Our balls are rolling off the line!
And you're in charge of what flavours come next...
Kia ora,
It’s happening! This week Incrediballs are rolling off the presses and into our beautiful colourful boxes in preparation for launch in February. Which is basically a month away as we all know December doesn’t count.
A quick update first - a huge thank you to everyone who supported the SPCA fundraiser a couple of weeks ago. Together we raised $3210, which is much more than I ever expected so I am chuffed to bits! Hopefully you’re smelling delicious and most importantly I hope you enjoyed your boxes of Incrediballs… Please feel free to send any and all feedback our way.Our new website isn’t far off, so we’re going to put the call out to those of you who’ve tried them to get us started with some reviews, and those with the most (tasteful-ish) ball puns win!
I’m currently watching our balls roll off the conveyor belt.
I am here at the factory in the UK watching Crisp Pear roll off the machinery (which incidentally looks a little like a Dalek). It smells like something out of Willy Wonka 🤤
I am here mainly to get as much content as possible to satisfy the content marketing team (hiring to come, watch this space because I am sick of making videos), but also to talk about the new ideas I’ve come up with since my last visit. You can almost see the lab techs wince when I start asking questions. But there is just so much opportunity to do things better! People aren’t going to stop buying drinks and.. other things 👀, so let’s make them a better option, with less negative impact.
We’re tossing up which range to launch as a follow up in the middle of 2026. We’ll be dropping flavours randomly every now and then as a fun surprise, but we have two range ideas that we want to release all together. But which one to prioritise… that’s the question.
Do you want to know what they are? Okay, okay, I’ll tell you.
The first range is more of a party range. Flavours you’ll drink when you’re out celebrating, (or commiserating) with names that rhyme with schmina schmolada and schmohito.
The second is more of a daily ritual. Something you might have in the morning, or later in the day as a pick-me-up. With ingredients that might give you some energy to get through your emails, or perhaps a little more focus.
Clear as mud? Good. Which would you prefer first, a range of cocktails, or a range of teas 😇
And on that note, why not help us prioritise flavours too. Because so far I’ve tasted 19 and some of them have been ah-mazing. Depressingly, mango was one of those.
Or… something else entirely? Leave us a comment below with your flavour demands. I may have changed my mind (begrudgingly) on mango, but feijoa is still a hard no. Standards people.
Quick Questions
Q) Will I be sharing behind-the-scenes updates from the lab?
A) Yes! You know how I love to overshare. But also I am a big believer in transparency in business (yes, with an eye to commercial sensitivity), so I will be bringing you along as much as possible.
Q) Does this mean Incrediballs are getting closer to being launched?
A) Yes it does… I promised you February and so far (please touch wood and cross your fingers), we are on track. What date in February? Not allowed to say yet… but we will confirm a date soon. Or, we might just spring it on you as our loyal newsletter followers first. Who knows.
Q) Will this visit help speed up future launch timelines, new flavours, and packaging iterations?
A) It certainly will. Many exciting things have already been discussed… and many more no doubt.
Q) Um, why are they being made in the UK and not in NZ?
A) Well unfortunately, this is the only place with the tech to make them! Yes, one day we’d love to bring the factory and the tech back to Aotearoa, but let’s take things one step at a time. For those worried about the carbon emissions, don’t fret. These are so small and light that the transport around the world adds almost nothing to their impact. The future really is balls I tell you. And if you are concerned about team travel (and fair enough), we have been double offsetting our travel since before the company actually even existed. I know, offsetting is not a silver bullet, but all travel is weighed up against the impact and we only go when we consider the long-term positive impact greater than the negative. As I try to do with all my decisions. We won’t be here to watch all batches be made and we will no doubt eventually have a team member or two based here. If you want to see our impact thus far, you can see it here:
And of course, you all know why we’re doing this right - to rid the world of plastic bottles. Because if you’re paying attention (and I can’t blame you if you’re not), the news around the plastic pollution crisis just keeps getting worse. Microplastics have been found everywhere we’ve looked. That’s everything from brains, to umbilical cords, in the plaque that clogs arteries, testicles, and somewhat bizarrely, even dolphin’s breath. Not to mention every environment ever sampled, all the way down to the deepest part of the world’s oceans - the Mariana Trench. Fewer than 35 people have been down there, but scientists have found plastic bags and sweet wrappers down there. I’m surprised it wasn’t a coke bottle.
I know I find them almost wherever I go when I’m exploring.
And on that note, I’m off to help (hinder) make and pack the cola balls.
Have a fantastic week,
Brianne.
To the other 60% also voting for ginger, I love you ❤️
Ohh hear me outttt....... It'll be awesome to have a 🥭&🍍 combo!