An Australian cold brew tea start-up has taken out the Best Drink Innovation award at the 2026 World Food Innovation Awards. Queensland’s East Forged overcame global brands such as The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo at the event in London. The awards, regarded as a global benchmark for excellence in F&B innovation, attracted over 100 entries from 28 countries.
The awards judges praised East Forged for rethinking how tea is made and experienced. They admired the company’s use of cold-brew and nitrogen infusion to create a more textured, full-bodied drink without relying on sugar or additives.
“What stood out at this year’s awards was the level of thinking behind the entries,” Angeline Achariya said. “In the drinks category in particular, there was a clear move beyond traditional formulas.” [There was] more focus on innovation and how products fit into changing consumer habits,” the World Food Innovation Awards judge added. “East Forged is a good example of that, taking a familiar product and reworking it into something that feels like a category of its own.”
The collective judges’ summation was that East Forged are taking something people already understand and giving it a completely different feel. They remarked that the use of cold brew and nitrogen creates a texture and experience you don’t normally associate with tea. And that this makes it stand out.
“We just wanted to make something we’d actually enjoy drinking ourselves,” Tania says. “Tea’s always been part of everyday life in Australia. But when we started looking into it properly, there’s this whole world of tea that people don’t really see.
“To have that recognised on a global stage like this – especially up against companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi – [is] pretty special for a small Australian business,” she adds.
An evolving market opportunity
Tea industry veterans Kym Cooper and Tania Stacey launched East Forged in 2020. This came after 18 months’ research and development at their HQ in Robina in the Gold Coast hinterland. East Forged was built on the ethos of elevating tea from a functional beverage into something more refined.
East Forged brews its batches for up to 12 hours using whole tea leaves sourced from ethical growers in Australia and China. It then infuses the batch with nitrogen. The nitrogen infusion creates a creamy head similar to Guinness. “It’s not about imitating beer – it’s about creating the best possible texture for cold tea,” the co-founders explain. “The cascading effect is just a beautiful bonus.” They add that the beer-like appearance, creamy texture, and sophisticated flavour make it perfect for people at social occasions who want to drink something special that is alcohol-free.
“In the early days, people tried to compare it to non-alcoholic beer or wine, and it didn’t quite fit,” Kym says. “What we’re seeing now is people just want something good to drink. They’re not looking for a substitute; they just want something that stands on its own.”
Kym and Tania’s products contain no added sugars, colours or artificial flavours. And they see their approach resonating with a growing number of consumers who are seeking better alternatives to both alcohol and sugar-laden soft drinks.
The brand is gaining traction across people of all ages. Many younger consumers are moderating their alcohol intake. And older consumers are eschewing alcohol for health reasons.
The sentiments of FoodBev Media, which runs the awards, reinforce the shift in consumer sentiment, who said that the winners reflect a broader shift across the global F&B industry towards health, transparency and purpose-driven innovation.
Strong domestic growth prompts international interest
The international recognition mirrors the East Forged’s progress in Australia. It’s direct-to-consumer channel is driving demand. Production has grown approximately 140 per cent year-on-year in the last 12 months. East Forged’s e-commerce business has surged as more consumers look for premium non-alcoholic options not widely available in retail outlets. Month-on-month growth has been consistent, indicating a sustainable increase in interest. Wholesale deals with brick-and-mortar retailers augment the online-generated revenue. Over 200 stores across Australia stock East Forged’s tea, including Harris Farm Markets and many independent retailers.
The award also reflects international interest in the brand. East Forged recently raised $1.5 million in a funding initiative led by Global Mind Agriculture Australia, the venture arm of Vietnamese agribusiness TTC AgriS. And the brand has been selected for the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Program.
Kym and Tania are investing the extra capital in commercialising East Forged’s proprietary brewing process and expanding into Southeast Asian markets and the US.
