UK-headquartered Totally Natural Solutions (TNS), a provider of innovative, natural hop oil extracts to the brewing industry, and beyond, has signed a major partnership with NZ Hops Ltd, New Zealand’s leading supplier of NZ-grown hops to the world.
This international deal is part of TNS’s rapid expansion which has seen it grow from start-up to a global brewery partner within eight years. The company was set-up in Tonbridge, Kent in 2013 by a Scot, Colin Wilson, who had been a director with Barth Haas, the world’s largest supplier of hop products and services. Wilson has ambitious growth plans for TNS, including tripling its turnover to £10 million over the next three years and the firm is investing heavily in staff development and systems.
This partnership with NZ Hops Ltd is expected to deliver 50 per cent turnover growth to TNS in the first year. TNS will put £1m of capital expenditure into the business and immediately create five new jobs to increase its staff to 25. TNS’s mission is to be the partner of choice globally for innovative natural hop extracts and this joint venture helps it achieve that aim and validates its technologies.
The partnership is designed to deliver more efficient and sustainable access to NZ Hops worldwide. With a focus on sustainability, TNS uses patented hop oil separation processes to deliver clean label hop extracts for the developing craft beer sector and for global brewers.
TNS uses a 100 per cent natural process of oil extraction to retain the quality of aroma and flavour profiles from hop cones. No chemical solvents or additives are involved.
The natural extracts can be used to complement or replace the use of hop cones and pellets, adding aroma and flavour impact across a range of lager, IPA and low alcohol beer styles.
The increasing popularity of low and no-alcohol beer brings additional challenges in meeting flavour expectations which TNS’s hop oil extracts are well placed to meet. They provide the required flavour profile, improving the sensory experience for the consumer.
There are multiple benefits for brewers who use TNS’s hop oil extracts to improve the intensity and consistency of their beer flavours. The hop oil extracts can reduce waste by allowing the balance of bitterness, aroma and flavour to be easily modified. They can also help reduce the amount of stock that brewers need to hold and simplify the supply chain, a major advantage given the disruption caused to logistics by the Covid-19 global pandemic.
Colin Wilson, TNS managing director, has worked in a variety of natural product roles in the pharmaceutical and brewing industries over the last 20 years. He is graduate of the University of Edinburgh and has a Masters from the University of Strathclyde. He also recently completed the Growth Advantage Programme (GAP) at Strathclyde’s prestigious Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship.
Colin Wilson said: “This agreement is part of an exciting growth phase for us. Forming a partnership with the leading hop cooperative in New Zealand allows us to apply our knowledge and skills to their diverse and unique range of flavours and aromas. It’s a perfect marriage of technology, expertise, and the finest quality raw material.
“We have lots of major developments in the pipeline as an innovator and disruptor in a relatively traditional industry. We are establishing new relationships with brewers of all sizes across the world from craft to corporates, and enhancing existing ones. We’re in an ideal position to help address the issue of hop shortages in various parts of the world.
“The opportunities for TNS go way beyond brewers and beers, although that is our core target market. For example, our natural hop oil extracts can be used in a range of diverse applications, such as beauty and skin care, gin and other spirits to improve flavour and baking.
“And core to everything we do is sustainability – using extracts reduces water use, beer loss and energy consumption and means every kilo of hops brews more beer.”
Craig Orr, CEO of NZ Hops, added: “This is a really exciting new partnership agreement for us. We are seeing greater demand for our hops as we deliver flavours and aromas that are unique to our NZ grown varieties. This deal allows us to increase the accessibly of what we offer.
“The process of extraction of the precious oils sees less waste in the overall hop, and the final products extend our market offering and ultimately the consumer experience of our hops. It’s a win-win.”