New Innovators

Dragon Nutrition: Bottling new products with a twist

FAMILY-OWNED independent drinks company J Donohoe Beverages has been manufacturing, bottling and distributing drinks in the southeast for more than 200 years.

Three years ago, the firm pushed itself into the 21st century with the launch of a new subsidiary, Dragon Nutrition, to take advantage of the growing market for added-value drinks with a nutritional twist.

Dragon has developed a range of drinks aimed at those involved in sport, leading active lives or interested in physical wellbeing. The first Dragon products, a line-up of five “shots” – including a protein drink and a pre-gym supplement – were launched in 2011. They are sold through pharmacies and online.

Donohoe Beverages, which has a turnover of €20 million, invested €650,000 over three years setting up its nutrition subsidiary between the cost of product RD and pilot production facilities.

New to market is Little Dragon Intense Energy, a full-sized carbonated energy drink containing B vitamins that will be sold through the mainstream retail network.

“Intense Energy was developed to serve the portion of the market with a need for that blast of energy provided by the shot but delivered in a larger, long-lasting form and without the associated sugar crash, as the drink is sugar free,” says Siobhán Donnelly, who is responsible for Dragon’s marketing.

“J Donohoe is a long- established company but very forward-looking at the same time, with its own RD department, and we were looking at ways to take our expertise in the drinks business into new areas,” Donnelly adds.

“Functional drinks, for use in sports and other activities, were identified as a potential growth area for us. When we started researching the idea, they were still a new concept and people assumed we were talking about producing something like a Complan.”

Donnelly says that a commitment to job creation goes hand in hand with new product development at the company. Six people now work full time in the Dragon division which has its own purpose- built facility.

The company is looking to the export market for real growth as potential sales in Ireland are limited.

It is already talking to buyers Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Germany and Russia.