Well placed for wellbeing? Coca-Cola Amatil expands reach into Australian health beverages market
Under the agreement, Coca-Cola Amatil will expand the distribution reach of both Rokeby Farm and Impressed Juices products to some 50,000 locations across the country.
“[The plan is to] distribute Rokeby Farms Whole Protein Smoothies and the Impressed Juice range to more customers, faster. [More developments] with the Made group are also being planned between now and end 2019,” said Coca-Cola Amatil Managing Director Australian Beverages Peter West.
“There is a continuing market trend toward healthier choices in beverages. We’ve heard the message on consumer wellbeing, and we’re delivering with a broader range of options.”
Coca-Cola Amatil also has plans to further expand the capacity of its chilled products distribution within the year.
Made Group Co-Founder Matt Dennis added that the firm would cater to the higher product demand from its new facility in Dandenong, Victoria.
“[The] opening of our new manufacturing facility [will] allow [us] to continue to grow momentum in delivering more products to Australian consumers,” he said.
Made and Coca-Cola
In October last year, Made Group received a joint minority investment by both Coca-Cola Australia and Coca-Cola Amatil, although it continued to operate independently.
Full financial details were not disclosed, but together, both companies acquired a 45% minority interest in Made Group.
“There’ll be no changes to the flavours or ingredients. Made Group co-founders Luke Marget and Matt Dennis will stay on in charge of the business and keep doing what they love – developing and producing a fantastic food and beverage range,” Coca-Cola Amatil Group Managing Director Alison Watkins said via an official statement.
She added that Made Group was considered ‘an important link’ in the Accelerated Australian Growth Plan for Coca-Cola Amatil and Coca-Cola Australia, which aims to strengthen performance in attractive growth categories, focus on innovation and explore mergers/acquisitions where suitable.
Dairy and juice
Impressed Juices falls under the Made Group’s plant-focused Impressed brand, which also has a range of plant-based almond yoghurts in the market.
The cold-pressed juice range comprises two main types: Green Juices with a strong focus on the inclusion of green vegetables such as kale and spinach, and Daily Juices which could include not just regular fruits, but also herbs such as turmeric, cayenne pepper or fennel.
The Rokeby Farms range of whole protein breakfast smoothies is made with ‘fresh cold-filtered milk’ and ‘naturally contains 30 grams of farm-fresh protein’, according to the brand.
"A ‘whole protein’ provides all nine essential amino acids which your body needs but can’t produce on its own, so it must be supplied daily from food,” said Rokeby Farms via its website.
Both Impressed Juices and Rokeby Farms products are both locally sourced, processed and bottled.
