Fancy Food Show, Jacob K. Javits Center, New York, NY, June 29,
2008-Proving that there’s plenty brewing at Sweet Leaf Tea, one of the
fastest-growing, ready-to-drink beverage companies in the country, the company
made several key announcements here today:
the launch of a limited-edition blueberry lemonade in authentic Mason
jars; the introduction of an organic mango green tea; an NASFT Gold SOFI Award
nomination for its Organic Peach Lemonade; and the addition of beverage
industry veteran, Tom First, to its board of directors. This latest batch of news comes on the heels
of an $18 million round of funding from Catterton Partners, the nation’s
leading private equity firm in the consumer sector. Catterton Partners was an early investor in
companies including Build-a-Bear, PF Chang’s China Bistro, Odwalla and Kettle
Foods.
When Life Gives You Lemons (and Mangos).
Sweet Leaf Tea announced today the
launch of two new products: Sweet Leaf’s Lemonade Stand Blueberry Lemonade and
Sweet Leaf’s Organic Mango Green Tea.
Sweet
Leaf’s Blueberry Lemonade and the company’s popular Peach Lemonade will be sold
in a limited edition, environmentally-friendly, 16-ounce, reusable Mason
jar. The limited edition Mason jars are
available for the summer only, and will retail for a suggested $2.49 per bottle
at Whole Foods stores throughout the country.
In
addition to the new Blueberry Lemonade and Peach Lemonade, the other lemonades
in Sweet Leaf’s Lemonade Stand line are Organic Original Lemonade, which won a
SOFI Award last year for Outstanding Cold Beverage and Organic Cherry Limeade.
“All of our lemonades are made with
the same Granny-inspired goodness that defines our tea products and we’re
thrilled that people have embraced them so warmly and are starting to look for
each summer’s limited edition,” said Clayton Christopher, CEO of Austin-based
Sweet Leaf Tea. “Our lemonades are like getting a little summer-vacation
squeeze right from Granny.”
Also unveiled today at the Fancy
Food Show was the company’s new Organic Mango Green Tea, a delicious and
refreshing organic, ready-to-drink tea made with premium organic green tea,
organic mango juice and pure, organic cane sugar. Bottles of Sweet Leaf’s Mango
Green Tea will be available in 16 ounce glass bottles that will retail for
between $1.39 and $1.59 each, and 20 ounce, recyclable PET bottles, which will
retail for between $1.59 and $1.79 each.
First on Board
Sweet Leaf Tea also announced today
that Tom First, one of the two co-founders of Nantucket Nectars, and the
founder of Owater, a bottled water company, has joined its board of directors. Over the course of his 12-year tenure as co-CEO of Nantucket
Nectars, First created one of the most widely recognized ready-to-drink brands
in the country. Nantucket Nectars was sold to Cadbury-Schweppes in 2002.
“I
am proud and honored to be joining Sweet Leaf Tea’s board of directors,
especially at this important juncture when the company is moving to the next
level in brand awareness and sales,” said First. “Sweet Leaf has an unwavering
commitment to authenticity, appeals to a wide variety of consumers and represents
goodness, both in terms of the products they make and the things they do. In my
view, they’ve just scratched the surface of success and the best is yet to come.”
In
addition to creating all-natural, Granny-inspired beverages, Sweet Leaf Tea is
committed to supporting non-profit organizations. Last month, Christopher
appeared on The CBS Early Show to
discuss the company’s donation of 1,000 bottles of tea to the nation’s
largest-ever food drive and the more than 100 other non-profit efforts that the
company has supported over the last 10 years.
“We
are delighted that Tom has agreed to serve on our board of directors,” said
Christopher. “As one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the ready-to-drink
beverage category, Tom has tremendous expertise, experience and a point of view
that will be invaluable to us as we continue our strong growth.”
About Sweet Leaf Tea
Sweet Leaf Tea is one of the
fastest-growing beverage companies in the United States. The company was founded in 1998 by Clayton
Christopher, then 25, when he couldn’t find a bottled iced tea that tasted like
the delicious, homemade tea his grandmother used to make for him when he was
growing up in Beaumont, Texas. Shortly
thereafter, Christopher’s childhood friend, David Smith, joined the company and
the two began production brewing their homespun tea in 50-gallon crawfish pots,
using pillow cases as tea bags. Made from all-natural ingredients, including
purified water, pure cane sugar and high-quality organic tea leaves, Sweet Leaf
Tea is made and brewed based on Clayton’s grandmother’s recipe and
technique. Sweet Leaf Tea, which is
available in 11 classic iced-tea flavors and three lemonade flavors, is
available nationwide through Kroger, Safeway and at natural and specialty food
stores including Whole Foods. For more
information, please visit www.sweetleaftea.com