Counting Sheep ‘relaxing’ coffee: How many times have you heard someone say ‘I’d love a cup of coffee now, but…’
If energy is a hot trend, so is relaxation, although the coffee aisle probably isn’t the place you’d expect to find something that might help you chill out before bedtime.
However, one brand hoping to change all this is Counting Sheep Coffee, a decaffeinated coffee containing organic Valerian root, a herb known for its calming effects and permitted both by Health Canada and the FDA as an ingredient in foods and beverages at certain levels, said founding partner Deland Jessop (click HERE).
“Yes, people drink coffee to stay awake, but they also drink it to relax, socialize, and as part of a ritual. Think of all the times that you hear people say in the evening, I’d love a cup of coffee now, but…”
He added: “We tried various relaxation ingredients such as chamomile, but valerian root worked perfectly. It’s actually quite bitter, but it’s masked completely by the coffee.”
Retailers, meanwhile, have been intrigued by the product, which is potentially a source of incremental revenue in that it’s not something that will cannibalize existing sales but will bring new people into the category, he said.
“Our brand is growing very quickly in both traditional grocery but also in the natural and vitamin/supplement market - Central Market in Texas is putting us in their Healthy Living area in their stores – and we’re in Bed Bath & Beyond throughout Canada and select US stores, The Fresh Market and Market Basket in the US, plus Federated Co-op, Metro and Food Basics in Canada.
“We also just had a couple of very big stores commit to us verbally.”