For brands looking to move into cold coffee, the opportunity is growing, but the route is not
always straightforward.
Consumer demand for chilled and convenient coffee formats continues to build, but launching a cold coffee proposition from scratch can still be complex. Decisions around format, packaging, supply and route to market all need to come together quickly, often under commercial pressure.
That’s why white-label cold coffee concentrate is becoming a more practical entry point for many brands. Rather than building every element from zero, it gives businesses a way to move into the category using an established format, while focusing their efforts on audience, channel and proposition.
In brief
- White-label cold coffee concentrate can offer brands a faster route into a growing category.
- Different concentrate formats suit different channels, from retail to hospitality.
- Success still depends on choosing the right format, route to market and supply partner.
Why are more brands looking at cold coffee now?
Cold coffee is becoming a more established part of the category, not just a seasonal add-on.
Latest data shows iced coffee value at £365m, up 26% versus last year, with a quarter of value growth coming from new consumers. Bespoke research for Lincoln & York also shows iced coffee is now the most popular coffee order for UK consumers under 25, while around 80% of 25–34-year-olds have bought RTD coffee in the past year.
That matters because it points to a category with broader appeal, growing familiarity and stronger relevance across more than one channel. Cold coffee now sits across retail shelves, café menus and grab-and-go fixtures, which means more brands are starting to look seriously at how they should enter the space.
Why can white-label concentrate be a faster route to market?
Launching a cold coffee product from the ground up can be resource-intensive. Format selection, packaging, shelf life, supply chain planning and route to market all need to be worked through before a proposition is ready to launch.
White-label concentrate offers a more accessible route because it removes some of that early-stage complexity. Instead of starting from scratch, brands can work from an established product format and focus on shaping the proposition around where it will be sold, who it is for and how it will be used.
That can help brands move faster by:
- building from an existing format rather than creating a proposition from zero
- simplifying some of the early decisions around product structure
- creating flexibility across different channels
- allowing teams to focus more on proposition, packaging and commercial fit
Concentrate is also versatile. Bottled formats can support at-home use in retail, while bag-in-box formats can work well in hospitality and foodservice. That gives brands more than one way into the category, depending on the opportunity they are trying to pursue.
Which businesses might this route suit?
White-label cold coffee concentrate is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but it can suit a range of businesses looking to enter or expand within the category without adding unnecessary complexity.
For retailers, bottled concentrate can offer a retail-friendly route into at-home cold coffee. The concept is familiar, with a dilute-at-home format that gives consumers flexibility without the need for specialist equipment. Bottled concentrate represents a significant opportunity for retail, especially as demand for iced coffee at home grows and consumers look to replicate their out of home coffee experience at home.
For established coffee brands, it can provide a practical range-extension route. Instead of building an entirely new proposition from the ground up, brands can use concentrate to enter cold coffee in a way that is more manageable operationally.
For hospitality and foodservice operators, bag-in-box can be especially relevant where speed and consistency matter. Lincoln & York’s proposition is a 3L format with simple tap dispense, 1:4 dilution, and enough product for 75 x 40ml servings or 60 x 50ml servings.
Across all of these use cases, the value lies in having a clearer and potentially lower-complexity route into cold coffee, while still matching the format to the channel.
What still needs careful consideration before launch?
White-label can help brands enter the category more efficiently, but it does not remove the need for careful decision-making.
Brands still need to think about:
- who the product is for
- where it will be sold
- which format best suits the channel
- how the packaging and presentation support the proposition
- whether the opportunity is a good commercial fit
- which supply partner is best placed to support the launch
That last point matters more than it may first appear. White-label does not mean every route is the same, and it does not guarantee success. Quality, consistency, packaging, distribution and commercial alignment can all shape how well a proposition performs once it reaches market. Choosing the right partner is an important part of making the opportunity work.
Which concentrate format may be the best fit?
Not all cold coffee concentrate formats serve the same purpose.
| Format | Typical fit | Key advantage |
| Bottled concentrate | Retail | At-home convenience |
| Bag-in-box concentrate | Hospitality / foodservice | Speed and consistency |
| RTD cans | Larger brands / retailers | Grab-and-go appeal, more customisable |
Bottled concentrate is generally the more retail-friendly route, especially where the proposition is built around at-home preparation and convenience.
Bag-in-box is more naturally suited to hospitality and foodservice, where operators need aquicker serve model, more consistency and better control in use.
RTD cans sit slightly outside the core concentrate route, but they may still be relevant for largerscale launches. Of Lincoln & York’s cold coffee range, RTD is the more customisable route, with the option to create bespoke recipe profiles and flavour combinations, however this route also requires a higher volume commitment, with an MOQ of 40,000 cans per SKU.
Conclusion
White-label cold coffee concentrate can offer brands a stronger route into a growing category, especially where speed, simplicity and channel fit matter.
But the best outcomes still depend on making the right decisions around format, proposition and partner. The brands most likely to succeed will be the ones that treat white-label not as an automatic shortcut, but as a practical route into the market when matched to the right opportunity.
If you’re exploring cold coffee concentrate for your range, get in touch to discuss the right route for your brand.
