The UK has witnessed a remarkable shift in consumer tastes over recent years. We are now seeing a growing demand for artisanal food and drink products, with small, niche manufacturers experiencing annual profit margin increases of around 6%. 

 

Consumers are increasingly willing to pay a premium price for bespoke drinks, especially those made with natural, sustainably sourced ingredients, perceiving them as having higher quality and value than their mass-produced counterparts. These evolving consumer tastes, marked by a desire for more sophisticated and mindful products, present a significant opportunity for smaller, agile drink producers.

Why Drink Cans are a Smart Eco Choice

For modern eco-conscious drink buyers, aluminium cans represent a more sustainable choice compared to plastic bottles. Beyond significantly lower CO2 emissions during production, aluminium cans are infinitely recyclable, unlike plastic, which degrades with each recycling cycle and often ends up causing persistent micro-plastic pollution. 

 

Aluminium cans are also impermeable to light. This means they effectively protect the quality and integrity of your drink, improving drink quality and ensuring shelf stability. The thin skin of aluminium cans allows for much faster cooling than glass or plastic, treating consumers to a perfectly chilled and flavourful drink in less time.

 

Cans also offer artisan drink makers excellent branding opportunities, providing them with a larger and more versatile canvas for eye-catching sleeves and innovative designs compared to traditional glass bottle labels. This makes using cans a highly cost-effective way to establish a strong brand identity for a new artisan drink.

 

The UK’s strong recycling infrastructure for aluminium ensures high rates of collection and reuse, with a substantial portion of new cans incorporating recycled material, thereby reducing the demand for new resources and contributing positively to a circular economy.

 

However, for these entrepreneurial artisanal brands, a common hurdle often faced is how to get their brand-new drink creations into cans cost-effectively. This is precisely where contract canning services from Storefast Solutions become a positive solution.

The Artisan Boom and the Canning Conundrum

Artisan food and drink products now represent some of the fastest-growing segments within the luxury marketplace. From craft beers and trendy canned gin and tonic mixes to nutrient-packed health drinks and speciality teas in a can, consumers are actively seeking out niche blends from smaller artisan manufacturers.

 

For these more ethical and sustainable drink brands, clear labelling highlighting their sourcing practices is a powerful selling point. It can help them connect with an ever-growing consumer desire for mindful drink consumption. However, while the market opportunity is clear, the practicalities of producing cans in smaller runs can be frustrating. 

 

Large contract canning companies are geared towards mass-market volumes, producing thousands of canned drinks in a single run, making small production runs of new or limited supply drink products prohibitively expensive due to setup costs. This is a common barrier for small and micro-producers who often struggle with limited budgets.

How Can Storefast Solutions Help?

At Storefast Solutions, we understand that small and artisan drink producers face unique challenges. Our contract canning services are designed to produce canned drinks in a smaller number of runs, offering a viable and cost-effective canning option that larger operations cannot provide. 

 

With our help, you can bring the vision of your new canned drink to life. We are here to help with your innovative new drink development, whether it is a cold brew coffee with a twist, a carbonated drink using rare ingredients that are in limited supply, a refreshing health drink, or a zingy new ready-to-drink cocktail mix. 

 

Aluminium drink cans have become the packaging of choice for new drink producers over the past decade, and for good reason. Their benefits extend far beyond convenience. With our dedicated approach to small-batch canning, your dream of producing incredible drinks can become a reality. 

Contact us today at Storefast Solutions to discuss your contract canning services requirements and discover how we can help you produce your new drink, keep costs down to boost your bottom line, and help your artisan drink brand thrive in the UK marketplace.