It is even easier to get a taste of Margaret River with Coles now stocking one the regions iconic product in 41 of their stores.
The Margaret River Beverage Company has just heard the news that Coles will be selling six soft drinks from their range as singles and in packs.
“We’ve got the bottle plant running in winter as much as it would normally be in summer,” Margaret River Beverage Company founder Bernard Ryan said.
“It’s going to be a great spring season.”
Since opening in 1999 Mr Ryan has taken on the competitive soft-drink market and has managed to carve out a niche thanks to a little help from his tasting panel, his two daughters Kate and Georgia.
“Kate and Georgia been involved with the business since day one,” Mr Ryan said.
“I’d make them give the products a score out of 10. I remember Georgia telling me that Chilli Cola was never going to work and now she helps me manufacture and sell it.”
Their first drink, Triple G, proved to be an instant winner thanks to its unique flavours of ginger, guarana and ginseng coupled with a splash of apple juice.
“The herbs add something a little different and the apple juice delays the heat from the ginger,” Mr Ryan said.
“Most ginger beers have fire straight away which is what some people want but we gave them an alternative.”
The flavour was popular among the café crowd and soon it was being ordered in cartons.
“In my previous job in food and beverage distribution, I would have businesses regularly asking me for a café-style soft drink that they could serve to customers as an alternative to those being provided by some of the internationally-owned companies,” he said.
Having the support of Coles means a lot to Mr Ryan and he is looking forward to a bumper summer.
“This partnership means a lot to us. It’s hard to believe that in the space of just two months our product has gone from a café-style drink to a readily available take home beverage in stores across WA.”
Coles Local Range Manager for WA, Annette Riseley-Grant, said the company was committed to growing its network of state-based suppliers.
“Our customers want to know that the products they’re putting into their trolleys haven’t traveled too far to get to them, and we hear them loud and clear.
“We’re proud to support MRB and look forward to working with them and other small Western Australian businesses in the future.”
MRB’s range of soft-drinks are now available in six different flavours at Coles Margaret River, Busselton, Dunsborough, Bunbury and Eaton supermarkets.
