Curry and a Pint Just Got an Upgrade: Bunta Beer Launches in London

• Indian-inspired, UK-brewed: ‘curry and a pint’ just got tastier

• Brewed for food: subtle carbonation to beat the bloat and pair perfectly with Indian food

• Gluten-free, vegan, 60 calories per can

• Flavour crafted to pair perfectly with kormas, vindaloos, jalfrezis: this founder is reinventing the beer you drink with curry

• The Bunta ‘character’ on the can “represents a new generation of drinkers who don’t feel the need to drink alcohol to be part of the moment. It could be anyone you see in Shoreditch or Brixton, culturally rooted, making different choices.”

LAUNCH ANNOUNCEMENT, LONDON - Bunta Beer is the UK’s first non-alcoholic Indian craft beer, specially brewed to complement bold, flavourful Indian food, and has launched with listings at Kricket, Aspen & Meursault, Vintopia Wine, East West Pizza, and cult convenience store Londis N16. Bunta Beer was founded in October 2025 by 27-year-old Gunikka Ahuja, who will also be manufacturing Buntatex™ - a biodegradable textile which transforms brewing waste into sustainable packaging.

While Indian food in the UK has evolved rapidly – from neighbourhood curry houses to modern restaurants such as Kricket, Dishoom and Hoppers – the beers served alongside it have remained largely unchanged. Bunta was developed to fill that gap: a lighter, crisper lager that complements spice rather than overpowering it. Bunta’s flagship beer - a 0.5% citrus lager - has been crafted to be incredibly light & refreshing, with subtle citrus notes from orange peel and a hint of coriander seed. The coriander and citrus elements also mirror flavour compounds commonly found in Indian cooking.

The name “Bunta” nods to Indian culture: in North India, “Bunta” refers to the marble used to seal traditional codd-neck bottles, especially for the lemon-based drink Banta Soda, known for its refreshing citrusy ‘pop,’ a drink enjoyed by Ahuja in her youth.

New Delhi-born Ahuja moved to LA when she was 17 for university to study Textile Technology and later went on to work as a Textile Innovation Manager at Adidas. Around this time, she started to frequently visit her brother in London (who will be working with Bunta behind the scenes), where she discovered the UK’s ‘curry and a pint’ ritual. This inspired Ahuja to create something that would specifically match the occasion.

Ahuja’s textile background inspired her to create and trademark Buntatex™, which will be produced over the upcoming months into packaging and branded merch.

Ahuja says,

“I love spicy food and the role of Bunta is to regulate the experience of eating hot food. Bunta cuts through the heat, cleanses the palate and makes you ready for the next bite, while being delicious and not too carbonated to avoid that all too familiar bloat.

I grew up in New Delhi in a household where food was everything: it wasn’t just about eating, it was ritual. Sunday biryanis, big family meals, hosting - food was how we connected. Beer was always on the table too, even though my parents didn’t really drink. That contrast - food being deeply cultural, and beer just being a default - always stayed with me.

I started to visit London a few years ago and couldn’t wait to sample the Indian food on offer here. Whether it was the curry houses I visited on Brick Lane or more modern spots, the food had evolved, but the beer hadn’t. The only options were brands that had been around for years. Within a few sips, I felt disappointed - harsh, overly bitter, heavy, and gassy. Before I’d even started eating, I’d already switched to a soft drink. I told my brother, ‘I think I just need to make my own Indian beer.’ He laughed and said, ‘Our food deserves better.’ That was the moment Bunta was born. We set out to make a beer that made Indian food taste better. There’s a new wave of chefs pushing things forward - which is exactly why drinks need to catch up.”

The stubby pink can features a punchy cartoon-style graphic of Ahuja’s brother.

“My brother is my best friend - we’ve always been treated as equals. Having him on the can wasn’t just a design choice, it was deeply personal. I saw him in a pink turban, Ray-Bans, wearing traditional clothing in a modern way and it just clicked. The character represents a new generation of drinkers who don’t feel the need to drink alcohol to be part of the moment. It could be anyone you see in Shoreditch or Brixton, culturally rooted, making different choices.”

For Ahuja, Bunta Beer’s launch and potential is tied up with modern Indian identity: being culturally rooted yet with a global vision.

“Modern Indian identity for me is not about rejecting tradition, it’s about evolving it. For a long time, Indian brands have been boxed into a very narrow visual and cultural language and that doesn’t reflect how our generation actually lives. Traditional Indian food and drinks brands often lean on red, yellow, orange colours or even putting the Taj Mahal on packaging. That is not what the new generation is about. You see it now in food, fashion, music: a new wave of creatives and founders confident enough to reinterpret culture on their own terms. Bunta is part of that. It is British Indian, but it doesn’t look or feel like what people expect Indian brands to be.”

“I want Bunta to be the only beer you think of when you’re eating Indian food: whether that’s at a high-end restaurant or whether you are cooking curry at home. We’re building a brand that sits at the intersection of food, culture, and materials, from drinks to textiles, all rooted in circularity and modern British identity.

ENDS

Nutritional information

• Bunta Beer has been allergen tested and contains barley and wheat - less than 20ppm, so gluten-free

• Vegan

• 60 calories per 330ml can

About Bunta Beer and Founder Gunikka Ahuja

Gunikka Ahuja is the founder of Bunta Beer Co., the UK’s first non-alcoholic Indian craft beer brand. Born in New Delhi, she moved to Los Angeles at 17 before settling in London, where she left a successful career in innovation at Adidas to pursue her passion for brewing.

A materials scientist by training, Gunikka combines technical expertise with a deep appreciation for food, flavour, and culture. Her vision is to create beverages that complement Indian cuisine while reflecting a modern British Indian identity.

Through extensive experimentation, including over 50 iterations of Bunta Beer’s flagship Citrus Lager, she has developed a non-alcoholic, vegan beer designed to enhance the dining experience.

With Bunta, Gunikka is redefining the non-alcoholic beer category in the UK, building a brand at the intersection of food, culture, and innovation, while challenging traditional perceptions of Indian branding through a contemporary and inclusive lens.