Wild Tea Kombucha's Market Expansion with Petainer Kegs

Founded in 2015 by Emily Baadsvik—an Olympian with the Canadian national bobsleigh team—and Brigette Freel, Wild Tea Kombucha has rapidly become a notable player in Canada’s beverage scene. Their small-batch brewery in Calgary, Alberta, produces a naturally low-sugar, probiotic-rich kombucha with unforced carbonation and fresh-juice flavoring.

As demand for their unique, healthful kombucha grew, the founders sought an efficient and eco-friendly packaging solution that could help them expand their distribution nationwide without the logistical headaches and capital costs associated with traditional steel kegs.

The Challenge: Costly Equipment, Logistics & Quality Preservation

Wild Tea Kombucha needed a packaging solution that would enable them to scale up production and distribution while preserving the distinct flavor and probiotic benefits of their kombucha. The company faced several hurdles as it aimed to expand beyond its local market:

• High Capital Investment: Traditional steel kegs require significant upfront costs for purchase and specialized cleaning equipment, which is impractical for a growing, small-batch operation.
• Complex Return Logistics: Managing the return, cleaning, and storage of steel kegs is both resource-intensive and costly, creating additional challenges for a company that needs to focus on production.
• Maintaining Freshness and Quality: To meet consumer expectations, it was essential to keep kombucha’s delicate flavors and carbonation intact throughout the distribution process, without compromising on its natural, probiotic profile.
• Scalability: The need to expand into new retail and on-tap locations required a solution that could be easily scaled without a massive initial outlay or complex operational adjustments.

The Solution: Petainer’s One-Way Hybrid Kegs

To address these challenges, Wild Tea Kombucha partnered with Petainer and adopted their one-way hybrid PET kegs. This solution provided a simple, sustainable, and cost-effective way to distribute kombucha on tap, meeting both the brand’s quality standards and expansion goals.

Key benefits of the solution included:

• Low Upfront Investment: The one-way design eliminates the need for expensive steel kegs and cleaning equipment, enabling a cost-effective entry into new markets.
• Simplified Logistics: Petainer kegs are delivered sanitized and ready to fill, which removes the burdens associated with returning and cleaning steel kegs, thus reducing overall handling and shipping expenses.
• Quality Preservation: The robust PET construction safeguards against oxygen ingress and maintains the natural carbonation, ensuring that the unique taste and probiotic properties of Wild Tea Kombucha are preserved from the brewery to the tap.
• Environmental Sustainability: Fully recyclable and lightweight, these kegs help reduce the carbon footprint compared to traditional packaging, aligning perfectly with Wild Tea’s eco-conscious philosophy.

Results: Nationwide Expansion, Enhanced Efficiency & Quality Retention

Implementing Petainer’s one-way hybrid kegs has delivered immediate benefits for Wild Tea Kombucha, enabling them to scale operations and enter new markets with confidence. The new system has yielded several significant outcomes:

• Streamlined Distribution: The elimination of return logistics and the lower weight of the kegs have simplified shipping, making it easier to expand into major cities across Canada.
• Enhanced Product Quality: The maintenance of kombucha’s fresh flavor and consistent carbonation has resulted in high customer satisfaction and positive feedback, reinforcing the brand’s reputation.
• Cost and Resource Savings: By avoiding the high capital costs and complex cleaning processes associated with steel kegs, Wild Tea Kombucha has reduced operational expenses and improved overall efficiency.
• Positive Industry Feedback: Customers and distributors alike have embraced the new packaging system, which not only supports a sustainable model but also facilitates smoother operations and broader market reach.

We chose to use Petainer kegs as they are easy to use, affordable, fully recyclable, and don’t require a huge output of cash to get started like stainless kegs do.

Wild Tea Kombucha Founders

Conclusion: A Scalable, Sustainable Future for Kombucha Distribution

By adopting Petainer’s one-way hybrid PET kegs, Wild Tea Kombucha has successfully addressed the challenges of scaling their operations while preserving the quality of their unique, low-sugar kombucha. This innovative, eco-friendly solution has streamlined logistics, reduced costs, and facilitated nationwide expansion—demonstrating that sustainable packaging can drive growth in a competitive market.

The success of Wild Tea Kombucha serves as a powerful example for other small-batch beverage producers looking to innovate and scale sustainably.