SA beverage brand Superlatte recognised at global packaging awards

Image credit: Pentawards

Launched in 2007, the annual Pentawards is devoted exclusively to packaging design. Each year, packaging from around the world is submitted and judged by an international jury of 12 respected designers, packaging design directors and marketing chiefs from major global brands.

Entered by Cape Town packaging designers, Mark Studio, the Superlatte 200g range scooped a Bronze Pentaward in the Food Trends category.

Superlatte is the only South African winner in the 2018 competition. The award is also a major achievement for Mark Studio – heralding the first win for the design shop, and the first win of its kind for a South African studio.

From humble markets to retail expansion

Founded in 2016 by advertising exec turned entrepreneur, Michelle Legge, Superlatte is known for its turmeric latte blend, a powdered beverage mix packing the anti-inflammatory powers of turmeric along with antioxidant spices. Turmeric lattes, along with other healthy creations like beetroot and matcha lattes, are seeing growing interest from consumers in the health and wellness community globally.

Image credit: Superlatte

What started in 2016 as a market stall at the Oranjezicht City Farm Market at Granger Bay serving batches of stove-top brewed almond milk turmeric lattes, quickly grew into a food service, and then retail offering. Market customers were asking about the recipe and how they could make Superlatte's blends at home. From having been through the arduous recipe creation process, Legge knew that whipping up a perfectly balanced turmeric latte was no easy feat - the spices could easily become overpowering. After many nights of trial and error, she finally settled on a winning recipe.

Growing market interest provided the encouragement to move from ready-made drinks served on Saturdays only, to a powdered version of the latte – on shelf in a 200g foil pouch. Next followed a range of three flavours, soon to be joined by three additional adventurous plant-based blends.

Today, Superlatte supplies over 170 cafes in South Africa, as well as retailers including Spar, Wellness Warehouse, Dischem and independent health food shops and delis.

In late 2017 Superlatte started exporting to UK, where the self-funded startup supplies approximately 60 cafes. The company is now also listed on Amazon.uk, and now Amazon France and Germany. Amazon is growing at such an exponential rate that the company predicts it will be their largest market by the end of 2019.