The ‘anxiety-reducing’ water created by a British couple that celebrities can’t get enough of! How Trip CBD has become the biggest UK drinks brand since Innocent Smoothies
With its unfamiliar yet delicious flavour combinations and potential calming properties all wrapped up in a sleek pastel-hued can, it’s no surprise that Trip CBD has become the go-to drink of the Instagram generation.
For those unfamiliar, Trip is a sparkling water that comes in flavours like lemon basil and blood orange rosemary. The difference between it and a regular seltzer is that’s it’s infused with cannabidiol – more commonly referred to as CBD – the non-psychoactive part of a cannabis plant.
This is legal and non-addictive, and people who use CBD believe it can help with a range of problems, including easing pain, improving sleep and reducing anxiety, although High Street products don’t actually make these claims.
This week, the brand loved by celebrities and influencers, was valued at £228.5 million, which makes it the most valuable British-owned drinks company since Innocent Smoothies and Fever-Tree, as well as the world’s most valuable beverage company led by a female CEO and founder.
The recipe was concocted by husband-and-wife team Olivia Ferdi and Dan Khoury in 2019, after Dan sustained a debilitating football injury that threatened to ruin their wedding. He used CBD – which can have anti-inflammatory properties – to recover.
But how did the company go from a tiny outfit – one in which Olivia and Dan weren’t even able to pay themselves a wage from during its first year of production – to one of Britain’s most impressive entrepreneur stories?
The answer lies in its glitzy celebrity appeal.
Trip quickly gained a reputation for its tasty flavours, a far cry from the ‘horrible earthy’ taste many CBD oils leave in consumers’ mouths, and celebrities began cottoning on to its benefits.
Some of the brand’s biggest star endorsers include not one, but two Victoria’s Secret models – Alessandra Ambrosio and Ashley Graham – as well as singer Joe Jonas and reality TV star Sophie Habboo and Vampire Diaries actor Paul Wesley.
Sophie Habboo has been a fan of TRIP for years and last year, officially became an investor in the brand that she has called a ‘game-changer’
Joe Jonas is also a big fan of TRIP and promoted its Wild Strawberry flavour in a TikTok video, which showed him entering a blissful state of mind
Alessandra says the drink, which costs around £1.50 for a 250ml can, is her ‘every day tipple’.
‘I love the ingredients and how it makes me feel calm, balanced and grounded. The flavours are really refreshing and it’s become my daily dose of serenity.’
Made in Chelsea star Sophie Habboo, who is married to Candy Kittens founder and McVities heir Jamie Laing, has been a long-time fan of Trip, and often features it on her podcast.
She officially became an investor in the brand last year, and celebrated with an Instagram post, writing: ‘This is my first brand investment, and I couldn’t be more excited to join the journey.
‘I’ve been a huge fan of Trip for a while now. Their drinks are a gamechanger, bringing calm and balance into busy days.
‘Seeing the incredible growth and community around Trip I’m beyond excited to support the brand I truly believe in and watching it reach even greater heights.’
Victoria’s Secret Angel Alessandra Ambrosio has also started singing the praises of TRIP
Ashley Graham is one of TRIP’s latest investors and shared a video of herself sipping one of the brand’s iconic pastel-coloured tins during Paris Fashion Week
The brand’s goal is to redefine how people relax and unwind, as well as become a reliable alternative to alcohol and sugar-filled soft drinks.
Although the space is becoming increasingly crowded, Trip remains the forerunner as it is sold in 50,000 stores, including every major retailer in the UK, and most major retailers in the US, as well as across Holland and France.
Following a fresh round of funding, where the brand raised US$40m that will be used to accelerate the brand’s growth and innovation, Olivia said their ultimate goal is to ‘make calm accessible to everyone, everywhere’.
‘The response from our consumers and retailers is proof that the world is ready for a new way to drink – one that prioritises balance and mental wellbeing,’ she added.
‘I’m proud that Trip is not just breaking records, but breaking barriers for female-founded and mission-driven businesses worldwide, and this funding will help us move faster than ever before.’
In 2022 a report by the World Health Organisation found that CBD can help treat the symptoms of a range of ailments, from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s to arthritis and even cancer.
