How to package your single-serve cold brew bags
Over the past decade, cold brew has cemented its position as a standout beverage on coffee shop menus, roasters’ offerings, and grocery retailer shelves. By 2032, the global market is expected to be valued at more than US $16.22 billion, indicating vast growth.
Typical of any thriving market, innovation is everywhere, fuelled by the need to meet ever-changing consumer needs and expectations. In one of its most recent cold brew reports, UK beverage supplier Finlay listed single-serve formats as an emerging trend for coffee businesses to watch in the coming years.
Single-serve cold brew bags have redefined convenience, allowing consumers to enjoy cold brew at home and on the go. Peter Farrant, the Product and Innovation Director at Collab Coffee, sheds more light on this exciting new packaging trend.
What’s the best packaging for single-serve cold brew bags?
Similar to tea bags, single-serve cold brew bags are steeped to prepare one serving of coffee. Other common names for this type of packaging include pre-filled bags, single-serve coffee packets, pre-filled packets, and coffee pouches.
As consumers continually prioritise convenience in their purchasing decisions, single-serve cold brew bags have emerged as a popular choice for coffee businesses to cater to this need.
Peter tells me that Collab Coffee works with influencers, content creators, and businesses interested in entering the coffee market. Florence by Mills Coffee, one of Collab Coffee’s global brands, decided to invest in single servings for its cold brew products.
“Firstly, we need to understand the audience and their needs and desires,” he says. Millie Bobby Brown, the celebrity behind the brand, is an actress and entrepreneur with a huge Gen Z audience, who are the biggest consumers of cold coffee.
“We recognise this audience is open to trying new formats,” Peter adds. “But they also want to be able to make great-tasting coffee easily and quickly.”
There are several packaging options for this product. Florence by Mills Coffee’s focus on sustainability influenced its decision, as Peter explains:
“We ensured that the single-serve cold brew bags were compostable and each one vacuum sealed and packed in a recyclable foil wrap to maximise and preserve freshness.”
The bags are then packed into cardboard boxes, a renewable resource that’s 100% recyclable. Each box includes ten single-serve cold brew bags, allowing consumers to enjoy freshly prepared cold brew.
“Cardboard is also a cheaper option than plastic,” he adds, noting that it is also lightweight, durable, and reusable.
What information should be printed on single-serve cold brew bags?
Whether online or offline, packaging is often the first point of contact between prospective buyers and your brand. Over 60% of US consumers are influenced by packaging design and materials when deciding which products to buy. In Europe, meanwhile, one in three consumers has a clear preference for eco-friendly packaging, especially cartons.
Regardless of materials and design, cold brew packaging needs to include certain information that informs the consumer about how to prepare it, as well as the coffee contained inside.
Peter explains that Florence By Mills Coffee initially began as an e-commerce brand. “With future options for retail in mind, the decision was made to refresh the packaging,” he says. “Instructions on the box were updated to include both a hot and a cold brewing method.
“We also print tasting notes, which are important to a new audience who enjoy flavoured coffee and are keen to identify flavours that they recognise in the cup,” he adds.
Key recycling information about the box was also added, which Peter says: “highlighted the fact that the bags were compostable”.
Space on packaging is limited, which means brands need to take advantage of the smaller surface area. Creative solutions such as QR codes can help roasters provide additional information about the coffee or their circular economy efforts.
Cold brew packaging guidelines also vary from country to country, which is a key consideration for roasters interested in launching their own products. These can include best-before and batch numbers, manufacturer information, weights and compositions, accreditations, ingredients, nutritional information, and more.
Why offer single-serve cold brew bags?
A useful starting point for a brand looking to invest in single-serve cold brew bags is understanding who its audience is. According to a recent article by Forbes, the rising popularity of cold coffee can be largely attributed to younger consumers like Gen Z. Given this demographic’s high spending power, they present a lucrative opportunity for coffee businesses.
In the UK, for example, the same consumers are drawn to cold coffee for its convenience, alongside other factors such as taste and price, which makes offering single servings even more important.
“Grab-and-go options are becoming more popular with a younger audience who are looking to take their favourite coffee with them wherever they go,” Peter says.
Above all else, Peter emphasises that single-serve cold brew bags offer exceptional value, combining affordability with ease of shipping, durability, and effective protection, with a focus on preserving coffee quality.
Finding the right cold brew packaging for your brand requires working with the right partner. At Cold Brew Pak, we offer many customisable and eco-friendly packaging options to match your specific needs and desires, from bag-in-box to flexible pouches to cardboard can carriers.
Contact us today to explore our extensive range of sustainable packaging solutions.
