Modern coffee brands and roasters are increasingly turning to white label cold brew coffee partners to keep up with consumer demand and free up more time and resources to focus on other aspects of their business.
White label cold brew coffee refers to a ready-to-sell product produced by a manufacturer to be sold under a client’s branding. It enables businesses to leverage the equipment and expertise they lack and offer a high-quality cold brew product regardless.
Putting your brand name and reputation on an outsourced product means finding the right partner – trustworthy, reputable, and reliable – is essential. The best ones go beyond basic RTD manufacturing – they offer transparency, collaboration, guidance, expertise and flexibility.
We spoke to Hany Ezzat, sales and account manager at ONA Coffee and founder of Ni Wares, to understand how coffee brands can identify the best partners and how to leverage the relationship.
Coffee expertise matters in a white label cold brew coffee partnership
The canned cold brew market is expected to exceed $7 billion before 2030, and for roasters and coffee brands, getting to market and competing holds real potential for business growth.
For brands without the required resources to produce their own RTD cold brew, choosing a white label cold brew coffee partner with in-depth knowledge of coffee should be a priority. Coffee expertise – from bean selection to brewing and canning – can dramatically improve a coffee-based RTD’s flavour and consistency, as well as the customer perception of the client’s brand and the rest of its portfolio.
“A white-label partner with extensive coffee industry experience will understand the nuances and quality standards expected in today’s market,” says Hany. “They can help ensure the final product feels authentic and crafted, even if a third party produces it.”
Consumers are more discerning of coffee quality than ever before, so a white label partner with true coffee expertise will be familiar with the more technical aspects of coffee production – solubility, extraction ratios, yields and brewing techniques. We’ve been working in specialty coffee for over twenty years and apply that massive body of specialty coffee knowledge to every batch we produce at Hardtank.
“A knowledgeable partner ensures that the technicalities are applied consistently, delivering a cold brew that meets customer expectation every time,” Hany adds.
“For example, a partner that understands the difference between a fruity, acidity-forward cold brew and a more chocolatey, textured one can help roasters create specific profiles, even without them needing to know the intricacies of the production process.”
Accessing cutting-edge facilities and equipment
While expertise in coffee is essential, the best white label cold brew coffee partners should offer their clients best-in-class facilities and equipment. Having access to state-of-the-art brewing equipment can significantly improve efficiency and quality and help you confidently get to market faster.
“For brands looking to scale, advanced equipment offers more control over variables like filtration and temperature, which helps ensure consistent quality on larger scales,” says Hany.
Advanced technology allows for more precise control over brewing variables, such as filtration and temperature, higher safety standards, and better regulatory compliance.
At Hardtank, we go a step further and send a sample of every white label cold brew coffee batch we produce to an independent laboratory for enhanced testing. We also keep a second sample in storage for the duration of that batch’s shelf-life in case it is required down the road.
Hardtank’s facilities are BRC-certified, among the most stringent accepted food safety standards in the world. This helps us ensure that our clients enjoy the highest standards of safety.
“A knowledgeable white label partner ensures that production complies with the relevant food safety standards, minimising risks such as contamination or improper labelling that can lead to recall or worse,” says Hany.
“They help manage aspects like cleanliness, shelf-life, and allergen controls, critical to ensuring that the brand remains compliant with both national regulations and international standards if exporting is involved.”
Standing out in a crowded market
One of the most effective ways to grab customer attention is through innovative branding and packaging. The best white label cold brew coffee partners will offer highly customisable packaging options, like slim-line aluminium cans and accommodating printing capabilities.
Our sleek cans are not only visually elegant and appealing but also highly functional. They offer an ambient shelf-life of up to twelve months. They are highly durable, too, mitigating logistical and transportation challenges.
Customisable branding solutions also help a white label cold brew coffee product compete on the shelf. By enabling our clients to design their white-label cold-brew coffee in conformity with their brand aesthetic, their consumers will be more likely to recognise logos, colourways, and other signature brand elements in a busy retail environment.
“Packaging is crucial in influencing customer perceptions of taste and quality,” Hany says. “Slim-line aluminium cans not only enhance portability but also convey modernity and freshness, helping brands differentiate themselves in a crowded market.”
White label partnerships are not a one-way street
Whether a brand wants to be hands-on throughout the production process or prefers to leave the technical details to the experts but retain oversight and involvement, a good partner will offer flexibility and transparency.
This kind of partnership is invaluable for start-ups or smaller coffee brands. It allows them to focus on growing their business while trusting that their cold brew is produced to the highest standards.
“Flexible collaboration allows coffee roasters to craft a cold brew profile that perfectly suits their clientele,” Hany explains. “They can be involved in decisions like coffee sourcing, brewing method, and flavour profiling while leaving the operational complexities to the partner.”
To facilitate businesses’ entry into the market, we offer favourable terms across minimum order quantities (MOQs), turnaround times, and payment plans.
“Low MOQs and quick turnarounds reduce the financial and operational burden on smaller brands, making it easier to test the market without overcommitting to large volumes,” he says.
Choose Hardtank for white label cold brew coffee
We have built our white label cold brew coffee service upon four key pillars:
- Specialty coffee experience and expertise
- Best-in-class facilities and safety/regulatory compliance
- Customisable, modern packaging and labelling
- Collaborative and supportive manufacturer-client relationships
Through every batch we produce for our clients, we uphold our commitment to these critical components of a successful white label cold brew coffee partnership.
To source your own line of white-label cold-brew coffee, visit our website or contact us directly.
If you missed our most recent webinar, you can watch the video recording here.