Alistair Kirk talks to Rahul Bhattarai about his Beach Booch company, which he co-founded and launched right before the 2021 lockdown.
What does your business do?
Beach Booch is an alternative alcohol manufacturer. We launched our first range of hard alcoholic kombucha in July 2021 and are looking to makewaves and grow the better-for-you alcohol category.
Currently, we have three flavours of alcoholic kombucha and we are hoping to launch the fourth in the coming weeks.
Our pricing ranges from $5.49 per can to $17.95 for a pack of four.
My friend and business partner George Wielechowski and I bonded over a passion for craft brewing. Having tried hard kombucha in San Diego and with us both regularly cluttering our kitchen benchtops with a variety of homebrews, this felt like the germ of an idea we both believed in and would be passionate about.
It was the middle of 2019 when we started exploring the idea for creating a "Kiwi brand" that fused Southern California expertise with New Zealand freshness and celebrated the places and flavours that makes Aotearoa special.
There was a clear gap in the market for hard kombucha with strong global indicators pointing to growth in the better-for-you market, which New Zealand was only just entering into. We are creating a brand for New Zealand and looking to take it to the world.
What's your background?
I was born and raised in the UK and settled here after falling in love with a New Zealander on my first visit in 1997. I am based in Auckland, along with my wife Sarah and son, Baxter.
I'm a marketer through and through. With a background that spans retail, public sector, not-for-profit and education I have had the opportunity and pleasure to work with some of New Zealand's most well-known brands.
The three flavours of Beach Booch kambocha Grapefruit (left), Peach Chili and Berry Lemon. Photo / Supplied
How big is the team today?
Alongside George and I are our chief brewer, Josh Makler, and the three of us make up our core team.
How was your business affected by Covid-19?
As we are helping to grow a fledgling new category, the lack of access to most key retail channels, along with not being able to actively sample our booch, slowed things considerably.
What is the most difficult thing about starting a business, especially during a lockdown?
Everyone is on edge, and understandably nervous about the future of their own business. So urging partners to try a wholly new concept like Beach Booch was very difficult. Lockdown and the Covid-19 hangover certainly stalled our growth for a while, but the shoots are there, to show positive signs of changing tastes and preferences.
How long has your business been around?
We were planning this at the back end of 2019 but formally launched in July 2021.
What's your focus for the remainder of the year?
Maximising opportunities with our existing and new partners, expanding North Island distribution as fast as possible. We are also hoping to have our products in shelves of big supermarket chains like Foodstuff soon.
What are your long-term plans, and where do you see the brand in five years?
We aim to be a New Zealand "love brand" and one that all New Zealanders can feel connected to. Beyond that, we have our eyes on the wider Asia Pacific markets, and taking a bit of New Zealand freshness and ingenuity out to the world, where hard kombucha and alternative alcohol are two of the fastest-growing drinks categories.
How does your business stand out in comparison to other businesses in the market?
Beach Booch is lower in sugar, organic, gluten-free and vegan and with unique flavour blends. Our drink is naturally brewed and double fermented to produce the alcohol, so we don't blend our kombucha with spirit-based alcohol.
How are you marketing it?
We have pushed hard in the social media space with influencers and run a PR advertising campaign for the last six months, maximising the reach through some of our key retail partners including Farro in Auckland and Moore Wilson's in Wellington. Active sampling has been a key part of our approach and will ramp up once traffic light levels permit.
What does the competition look like in this market?
There are one or two brands in the same space as us as well as a number of products in the blended (RTD) space and the "lifestyle" drinks such as seltzers. Once you consider some of the ciders, no-alcohol and low-carb offerings, there is quite a lot going on. However, it's quite a greenfields category as we all take a good look at the traditional wine and beer drinkers and offer them an appealing alternative way to drink.
What advice would you give to people trying to start a new business?
Persistence, persistence, persistence. I have lost track of how many people said "no" and how many hurdles we have had to overcome. George and I often tell each other to watch out for the universe winking at us - just a little sign to urge us to go for it.
