PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2015

PACKING / PALLETISING 34 PET planet insider Vol. 16 No. 10/15 www.petpla.net PACKING / PALLETISING 34 Gazpacho, served from a PET bottle by Waldemar Schmitke March 27, 2015 - We met: Carolina Braunschweig, Totally Important Associate Today our programme includes a visit to Tio Gazpacho in Miami where we are looking forward to exploring a really special topic, a cold soup packed in PET bottles for the American market. My GPS takes me to the address in Miami and I am somewhat astonished to find myself standing in front of one wall of a build- ing festooned with graffiti, with a single entrance door and no windows, but the address is the correct one. Once inside I find myself in the office of Tio Gazpacho and meet Carolina Braunschweig, Totally Important Associate. The company was set up in 2013 with the aim of importing the traditional Spanish cold vegetable soup “Gazpacho” into the USA. As a business idea it origi- nated in Spain, being the brainchild of founder Austin Allan who completed a course of study in Madrid at the beginning of 2000, majoring in Literature and Market- ing. According to Carolina Braunschweig, what is spe- cial about the idea is the fact that it offers a ready-to- drink soup straight from the bottle (no bowl required), which is drunk chilled as a small snack between meals, providing an alternative to sugar-laden alternatives. A healthy drink (totally organic, low in calories and gluten-free), in a convenient packaging format, drunk chilled (refreshing) and with a prominent unique selling point, it holds the promise of a correspondingly high level of market acceptance, Carolina Braunschweig continues. By September 2014 the concept was ready for market and it was launched in 2015. For starters, there are three flavours from which to choose:  Gazpacho clasico with vine-ripened tomato, green pepper and cucumber  Gazpacho verde with kale, spinach, avocado and mint  Gazpacho de sol with yellow tomatoes, yellow pep- pers and carrots