Craft soda maker lands big Greene King deal

Speaking to The Morning Advertiser ​(MA​), founder Duncan O’Brien, who has developed the brand over the past four years through a series of loans – including a payday loan – said the craft soda segment was primed to grow considerably.

He told MA: ​“It’s going to blow up this year and, over the next three years, we will see specific craft soda areas on pub menus and craft soda sections in retail.

“Our confidence for this is coming from the reactions of buyers who are saying it is a segment that’s primed for rapid growth and we think it will outgrow the sales of adult soft drinks.”

Stocked by Greene King​

The brand, which is made in O’Brien’s London-based facility and currently employs seven staff, is available through more than a dozen distributors and is set to be stocked by Greene King.

“Over the past few months, we have gained lots of distributors and won a 150 pubs deal to supply Greene King’s London sites,” he added.

“Our supply chain has got a lot bigger recently and so has our distribution chain.”

When asked why pubs should take this emerging segment seriously, O’Brien said the offering provided by the likes of Dalston’s was a play on familiar flavours liked by consumers, such as cola and cream soda, but made on a smaller scale and with more of a focus on ingredients.

In a bid to push the brand further and make it more accessible, the founder has launched the products in cans for the first time.

Calories count​

All Dalston’s soft drinks provide less than 100 calories and three flavours – orangeade, lemonade and cola – are available in the new canned format.

O’Brien added: “It’s the perfect time to offer premium soft drinks in cans. Our range is made from carefully sourced ingredients, and blended with the adult palate in mind.

“Cans give us a great canvas for communication so we’ve decided to put calorie content on the front of the pack and highlight the attention we place on our sourcing.”

Meanwhile, managing director Dan Broughton said: “We want to kick start a craft soda revolution and offer the consumers of tomorrow a soft drink offering that meets their needs for a healthier, refreshing and permissible treat.”