Australia: Lion acquires iced tea brand Teza

Lion, the Kirin-owned Australian food and drinks firm, is expanding further in the non-alcoholic drinks space with the acquisition of New Zealand ice tea brand Teza.

Teza previously belonged to  Greenstone Drinks and is described as the first “real-brewed” iced tea in New Zealand. The product is said to be made with batch brewed organic leaf tea and is available in flavours such as Feijoa & Lime Blossom and Lemon & Mandarin.

Teza will be added into Lion’s non-alcoholic drinks division Drinks Collective, which includes brands such as GoodBuzz Kombucha, Hopt and Mac’s Soda.

Commenting on the acquisition, Drinks Collective general manager Stefan Gray said: “The iced tea market is in strong growth globally so we’re incredibly excited to welcome Teza Iced Teas into the Drinks Collective. The brand’s premium offering complements our existing range nicely and will help us deliver greater choice and convenience for consumers across more social occasions. We’ll be leveraging our networks to make the brand more readily available nationwide and the Teza Grassy Tea Bush Van will also be making a return to the streets of NZ”.

The Teza acquisition follows on from Lion’s recent 50% stake in Four Pillars Gin and its purchase of Magic Rock Brewing, both announced in the last month.

Source: Lion