Australian cold brew nitro tea producer, East Forged, has been recognised on the global stage for its unique manufacturing process – receiving the Best Drink Innovation award at FoodBev Media’s World Food Innovation Awards 2026.
East Forged is at the forefront of the craft tea industry with its ready-to-drink (RTD) Cold Brew Nitro Tea brand, positioning tea as a sophisticated beverage suitable for social occasions. Using cold brew tea infused with nitrogen and CO2, East Forged has created a new beverage and a new way to enjoy the world’s second most consumed beverage.
Since its inception in 2020, East Forged has carved out a unique space in the beverage industry by offering the only iced tea cold brewed naturally without added sugars, colours, or artificial flavours. The company’s innovative manufacturing process landed it the Best Processing award at the Food & Drink Business Hive Awards in 2024.
The company completed a $1.5 million capital raise in September 2024, led by Global Mind Agriculture Australia (GMAA), the venture capital arm of Vietnam’s leading agribusiness TTC AgriS.
East Forged also received a $344,670 grant in November 2025 through the federal Industry Growth Program (IGP), to support the company in commercialising its unique tea-brewing process and achieve independent growth through national and global markets of Southeast Asia and the US.
The FoodBev Media World Food Innovation Awards 2026 winners were announced last week at the International Food & Drink Event (IFE) in London. Entries from more than 100 brands across 28 countries were evaluated by an expert panel of judges.
East Forged co-founder, Tania Stacey, said she and fellow co-founder Kym Cooper were really honoured to have East Forged shortlisted in the FoodBev Awards Drinks Innovation category.
“East Forged tea brews have won a swag of 20 medals over the past few years, but this one is different, as it recognises the process behind the flavour,” said Stacey.
“Our backgrounds in the leaf tea industry inspired us to create a tea brew that hero's the diverse flavours of tea. The journey to the end product has been major for both of us. The early years of creating East Forged pushed us beyond our knowledge of tea into the world of craft production. East Forged is simply not creating a new flavour, it is the beginning of a crafted liquid tea industry.”
The full list of World Food Innovation Awards 2026 winners is available at foodbev.com.
