Finlays  /  Products & Solutions  /  Functional Beverages (Europe)
Europe

Ready to tap into growing demand for functional beverages?

The rising trend for food and beverages that don’t just taste great but also provide an array of associated health benefits shows no signs of slowing. The European functional soft beverage category grew +25% between 2016-2019, reaching a value of €30.3bn. Finlays range of natural tea extracts, caffeine and cold brew coffee solutions are designed to help you tap into growing demand for natural and clean label products.

Brand owners can satisfy consumer thirst for functional beverages by choosing products that…

Leverage familiar ingredients

Research has shown consumers prefer products that feature familiar ingredients and softer health claims i.

Permit clean labelling claims

One in five European consumers are trying to reduce consumption of artificial flavours, colours and sweeteners ii.

Are made with natural ingredients

Since 2016, the number
of energy drink
launches with an ‘all natural’ claim has increased by 178% iii.

Are sustainable and traceable

76% of European consumers agree sustainability is a key purchase driver of beverages iv.

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Discover the range

COLD BREW COFFEE

TEA EXTRACTS

JUST ADD WATER

CAFFEINE POWDER

Clean energy with cold brew coffee

Our pioneering approach to cold brew extraction helps brand owners unlock the growing demand for functional and natural energy drinks with products that:

Provide natural sources of caffeine

Natural energy drink brands have benefited from triple-digit growth in recent years as consumers gravitate towards healthier alternatives such as cold brew, a natural source of caffeine that contains zero added sugar and few calories.

Offer a premium, sensorial experience

Using our unique, bespoke gravity extraction technology, we extract the finest flavours from the bean resulting in distinctly smooth and deliciously rich cold brew coffee.

Are refreshing

Cold brew offers a smooth, refreshing taste profile that pairs well with carbonated bases as well as citrus and fruit flavours to replicate traditional energy drink formulations.

Are authentic

Our unique process involves no heat and no pressure and has nothing else added. That means we don’t add soluble coffee or bulking agents.

Are sustainable

100% of our green bean coffee is directly sourced at origin and therefore guarantees full traceability as well as access to a wide variety of coffee.

Tapping into tea’s health halo

Our unique approach to tea extracts helps brand owners tap into the functional beverage space with products that:

Have associated wellness benefits

Last year, more 57% of European soft beverage launches containing tea extracts carried a ‘functional’ or ‘plus’ claim v. Our tea extracts are rich in naturally-derived bioactive compounds which are associated with various health benefits.

Effectively tap into tea’s health halo

Our tea extracts have a high polyphenol content, a type of bioactive compound in tea associated with various health benefits such as countering oxidative stress, reducing cardiovascular risk, supporting weight loss and improving mood.

Provide a natural source of caffeine

Our tea extracts contain naturally occurring caffeine, meeting consumer demand for more natural alternatives to beverages containing synthetic caffeine.

Allow clean labelling claims

Tea extracts in The Wellbeing Collection are naturally sugar and calorie free and are free from preservatives, added chemicals, pesticides and non-aqueous solvents.

Are organic

A variety of tea extracts in The Wellbeing Collection are certified organic. They are extracted from fresh leaf tea grown using natural methods of weed control and use fertiliser made from spent leaf from our own extracts’ facility.

Are versatile

Since 2016, beverage launches highlighting tea compounds have increased by +30% v. Our versatile range of extracts can help brand owners leverage functional associations across numerous beverage categories such as RTDs, energy drinks and juice formats.

Are sustainable

Saosa, our tea extraction facility, sits at the heart of our tea farming community in Kericho and all extracts in the Wellbeing collection are 100% traceable and certified. James Finlay Kenya is more than a tea operation, it’s a thriving community, and when you partner with us for tea extract solutions, you share in our mission to create social, environmental and economic change.

Just Add Water by Finlays

A full solution for beverage brand owners

We’ve combined our bush-to-cup supply chain in tea, leading extraction capabilities and applications expertise to create an innovative range of tea and botanical blends that tap into consumer demand for flavour, functionality and convenience.

Wellness with tea
Each blend features premium tea extracts from The Wellbeing Collection which are rich in naturally derived bioactive compounds associated with functional and health benefits.
Permit clean labelling claims

Our blends contain no added sugar, are low in calories and are free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

Flavour at your fingertips
Our blends dissolve instantly in cold water and are a convenient way for consumers to add exciting flavour combinations to refillable bottles of water while on-the-go.
A full solution for brand owners
Each blend is packaged in single-serve sachets and is available in multipack formats. This gives brand owners the flexibility to apply their own artwork, ready to take to the market. We also offer our blends in bulk format and offer options for customisation.
Full traceability
Finlays manage the sourcing, blending and packing of each carefully-selected ingredient throughout the supply chain to guarantee full traceability.

References

i Mintel, March 2022, Tea can take functional benefits to the next level – Mintel. ii GlobalData Plc, survey of 10,023 European consumers, Q2 2021. iii Mintel GNPD 2021, global energy drink launches 2016-2019. iv Global Consumer Survey, 2020 survey of 26,097 consumers in 30+ countries globally. v Mintel GNPD, 2022