Should you use cold brew pouches to package your coffee?
Trends come and go, but cold brew coffee has been an outlier. It’s not an entirely new beverage, but since it became a favourite for many almost a decade ago, there have been no signs of consumption slowing down.
The latest National Coffee Data Trends (NCDT) report shows that cold brew coffee has increased in popularity by 300% since 2016. Market research predicts a blistering 22.7% annual growth rate over the next five years, solidifying the beverage’s place in the coffee industry’s future.
For a business looking to make the most of this never-ending trend, part of their success lies in the packaging. Cold brew pouches have earned their place in this conversation, but are they truly worth it? I spoke to Andrew Costaris, Director of Customer Experience at Partners Coffee, to find out.
What makes cold brew pouches stand out?
Partners Coffee is a Brooklyn roaster that serves hundreds of retailers and cafés across the US, and cold brew is a popular menu item for many of them.
“For our wholesale partners, we offer a variety of cold brew options, including ready-to-drink (RTD) cans and our concentrated (or bag-in-boxed) cold brew,” he says. D2C customers can also select grind sizes specifically for cold brew when purchasing coffee online or in-store.
As convenience and sustainability have become increasingly important purchasing factors for consumers, roasters and retailers have been pushed to offer new and innovative packaging options. One of these is pouches: single-serve bags that contain pre-ground coffee or liquid cold brew.
“Our cold brew pouches came from the desire to offer customers the option to create fresh, delicious cold brew at home coupled with our passion for sustainability,” Andrew explains.
Even though they are lightweight, recyclable, convenient, and easily customisable, Andrew says cans aren’t as cost-effective and eco-friendly as pouches. “Shipping cold brew cans is expensive and leaves a far greater carbon footprint.”
He explains that a 12-pack of 12oz. cold brew cans, for instance, weighs about 9 lbs. On the other hand, one bag of Rockaway Cold Brew – which brews an equivalent of 14 cans of 12oz. cold brew servings – weighs only 12oz. “That has a significantly lower logistical impact compared to any liquid-based alternative,” he notes.
In addition, cold brew pouches are also ideal for on-the-go brewing and consumption while travelling, as they can be easily packed and require minimal equipment.
Does your brand need cold brew pouches?
In the coffee industry, over 50% of consumers prioritise factors such as sustainability and convenience while still expecting affordability. Roasters and retailers can use their cold brew packaging to meet this shift in demand.
“We launched our cold brew pouches, and they sold out within the first few months,” Andrew says, adding that sales continue to outpace projections to date.
Pouches are a cost-effective alternative to liquid-based cold brew options, helping to keep wholesale and consumer prices lower and streamline logistics.
Andrew explains that Partners Coffee uses pouches made from biodegradable material, which are loaded in flat-bottomed coffee bags for easy transportation and can be customised to reflect brand identity. Recyclable and compostable cold brew pouches are also becoming popular as consumers seek a variety of sustainable packaging options that best suit their needs.
Given their convenience and ease of use, offering cold brew pouches has allowed Partners Coffee to reach a much wider range of customers – spurring the growth of the premium cold coffee market.
“We have grown our customer base to folks who may be brewing their own cold brew for the first time or prioritise convenience when choosing what to purchase,” Andrew adds.
Moreover, cold brew pouches can be packaged in customisable coffee bags, allowing roasters to tailor their offerings and stand out from competitors.
Finding the right packaging for your business
Even when offering high-quality cold brew options, roasters and retailers can still face challenges if their packaging isn’t the right fit for their business. In addition to choosing the best materials, brands need to make sure bags reflect their branding and clearly convey important information about the coffee.
“It’s essential that your packaging communicates what the product is and how customers can expect to use it to make the purchasing and brewing experience easier,” Andrew advises. “We learned this lesson after creating our cold brew packaging.”
He adds that the design elements should also be eye-catching and informative so consumers can engage with the packaging. “Regardless of the form that a cold brew product takes – whether liquid concentrate or pre-ground – a customer needs to understand it and your brand at first glance.”
A good starting point is deciding which formats are best for different cold brew coffees. Andrew says that the pouches’ convenient, cost-effective, and space-saving qualities made them the perfect fit for Partners Coffee’s pre-ground cold brew offerings.
Another option for this category is frac packs, which are customisable, affordable, and available in various recyclable materials. However, one downside is that they often disintegrate during longer steep times, which compromises beverage flavour and mouthfeel.
In the RTD category, there are several more options to choose from. Although they are recyclable and sturdier, cans, PET plastic bottles, and glass may not be the best choices to maximise space and reduce shipping costs. Bag-in-a-box options also stand out for their versatility but typically require larger shipping volumes which may not always work for smaller-sized roasters and retailers.
Recyclable and plastic-lined RTD cold brew pouches or cartons, which combine the benefits of rigid packaging with superior flexibility, are both space-saving and sustainable – allowing coffee businesses to meet consumer needs and minimise logistics costs.
At Cold Brew Pak, we understand the critical connection between packaging and your brand’s potential. That is why we offer both bag-in-box and pouches that can be customised to reflect your brand’s identity, and are available in a number of different sustainable materials.
Interested in learning more about Cold Brew Pak’s products? Get in touch with our team here.
Images courtesy of Partners Coffee.
