In this article, you’ll learn:
- What a ready to drink coffee manufacturer does and why the right choice matters
- What to look for in a ready to drink coffee manufacturer
- How to build a lasting partnership with your manufacturer
Recent reports on the growing non-alcoholic beverage market, plus the shift towards RTD, suggest that more coffee brands are exploring ready-to-drink products as a way to diversify their offering and reach new consumers.
Coffee itself is no stranger to change, and, as before, taste and format are core factors to watch for.
Brands with RTD experience or the capacity to launch fast obviously stand a better chance of keeping up. One of the paths many take to fast-track this transition is partnering with a ready to drink coffee manufacturer.
But like any business decision, this one demands due diligence. Two Chimps Coffee is among the few brands that have got it right. I spoke to Laura Shead, the co-founder, to find out how they did it. Read on for her insights.
What does a ready to drink coffee manufacturer do, and why does the right choice matter?
A ready to drink coffee manufacturer formulates, brews, and packages RTD beverages at scale for a brand. The right partner matters because it shapes the drink’s final quality.
A third-party manufacturer works from either an existing formula or a custom one. They can manage the full process alone, though brands can stay involved in whichever steps matter most to them.
“At Two Chimps Coffee, we always want to focus on what we do best, which is hand-roasting awesome coffee,” Laura explains their approach. “So, when it came to creating a ready-to-drink cold brew, we knew we wanted to collaborate with a specialist to ensure the final product was absolutely flawless,” she adds.
This arrangement differs from contract manufacturing. With contract manufacturing, brands typically take greater responsibility for formulation and product development, although the level of support varies between manufacturers.
Either way, the end product meets the brand’s custom requirements. White label manufacturing differs, offering generic, pre-made beverages that multiple retailers rebrand.
Sampling and feedback cycles are part of how private label partners get the quality right, as Laura explains.
“We spent a lot of time trialling different coffees and perfecting the cold brew recipe and the brewing technique, and the team at Steep Soda followed our method to a T to bring it to life beautifully.”
Consumers have grown more deliberate about how they drink such beverages. The RTD format is now a favourite for many, not only because of its convenience, but also because it meets their appetite for variety and innovation.
Current reports value the category at USD 30.90 billion and expect it to nearly double by 2034, at a CAGR of 8.60%. It’s clearly a huge opportunity, but only if a brand gets the beverage quality and the format right.
“When Steep Soda approached us, it was an instant match,” Laura says on finding the perfect ready to drink coffee manufacturer that could make it happen.
“They were just as passionate as we are about making sure the true, amazing character of the coffee shone through and the partnership felt aligned before we even got started,” she adds.
What should you look for in a ready to drink coffee manufacturer?
You should check the fundamentals first, then look closely at how the manufacturer handles the specific processes you hand over to them.
Like any due diligence, vetting an RTD coffee manufacturer begins with the fundamentals: certifications, capabilities, quality, and safety standards. From there, narrow in on the specifics.
HACCP, GMP, and FDA registration confirm regulatory compliance. Certifications like ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 are not mandatory, and neither are those for sustainability, ethical sourcing, or organic claims. Still, they signal a manufacturer’s commitment to going beyond the minimum.
“Their focus on natural, delicious, ethically sourced ingredients completely aligns with our own values, so collaborating on this project was a no-brainer,” she shares.
This is part of recipe development, which top manufacturers typically approach with a dedicated R&D team. Ask about the processes that follow, specifically extraction and brewing methods. Also ask about broader quality control, like lab testing for freshness and shelf life. These will largely determine the beverage’s final quality.
You should also agree with your private label manufacturer on how you want the drink to turn out. Laura says they wanted something both sides could be proud of. As is often the case, it took multiple rounds of sampling and feedback to get the quality right.
How smoothly that goes comes down to how good the ready to drink coffee manufacturer is at managing client relationships. Fortunately for Laura, this too was never in doubt.
“We have partnered with a local artisan creator who likes to meet the people behind the products and genuinely cares about quality, not quantity,” she explains. “This makes it stress-free and transparent.”
Other important factors deserve questions too. Ask about minimum order quantities, since they can make or break your cash flow, plus the capability to produce different RTD formats. Also check lead times, the ability to scale as you grow, and who owns the formulation rights.
How do you build a lasting partnership with your ready to drink coffee manufacturer?
You build a lasting partnership on clear communication, transparency around costs, flexibility as volumes grow, and collaboration on new products.
A healthy brand-manufacturer relationship forms the foundation for everything else, especially in RTD coffee.
For Two Chimps Coffee, it helped a great deal that they’d known their private label manufacturer for over three years, and the trust was already there.
“They are familiar, trusted faces in our local food and drink scene, and we’ve always recommended them to people when they’ve asked, and vice versa,” Laura says.
That familiarity, combined with clear and honest communication, brought real understanding. Both sides knew exactly what it took to achieve the best beverage.
“For us, quality is always worth the wait,” Laura says, referencing production delays. She calls them almost inevitable when you take absolute care with each process of crafting a custom product.
“We don’t want to rush out a product for the sake of it as it doesn’t reflect well on us or Steep Soda, but also because the customer won’t enjoy it,” she adds.
Scaling production, diversifying the menu, or keeping up with a fast-moving industry: success in each comes down to how solid the brand-manufacturer relationship is.
“Transparent communication and careful planning are key,” Laura advises.
Make sure communication extends to the delicate areas too: ownership of formulation rights, confidentiality, and exclusivity, so everyone knows who owns what. Spell all of this out in the contractual agreements with your ready to drink coffee manufacturer.
Our private label process at Hardtank rests on the same foundations. We start with consultation and recipe design, then take you through sampling and feedback until the formula is right. Thereafter, we run stability and safety testing before production.
The end result, as many clients tell us, is quality beverages and a partnership that scales with you and builds the next beverage when you are ready.
Ready to drink coffee manufacturer: Key takeaways
- Partnering with a ready to drink coffee manufacturer lets a brand launch RTD fast while focusing on what it does best.
- Vet a manufacturer on the fundamentals first: certifications, quality, and safety, then MOQs, formats, lead times, and formulation rights.
- A lasting partnership runs on communication, transparency, and shared standards, as Two Chimps Coffee found with Steep Soda.
Looking for the right ready to drink coffee manufacturer? Explore Hardtank’s private label RTD services, or contact the team to get started.
Ready to drink coffee manufacturer: FAQ
What does a ready to drink coffee manufacturer do?
A ready to drink coffee manufacturer formulates, brews, and packages RTD beverages at scale for a brand. It can work from an existing formula or a custom one, and manage the full process alone or let the brand stay involved in the steps that matter most.
How does private label differ from contract and white label manufacturing?
With private label, the manufacturer helps develop a custom recipe and produces it to the brand’s requirements. With contract manufacturing, the brand formulates the recipe and the manufacturer only produces it. White label manufacturing offers generic, pre-made drinks that multiple retailers rebrand.
What should you check before choosing a ready to drink coffee manufacturer?
Check certifications, quality and safety standards, and how the manufacturer handles the processes you outsource. Look for HACCP, GMP, and FDA registration, plus standards like ISO 22000. Also ask about minimum order quantities, RTD formats, lead times, scalability, and who owns the formulation rights.
Ready to work with a ready to drink coffee manufacturer?
- Explore private label RTD: see how Hardtank builds your beverage from consultation through production.
- Book a free consultation: talk your product through with the team.
