Sash Water was established in 2017 by Jack Scott and Alex Wright, with a vision to create a healthy and sustainable drinks brand made from sparkling water infused with ‘wonky’ fruit and vegetables which would otherwise go to waste. Both growing up on farms, the pair were aware of the staggering extent of wasted produce in the UK, with up to 40 per cent of fruit and veg grown not reaching our plates. Dash judges on taste, not looks, and has so far saved over 179,000kg of bent, curved, knobbly or crushed raspberries, blackberries, peaches, lemons and cucumbers from going to waste, infusing them with British spring water and bubbles to provide a zero-calorie, zero-sweetener, guilt-free drink.
Initially backed by Virgin Start Up, Dash Water spent an initial 18 months in development, sampling its infusions around London’s parks to see if consumers would trade their sugary fizzy drinks for something healthier. Positive public reaction was seconded by enthusiasm from suppliers, with Selfridges, Whole Foods Market UK, Daylesford and Planet Organic all enlisting as early stockists. The brand is now available in approximately 6,000 stockists with major listings including Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Ocado and British Airways.
‘2020 was a breakthrough year for Dash in many aspects, but something we are most proud of is our B Corporation certification,’ says Jack. ‘Sustainability has always been at the forefront of what we do and we’re proud to have passed the assessment to join B Corp’s global network of progressive businesses, putting social and environmental concerns at the heart of what they do and adhering to strict standards of transparency and accountability.’
Dash uses only fully recyclable aluminium cans and glass bottles. Its online delivery service is carbon neutral, offsetting carbon emissions via planting up woodland with its partner charity, Trees for Cities. ‘We’re proud that Dash is manufactured in the UK and that our wonky raspberries and blackcurrants, for example, come from a 30 miles radius of where the cans are manufactured,’ Jack comments. ‘Our footprint on the world around us and how we can continue to improve this is something we take very seriously.’
The challenges of 2020 heralded a major shift to online for the business. Before Covid-19, its web shop accounted for around 10 per cent of revenue, but now constitutes around 35 per cent of the total business, with people enthusiastically signing up to its Subscribe and Save model.
Dash is now launching a new range of drinks, and is on a mission to continue to hydrate and inspire its customers with
a target to have saved 2,600 tonnes of fruit and veg by 2025.
‘We want to bring a fresh perspective to everything we do at Dash. Acting with a fresh perspective means constantly looking for a better way of doing things,’ Jack concludes. ‘So, it’s not just about the finished product in its good-looking can; it’s how we make our drinks, how we treat the people we work with and how we continue to conduct our business as a pioneering British brand.’
