defined private label strategy. In 2018, the company generated about 29% of its revenue in private label merchandise. In an article by CNBC, a Macy’s representative stated, “Some of our most loyal customers (and biggest spenders) are most loyal to us because of our private brands.”

4. It has a distinct visual identity.

Private label brands must utilize appealing packaging design with a clear focus on their target audience. Winning products will grab attention and engage consumers. Well-designed private labels differentiate products and deliver a clear brand proposition. Whether they are visually tied to the retailer brand or not, the packaging and visual identity of private label products need to compete with national brands. According to Kasper Ulf Nielsen, “People’s willingness to buy, recommend, work for, and invest in a company is driven 60% by their perceptions of the company and only 40% by their perceptions of their products.”

Opportunity or Threat?

What the growth of private label will mean for suppliers and national brands is yet to be determined. As with every area of uncertainty, the opportunity will go to those who understand the customer best and can deliver superior products and experience at the right price and profit margin. The game is constantly changing and knowing the motivation and moves of each of the players remains your best strategy for success.

Original article was published in Beverage Industry Blog.

The company will now harvest record volumes of tomato annually for its color and health ingredient portfolio following a three-year multi-million-dollar investment in new lines, equipment and process and supply optimization strategies.

Lycored’s color formulation capabilities will be a central part of the expansion driven by its new formulation facility in Branchburg, New Jersey. The new plant will increase the company’s current color formulation capacity, reducing carbon footprint, and support expansion and supply into additional markets in Asia and the Middle East.

Rony Patishi-Chilim, CEO at Lycored said: “The expansion of our lycopene production follows a period of strategic equipment investments and improvements in tomato usage during key harvest periods.

“These changes ensure that we have the expertise and the capacity to meet the needs of our customers across the food, beverage and health ingredient industries looking for natural color, active health ingredients and taste-enhancing solutions.”

Lycored also plans further expansion to its seasonal capacity through working with a third party in the Southern hemisphere to provide higher product availability at different times of the year.

Rony added: “The demand for natural color ingredients is higher than ever and continues to grow as clean label, traceable, vertically integrated pigments that are plant-based grow in popularity, alongside the plant-based movement towards a more sustainable future.

“As manufactures and developers look to capitalize on this trend, we are ready with our portfolio to support their projects. Our new Branchburg facility will also be the location for an application laboratory to support color application and proof stability initiatives.”

Lycored’s growing capacity will harvest opportunities in color applications across a multitude of buoyant and emerging food segments including vegan products and functional beverages.

Source: Lycored

The three-day event will be the first of its kind catering to professionals working across a myriad of sectors from retail, to food service, to wholesalers, to hospitality and Government/ trade bodies. As a launch edition, Montgomery Group East Africa, the organisers behind KFE and KHE, have announced their intention is to give all participants and visitors an experience that will ‘educate and inspire’.

Among the brands set to take part this April are Sheffield Steel, Papyrus, G North & Son, Barry Callebault, Komari Beverages.

With onsite features planned that will include an SME Business Hub and a Conference, organisers are encouraging all attendees to take full advantage of the learning and networking opportunities these have to offer. Over the three days, there will be live demonstrations, masterclasses and tasting sessions from some of the region’s finest experts. The full line-ups for these feature areas is yet to be revealed and will be announced on the website very soon.

Working closely with the official event endorsers include Eat Out, an online directory for restaurants and booking in Kenya, the Pubs, Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya (PERAK), Supreme Chefs 254, a chef Association with the largest Chef membership, amongst others, the Kenyan Food and Hospitality Events are expected to be the unmissable industry events of the year.

Ms Angela Kinyua, the Portfolio Director for Montgomery Group East Africa commented on the upcoming event, “We are incredibly excited to launch these exhibitions in Kenya, with experience in organising some of the food, beverage and hospitality’s most successful exhibitions in Europe and Asia, we are confident that KFE and KHE will follow suit. We’ve secured a fantastic line-up of exhibitors and a comprehensive schedule for our feature areas which will no doubt, be popular amongst attendees.” And in reference to the market itself she said, “East Africa’s tourist market has grown exponentially over the last few years, according to reports, by 2030 consumer spending on tourism in Africa will reach $262 billion*, and we believe that the Kenyan Food and Hospitality Events will leverage this trend as it connects industry professionals and bolsters spending and growth in the market.”

A visitor pass will grant attendees access to all three days and both co-located events: the Kenyan Food Event & the Kenyan Hospitality Event, and their respective feature areas. Those wishing to attend may register online at www.kenyanfoodevent.com or www.kenyanhospitalityevent.com.

Floor spaces are still available for those looking to take part, with stand prices beginning at $1,200. Simply get in touch with the relevant team member, for International enquiries, Tom Meek at Tom.Meek@montgomerygroup.com and for Kenyan enquiries, Jacob Birundu at Jacob.Birundu@montgomerygroup.com.

For more information about the event, visit www.kenyanfoodevent.com or www.kenyanhospitlaityevent.com.

Source: The Kenyan Food and Hospitality Events

“When we acquired the Atlanta territory in 2017, we made a commitment to being world-class in the way we serve this market, our customers and our communities. After all, it is the home of the worldwide Coca-Cola System,” said John Sherman, president and CEO of Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, the parent company of Atlanta Coca-Cola. “This facility demonstrates – through its state-of the-art technology and the aesthetically pleasing environment – our commitment to honor our associates, customers and the communities where we operate and serve every day.”

“Coca-Cola UNITED’s South Metro Sales Center is a welcome addition to the hometown of Coca-Cola,” said Jim Dinkins, president of Coca-Cola North America. “As a valued partner in our U.S. bottling system, Coca-Cola UNITED continues to make incredible investments in Atlanta, creating more local jobs, bringing more of our beverage portfolio to store shelves, and doing more good to make a difference in our communities.”

The South Metro Sales Center will serve more than 10,000 customers throughout Atlanta who refresh some 2.8 million consumers annually with beverages from the expansive Coca-Cola portfolio. The facility, which has been operating since the end of 2019, serves the following counties in metro Atlanta: Carroll, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dekalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Spalding, and Walton.

Approximately 750 employees work at the facility, which has a payroll of more than $41 million.

“This facility is one of the most technologically advanced sales and distribution facilities in the North American beverage industry, and it is one of the largest investments that has been made in a U.S. Coca-Cola sales center,” said Mike Suco, East Region vice president for Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED. “What a great testament to the commitment our company has to the Atlanta market and the thousands of associates who serve our customers and these communities every day.”

“We’re absolutely ecstatic about the state-of-the-art Coca-Cola UNITED facility joining our community and becoming part of the Union City family,” said Vince Williams, Mayor of Union City. “The strong investment of over $80 million dollars proves they’re serious about a committed relationship with the Atlanta metro area and the Union City community!”

Source: Coca-Cola

Prepare Your Vision and Your Formula

You will need to be able to properly articulate the vision for your beverage including who it will serve, how it fits in the market, and what it will look and taste like. Think about the certifications you want for your beverage (e.g. organic, non-GMO, kosher, gluten-free, etc.) and understand your beverage’s requirements in terms of things like preservation method and shelf life. You will need to have a commercial formula that provides the contract manufacturer with the details required to scale, batch, and produce your beverage in a consistent, efficient, and safe manner.

Explore Your Packaging Possibilities

As you know, your packaging is a major opportunity to stand out from the crowd. This is why your packaging strategy is so important to layout before negotiating with a contract manufacture. The type of packaging you select can affect your costs, the number of qualified facilities, and how your product can be shipped and stored. It is crucial to understand the options available for your primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging along with the pros, cons, and costs associated with each. Creating a flexible packaging strategy with a few possible packaging combinations will help you when locating and negotiating with the contract manufacturer.

Think About Minimum Order Quantities

Having accurate market projections will help you understand how much product you’ll need to produce and when. The smallest order you’re allowed to place, or minimum order quantity (MOQ), varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. It’s essential to evaluate not only the MOQs required at each facility but also the ability to warehouse your beverage and the costs associated with that option.

Consider a Wide Range of Manufacturing Options

The more manufacturers you can compare, the more likely you are to find the best match for your beverage. Just as important as gathering the quotes and capabilities from different co-packers is comparing them in a way that helps you see all of your options. Sometimes, a quote that looks high may end up being the best value because of the additional services, options, or flexibility offered. Use the information you have from co-packers to project different scenarios and possibilities for things like logistics, labeling, and storage. You may find that a production path that looks a little different than expected also brings unanticipated advantages.

Evaluate Your Financial Situation

Before entering into negotiations, you must have an accurate picture of your financial model. A complete financial analysis will help you understand what you can afford in terms of co-packing fees and give you a solid starting point for negotiating. Preparing your estimated cost of good sold (COGS) and cash schedule empowers you to communicate confidently and accurately with potential contract manufacturers. A solid financial picture also helps you make smart long-term decisions that will set both you and your contract manufacturer up for long-term, sustainable success.

Prepare Your Plan

Finally, organize all of your information and options and reach out to your selected partners to discuss moving forward. Outline your goals and strategy, be transparent and ready for partnership. Remember, your contract manufacturer is an extension of your business – when you are successful, they are successful, and vice versa.

Armed with the information outlined above, you will be in an excellent place to find your ideal manufacturing solution and start your contract manufacturing relationships successfully. In addition to completing the preparation, remember best practices for successful negotiation. Try to make the first move, know when to be quiet and listen, and to always work towards a compromise instead of giving in to a concession. Happy negotiating!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published by Adomas Pranevicius, founder of MyDrink Beverages, in 2012 and has been updated to provide more in-depth and accurate information.

Original article was published in Beverage Industry Blog.

As a limited-edition initiative for 2019, the special release series consists of twelve new beers in can and keg formats, with each being released monthly. The range, which challenged their brew team to come up with twelve completely new recipes, started in January with ‘Seeing Dubbel’, rich and decadent plum and vanilla Belgian Dubbel. Hot on the heels of Seeing Dubbel was February’s release, Tough Nut, an imperial nut-brown ale packed full of earthy English hops. During the summer they released ‘Summer Saze’, an elderflower and honey saison, and ‘Pool Party’ which was a sour IPA. The latest release from the series is ‘Bocktoberfest,’ which is a rich German-style doppelbock. The compelling series is exclusive to independent retailers.

The Label Makers’ new nine labels for the series to-date, have been produced in relatively low volumes of between 2,500 and 4,000 units for each can design.

Alastair Fielding, key accounts manager at The Label Makers, said: “It has been great to work with these playful and vibrant designs. The labels have been printed digitally to achieve a quick turnaround to accommodate the short lead-time and limited volumes of this monthly range.

“The labels were finished on the AB Graphic Digicon Series 3, creating a mix of tactile finishes and cementing the quirky yet fun nature of the products. High build screens and spot gloss varnish finishes have been used to give the completed product added value and a heightened experience for consumers.”

“We have also supplied labels for Vocation’s ‘Hang Loose’ craft beer release, which is stocked by a major retailer. To create another unconventional finish, we used a sandpaper varnish, which feels exactly as it sounds! It is fantastic to work with a brewery with such a diverse range of products, variations in volume and who push the boundaries in design and finishes to the limit.”

Rachael Pinder, head of operations at Vocation Brewery, said: “It has been great to bring together three thriving companies in West Yorkshire, with our brewery in Hebden Bridge, our designers, Robot Food, in Leeds, and the experts at The Label Makers in Bradford.”

“We chose The Label Makers because we were extremely impressed with their flexibility and ability to react to whatever the designers threw at them! They deliver quality in a timely fashion, always quick to respond to our needs. Following the response to this series so far, we are now looking to produce another specials range, so watch this space!”

Source: The Label Makers