How a Sparkling Water Company Built a Brand on Bruised Fruit
Dash Water says its mission of reducing food waste serves a bigger purpose—one that’s already resonating with consumers.
Dash Water founders Jack Scott and Alex Wright grew up on farms and saw imperfect produce getting tossed.
Source: Dash WaterSquished raspberries, curved cucumbers, bruised peaches. It’s hard to find buyers for imperfect fruit. But for fizzy drinks entrepreneurs Jack Scott and Alex Wright, “wonky” produce tastes just right.
The founders of London-based Dash Water flavor their sugar-free carbonated beverage with fruit that would otherwise end up as animal feed or in a landfill, where food waste—as much as 40% of what’s grown globally—generates substantial climate-warming emissions. Dash, which started as a niche offering at boutique gyms and coffee shops, sells a half-dozen flavors online and at major retailers in the UK and Australia. The company, founded in 2017, forecasts retail sales of at least £18 million ($20 million) this year and has ambitions to expand globally. Here, Scott shares lessons he’s learned along the way: