A new drink inspired by the Isle of Mull is the brainchild of brothers Oscar and Luke Grieve.
Spotting a gap in the Scottish iced tea market, the siblings founded Be Spring.
A “product of the times” the drink has no artificial ingredients and no added sugar.
After losing their 10-year-old family business, The Ethical Shellfish Company, during the Covid pandemic, dynamic duo Oscar and Luke made themselves a promise that they’d be back with another family business and a product to be proud of.
“As lifelong iced tea fans, we found that there was not a Scottish iced tea brand that we thought we could resonate with, so we are aiming to fill that gap”, said Oscar.
“I’m ex-Diageo and Luke is ex-Coca Cola so when it comes to drinks we know what we’re doing. From our branding to our founder story, we are bringing our Scottish upbringing/childhood from the Isle of Mull straight to the consumer through a clean, wonderful tasting product.
“Our ambition is to bring the clean and spacious feeling that customers experience when they think about Scotland. We are also tapping into the tidal wave of consumers who are not interested in added sugar, alcohol or artificial ingredients.”
Months before its launch, Be Spring has secured Fridge listings at some of the UK’s biggest sporting and live event venues including Murrayfield, Sixways Stadium, The PGA Tour Golf and RG Live Events.
Oscar added: “This is a level of consumer reach that many drinks brands don’t achieve until years into their journey, if ever. Our brand from launch is going to be on the shelves at some of the most influential and high footfall sites across the UK, with tens of thousands of eyes on the brand early.
“Due to our experience, we won’t just be winning the shelf space and seeing how it goes - Luke and I are going to be at every event sampling our product from our branded stands and engaging customers at the forefront of UK events.
“We will be making a huge amount of noise.”
Oscar explained the first phase of Be Spring is about building brand strength and consumer demand through premium events, sport and experiential activations.
“By the time we enter retail, we want to arrive with momentum rather than simply occupying shelf space. We will be pushing hard and will not be waiting around.
“We have big ambitions to win a serious listing with a top four grocer, however we aren’t in a huge rush. For us it’s not about being everywhere, it’s about being in the right places - with the right partner and creating enough excitement around the brand that consumers actively seek it out.”