CHRISTINE WHEELER, founder, Drazil Kids Tea: Move over, 100% juice ….
A former P&G executive and mother of four, Christine Wheeler pinpointed a void in the kids’ beverage marketplace for a naturally healthy, reduced-sugar ready-to-drink beverage line as US consumers started falling out of love with 100% juice.
“I’ve always been a huge tea drinker,” says Wheeler, “and having lived in Japan and Poland, I’ve been exposed to cultures that place huge cultural emphasis on tea. There’s a huge need for healthy beverages that actually appeal to kids, so I thought, why not tea?”
So she began testing 100% juice infused with naturally caffeine-free herbal tea instead of water—with the goal of cutting down on sugar without compromising flavor or losing too many nutrients. The product underwent several iterations and nearly three years of testing before Drazil Kids Tea launched in 2013 with 54% brewed herbal tea and 46% fruit juice.
“We will probably always stay in the natural channel, but the product was created with conventional stores in mind because that’s where the volume is,” says Wheeler.
Click HERE to read more about Drazil (lizard spelled backwards).
