Longing for the flavours from his childhood, owner Abheek Patell decided to start OSOM spice water. Loaded with Fairtrade spices, Ayurvedic water is made to support the holistic hydration of the mind, body and soul.
What is your company background, how did you start the business? Who are the owners?
"Our company is a new family-owned venture. I started it as a way to make the Ayurvedic water of my childhood more easily accessible. My mother used to boil it for us every morning when I was growing up because it is believed to bring good health and well-being, and I wanted the same for my children but couldn’t find the time. Through not being able to find anything like it in the market, I figured out a way to produce it commercially, and here we are. Officially I (Abheek Patell) own the company, but my wife (Yera), daughter (Keya), and son (Rohan) are equally involved in it."
What is the current product range and variants and how do these products stand out in the market?
"Currently, we have three flavours of spiced water - Detox, Restore and Calming. I believe there are three pillars by which these products stand out in the market. Firstly, and possibly their shining factor has to be the versatility of them. Due to the simple ingredients, they are easily mixed into recipes such as smoothies and cocktails or warmed up to create a tea. Secondly, they are a fantastic sugar-free option for health-conscious consumers or diabetics. We’ve recently found out a customer of ours has been recommending them as a post-operative drink to patients who cannot handle regular water straight away. Lastly, they stand out due to the uniqueness of the product itself — there is no other spice-based drink in the market, it’s nice to be one of a kind for the moment."
Has there been any recent company news?
"We only just launched our product seven months ago, so we don't have any huge company news. I guess all the big news for us is just the small things. For example, we were just chosen to be included in Nadia Lim’s ‘Freshly Picked’ series and in the Supermarket News’ ‘5 waters to stock’ editorial. Small news when you’re looking at the big picture but very exciting nonetheless."
What are the plans for the business moving forward, is there any expansion on the horizon?
"Having just wrapped our second food show in the last two months, it gave us the opportunity to meet so many amazing people. We feel very privileged to be in this place where we have a lot of opportunities to choose from. We’ve been toying around with the idea of taking our waters across the ditch and maybe even adding some new flavours. Definitely keep an eye out for us."
Contact our distributors Ashon Ventures Ltd at paul@ashon.co.nz for more information.
