Califia Farms Launches Almond Beverages and Cold Brew Coffees in Canada

 

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Los Angeles, CA (March 29, 2017) – Califia Farms, the leading nutmilk brand in the natural channel in the US, today announced that its popular almond beverages and cold brew coffees are now available in supermarkets across Canada. Over 400 store locations, including top retailers Whole Foods Market, Choices, Goodness Me, Thrifty Foods, Pusateri’s and Nesters, are now stocking Califia Farms in their refrigerated dairy cases.

Califia Farms’ award-winning almond beverages (recently ranked number one in taste by Thrillist.com) are known for their delicious flavor and creamy texture. Unlike other almond beverages, Califia crafts its almond beverages from whole blanched, not roasted, California almonds, an artisanal process that makes them creamier and more delicious. Califia’s Almond Beverages appeal to today’s ‘millennial-minded’ consumers who are looking for simpler, cleaner foods with a lower environmental impact, while at the same time expecting these products to taste great. In fact, consumers had long been advocating for this leading California-based brand to make its way north, taking to social media to make their pleas.

“We’ve heard our northern neighbors loud and clear! Phone calls, emails and social media requests have come in by the thousands from Canadian consumers wanting to have Califia products readily available to them,” said Califia Farms CEO and Founder Greg Steltenpohl. “Easy access to our delicious, plant-based beverages – no matter where in the world you are – is a key part of the Califia promise. Canada is the first logical step in our international expansion.”

Califia reinvented the alternative dairy category in the US by delivering a premium plant-based beverage in its now iconic, award-winning, curvy bottle, positively disrupting the traditionally commoditized dairy case.

Since its introduction in 2011 in the US, sales of Califia Farms’ nut beverages have grown rapidly and in line with overall consumer adoption of non-dairy beverages and a sharp decline in consumption of dairy milk – a trend that Canada has also experienced. In fact, sales of non-dairy alternative milks grew by 225% from 2011 to 2014[1], while the per capita consumption of dairy milk in Canada decreased by about 21.5 percent from 1996 to 2015[2].

RTD coffees are also enjoying explosive growth in Canada with sales reaching CAD69 million in 2016 – a 26% increase[3]. In the US, Califia’s cold brew coffees sales reflect consumer’s preference for on-the-go, clean energy, achieving the number one sales position in the natural channel and outselling Starbucks in the Specialty Refrigerated (RF) Coffee RTD channel[4].

Califia products currently available in Canada include Unsweetened Almond Beverage, Original Almond Beverage, Vanilla Almond Beverage, Unsweetened Vanilla Beverage, XX Espresso Cold Brew Coffee and Mocha Cold Brew Coffee. All are produced by Califia Farms in California, and, while the packaging has been localized to meet Canadian requirements (including bilingual labeling), there is no difference in the ingredients and formulations that make up the creamy delicious goodness inside. And, like all Califia Farms products, they are vegan, dairy-free, GMO-free, soy-free, carrageenan-free, and gluten-free.

About Califia Farms

Inspired by Queen Califia, the mythical namesake of the state of California, and headed by beverage visionary Greg Steltenpohl, Los Angeles-based Califia Farms was founded in 2010 and is one of the fastest-growing natural beverage companies in the U.S. The company is leading the way in the plant-based food and beverage revolution, creating innovative, healthy and great-tasting premium beverages that make it easy for consumers to go ‘plant-powered’ and live dairy-free, without compromise. The company also leads the next wave of coffee innovation and is the best-selling cold brew coffee brand in the natural channel. In 2015, Califia Farms was named “Brand of the Year” by BevNet, and a “Breakout Brand” by Beverage World.

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