FOUNDED in June last year by Grier Govorko and Steve Gilberd, Coco’s Coconut Company are producers of New Zealand’s first coconut water brand. Coaqua is a 100% pure coconut water which has a sweeter and fresher taste than other brands on the market and is already stocked by Farro Fresh.
Govorko says the age of the coconuts used affect the quality and flavour profile of the product with many coconut waters manufactured with old coconuts which are then pasteurised twice.
“We let the taste do the talking as far as superiority of flavour. We are one of the few coconut water brands that chose glass bottles as the carrier and as such puts Coaqua in the upper tier amongst its peers,” he says.
Govorko, former production designer for Red Hot Chili Peppers, thoroughly researched the global coconut water category, speaking to former employer and RHCP front man Anthony Kiedis who had invested in pioneer US brand Vita Coco.
“We tasted every brand of coconut water we could and saw that all the competitors were copying Vita Coco or were positioning their brands as sports hydration alternatives,” says Gorvorko.
The company’s Coaqua product has attempted to recreate the fresh coconut water taste of South East Asia, where both Govorko and Gilberd have lived. Produced and bottled at source in Southern Vietnam, coconuts are sourced in the Mekong Delta region before being harvested by small scale farmers.
Gilberd says grocery and export markets are growth areas for the Coaqua brand, with its coconut water currently sold into both the US and China.
“We have several new flavours in development, although are working firstly to establish the primary 100% pure product in the marketplace,” says Gilberd.
For more information please visit www.coaqua.co.nz
