Soup in the drinks aisle? tio gazpacho thinks outside the bowl (and scoops top award)
There were scores of exciting new beverage brands at BevNet Live! this year, but the one that picked up the most plaudits - and a check for $10,000 - was Miami-based bottled soup brand tio gazpacho, which won the New Beverage Showdown competition and scooped the 'Best Smoothie or Meal Replacement' prize in the BevNet 'Best of 2014' awards.
The brainchild of Austin Allan, tio gazpacho is a high pressure processed range of bottled chilled soups designed as a hearty drink or a meal replacement (tagline: 'no bowl required') launched in September 2014 and now in 40 stores.
While the price tag ($8.99 for a 12oz bottle with a 60-day shelf-life) could prove a barrier in some locations, the judging panel was impressed by the "disruptive" product, the modern branding and the "exceptional" taste profile. Judges also felt Millennials would buy into the bold flavor profiles and the 'drink as a snack/meal' concept.
Said Allan: "This merges soup and beverages into an exciting new category... People often ask, where does it go? It goes best in the produce aisle."
Asked why he didn't call it a super premium juice or vegetable smoothie, he said: "Because it's soup. We're not pressing out the fiber and it's got oil and seasonings and vinegar in. Calling it a juice just didn't seem accurate to me. Also, I wanted to stand out, not to fit in."
