Taking a shine to a new drinks category

Australia’s first smart drink was launched in October last year by two entrepreneurs with a smart idea and the backing of experienced partners. Lindy Hughson spoke to co-founder and CEO Steve Chapman about the fast track to market for shine+ and the journey ahead.

“When your moment comes, will you be ready?” Apparently, with a dose of shine+, you will.

This is the pay-off line of the new health drink shine+, positioned as a ‘smart drink’ on the strength of the proven benefits of its blend of functional ingredients.

The shine+ story begins in 2015, when medical practitioner and philanthropist Dr Sam Prince and entrepreneur Steve Chapman were on a flight to New York.

Prince had discovered evidence in scientific literature that certain ingredients can improve cognitive function, and the two discussed the concept of a beverage designed as a smart drink.

In February 2016 the idea grew legs. Prince and Chapman formed Shine Drink, engaged a healthy list of beverage industry advisors, and Shine Drink COO, Andrew Dewez, who has a scientific background, began a thorough review of potential ingredients with cognitive functional benefits.

Then followed a series of recipe trials, with the help of major flavour houses, to find the dosages and flavour profiles with the desired functionality, that would work in a small concentrated format.

By July a formulation had been developed, containing green tea (+ L-theanine); ginkgo biloba; Siberian ginseng; turmeric (+ curcumin); ginger; caffeine; and vitamins B6 and B12.

The base ingredient is de-ionised apple concentrate, which gives the drink its 4.5g/110ml sugar content, but no other sugar is added.

Almost the first thing Steve Chapman is at pains to get across is that shine+ is not an energy drink, despite the inclusion of caffeine.

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