Novae is a premium drink mixer brand infused with high-quality CBD - an exciting new alternative to current mixers and soft drinks. Novae is available in three flavours; Sicilian Lemon and Elderflower, Mediterranean, and Indian. Perfect as a lower sugar mixer or a beautifully garnished standalone drink, the Novae range offers versatility in taste and in function, helping create a truly inspiring and immersive experience. Giving the On-trade something unique to offer customers and the ability to create defining drinks unique to their establishment.

Novae has launched with its own team handling DTC (direct to consumer) and retail sales. It has formed a new partnership with On-trade sales specialists Comesto to help bring maximum efficiency of supply to restaurants, pubs, hotels, cafes and premium sporting venues.

According to Comesto CEO Valentine Smith, the value of the Novae offer to the On-trade is an exciting new opportunity to maximise sales from both spirit mixers and soft drinks.

Valentine said: “Our customers are always on the lookout for new, exciting products that will please their customers and create new drinking experiences. The premium approach of the Novae range and the growing awareness of the benefits of CBD will resonate with our clients right across all sectors, particularly with our golf, tennis and other sporting outlets where CBD is an established post-activity supplement. Now for the first time, a post sporting drink either a mixer for spirits or a refreshing soft drink can supply the benefits of CBD.”

 Matthew Millar, Novae joint founder believes the On-trade is a perfect fit for Novae:

“In order to target quality bars and restaurants, we needed a partner with the experience and reputation to not only focus on the right establishments, but also understand what we are trying to achieve with Novae. The tempo of the drinking environment is changing and Comesto is the right partner to help us deliver on the demand for an alternative to traditional mixers. They will provide fast, cost-effective purchasing of Novae for professional trade buyers throughout the industry"

The Comesto/Novae team is currently taking expressions of interest and orders through the Comesto trading platform. Interested trade buyers are invited to register their interest via the Comesto website to take advantage of the first run of trade-focused products and the promotional campaign planned to raise awareness of the Novae range.

Retail enquiries and direct to consumer sales may be sent to hello@drinknovae.co.uk 

Ends

Contacts

Journalists - Sarah Wilkinson 07889 028552 sarah.wilkinson@babblecomms.co.uk 

Novae - Matthew Millar 07398711599 matthew.millar@drinknovae.co.

Comesto - Valentine Smith 07391661490 valentine@comesto.co.uk 

About Novae: 

Novae is a premium drink mixer brand infused with high-quality CBD. Launched in Autumn 2020 to give consumers an alternative to current mixers and soft drinks, with low sugar and calorie content. Novae was founded by Matthew Millar and Patrick Pinto and has industry veterans on its advisory board. Novae is available in three flavours; Sicilian Lemon and Elderflower, Mediterranean, and Indian. Perfect as a low sugar mixer or a standalone drink.  

All-natural ingredients infused with the highest quality CBD, Novae delivers the best flavour profiles alongside the potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and calming properties of CBD. 

To learn more about Novae or to purchase visit www.drinknovae.co.uk 

The Market

The landscape of the drinking environment is changing. The high exposure of craft alcohol in the market has now influenced the decisions of the consumer by highlighting choice in flavours, price, value and alternatives. We are actively seeing the tempo decrease into a more relaxed and better-quality drinking experience. 

In addition, there is a growth in the popularity of CBD and what it can do for consumers. It is widely claimed and used for its potential benefits as an antidepressant, an antioxidant, it may help reduce anxiety, may also be used for its anti-inflammatory properties and may help the immune system. The UK CBD market is set to be £1 billion by 2025 according to research commissioned by the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis.

Combining this with tonic water creates a product uniquely positioned within the industry to be a differentiator compared to the standard drinking experience. 

Novae has created flavour fusions based on shared aroma profiles to bring a different taste to the scene which can be beautifully paired with spirits or stand-alone drinks for people that do not consume alcohol. 

Back story

The founders, Matthew Millar and Patrick Pinto met playing rugby as teenagers and then went on to live together at University. Their businesses have been built through Patrick's need for something and the two of them developing that into a business plan.

Sinple Treats, their first successful venture, was created when Patrick wanted a cake one evening. Knowing Matthew was a baker he asked him to make one and deliver it. At the time the market for dessert deliveries through a direct to consumer model was just beginning and so Sinple Treats was born. 

They quickly built a reputation for great quality and great tasting food delivered directly to your door in under an hour. 

Quitting their jobs, they invested the cashflow into their first direct to consumer bakery. Soon after, Sinple featured in multiple newspapers, and going viral on Facebook (including a post by LadBible), Sinple became a company that customers would actively want to interact with and become a part of. 

Patrick and Matthew franchised the model and gained two city-based franchisees within the first three months of releasing the offer. This was all achieved in less than 24 months with no external investment.

They had taken the business as far as they could when they were approached by a larger company to purchase the business in early 2020. Wanting to look into other opportunities, especially those that had a longer shelf life and didn't have to be made on the spot, they began developing ideas for the next venture. 

Again, an idea came from something that Patrick needed. This time it was to help with his restless sleep. Trying CBD tea led to not only him being able to sleep, but also led him to be more relaxed. So, Matthew and Patrick started looking at what else CBD could be added to in order to deliver something truly different and beneficial to consumers. Having experienced the properties of CBD themselves they knew there was a need for it. 

Being very activity driven in their personal lives, the founders aren't big drinkers. But when they do drink alcohol, they want something that is quality driven. So, Novae was born. 

Novae is a premium mixer brand infused with high-quality traceable CBD. It is the perfect mixer to compliment your drink or has the flavour to allow it to be a quality non-alcoholic standalone drink. 

Why Novae?

Novae offers an alternative to current mixers and standalone soft drinks, with low sugar and calorie content. Infused with the highest quality and traceable CBD, Novae delivers the best flavour profiles alongside the potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and calming properties of CBD. 

With a direct to consumer business model, the flavours will evolve with its consumers. By analysing trends in the market along with customer data, the founders of Novae will continue to innovate to bring the highest quality products to the market. 

Novae was born in May 2020. Through arguably one of the toughest times in recent history for businesses, the founders built the brand bringing the product to market in less than ten months. Gathering six figure investments from industry veterans in this time and fine tuning the flavour profiles all while holding down full-time jobs in the middle of a global pandemic. 

Prior to finalising the idea for Novae, the founders contacted various industry leaders in the drinks industry to discuss the idea and project. They all saw an opportunity to disrupt both the CBD market and the mixer market. 

While Matthew and Patrick's previous venture, Sinple Treats, was started in their kitchens with £20 they saw the opportunity with Novae to provide something different to the market and wanted to do it at scale. As such, they sought investment. The target was met within six weeks of issuing the investment proposal due to the market opportunity they identified. 

The company has sourced the CBD from the only company in the world which has gone for the novel food licence. Mile High Labs is a global leader in hemp-derived cannabidiol extraction and manufacturing. Headquartered in a 400,000-square-foot GMP and ISO 9001 certified facility in Broomfield, Colorado, Mile High Labs supplies bulk cannabinoid ingredients, as well as private label CBD and CBG products to the world's leading consumer brands. The company's adherence to the strictest manufacturing certifications and commitment to self-regulation has earned the trust of brands and consumers around the world.

Apart from the CBD coming from the US, Novae is a truly British brand. Headquartered in Northampton and all manufacturing takes place in the UK. 

There is nothing artificial in Novae drinks, there is no:

Aspartame

Fructose syrup

Sodium benzoate 

Phosphoric acid 

Artificial flavourings 

Potassium sorbate 

There is less sugar in Novae than in standard mixers:

No artificial colourings 

Under the 8g sugar tax levy introduced in April 2008 

Low calorie – under 50 calories per serve

Building the business

The founders aim to keep business streamlined and sleek bringing in the talent they need to enhance growth. In order to be data driven, developing the flavours and products with customers' feedback, they are looking to work with data scientists, statisticians and phycologists from the beginning. 

Novae is working with Mile High Labs not only because of the quality of the CBD but also because of the shared values. Novae is setting itself strict guidelines to adhere to, in order to build a trusted CBD beverage brand. As the business grows, all employees and suppliers will need to commit to this value of self-regulation while creating a sustainable business. 

About Comesto:

Comesto is a digital wholesale F&B service, launched in 2019. Comesto champions quality independent food and drink producers enabling direct sales to trade buyers needing new innovative products.

In the post-COVID economy, trade buyers are choosing smart digital solutions to supply their business. Using platform economics and e-commerce philosophy, Comesto offers more choice and a more efficient, more flexible procurement service for professional food and drink buyers. 

www.comesto.co.uk