Going Beyond The Brew | Ted Fleming - GRIT ED. 7 Your Next Move - Magazine - Page 15
Going Beyond The Brew | Ted Fleming
Ted
Fleming:
BEYOND
THE BREW
F
ollowing a 2005 Crohn's
disease diagnosis, Ted
Fleming, Partake Brewing
Founder and CEO, made
the decision to give up alcohol
but still wanted to enjoy craft
beer and feel comfortable
and included in adult drinking
occasions. As a beer lover, he
quickly realized that the variety
and taste he was looking for
didn’t exist in the low- and noalcohol space.
“The problem is most of the
non-alcoholic beer I tried
tasted awful and there really
was almost nothing in terms of
variety. Unfortunately, the longstanding stigma surrounding
non-alcoholic beer has been
well deserved.”
There was a void that had to
be filled, so he was set out to
craft a non-alcoholic beer brand
that delivered on variety, taste,
accessibility and nutritionals
based on true consumer insights.
Taking a break from beer
shouldn’t mean sacrificing the
social connection that comes
with it, and Partake Brewing Co.
is proving that alcohol doesn’t
have a monopoly on good times.
Brewed by beer lovers for beer
lovers, Partake is the nonalcoholic beer you can proudly
drink without judgement on
any occasion. Since I launched
Partake in 2017, we have become
a leader in non-alcoholic beer in
North America, as distribution
continues to grow in major
retailers across Canada and the
U.S.
Partake allows those who may
want to cut back from alcohol or
cut it out entirely to still be able
14
GRIT
to enjoy the familiarity and taste
of an ice-cold beer, without
the commitment of alcohol or
worrying about how they will
feel the next day.
““I rely on my team to
help me listen to our
customers and implement
their feedback into
our planning. I avoid
social media to keep me
focused but the feedback
on social platforms is
important and something
I ask my team to interpret
and summarize for me.”
With an influx of competition
coming into the non-alcoholic
beverage market due to the success
achieved and proven the demand
of Partake. In turn, consumers will
have more choices, more retailers
and help build the profile of the
non-alcoholic beverage industry.
One key strength of Fleming's is
being able to anticipate future
constraints for the business and
making sure those are solved
before they become problems.
Fleming's
first
start-up
experience
began
with
a
renewable
energy
company
and pivoted to becoming an
entrepreneur in 2010 by buying
another business. In 2013 he
started an eCommerce business
before launching the first Partake
product in 2017.
In 2016, a change in his path
lead Fleming to go from his
eCommerce business building
and promoting other brands, to
becoming a brand owner himself.
Fleming began to pursue the idea
of Partake Brewing by launching
a campaign on Kickstarter with
the goal of raising $10,000 to
craft Partake’s first brew: a nonalcoholic IPA. Soaring past its in
just three short hours after its
launch on March 28, 2017. The
Kickstarter campaign has since
evolved into the Partake Brewing
you know today and launched its
first product in 2017.
'If I hadn’t made this shift, I would
have lost my value proposition
to larger retailers that were
entering my niche."
‘‘
PARTAKE BREWING
ADVICE
FROM A
FOUNDER
When setting out to start
a business or create a new
product, try to solve a real and
important problem even if for a
small niche of customers at first.
You’ll satisfy that need and gain
loyal followers who can help
spread the word.
Ted Flemming
CEO & Founder, Partake Brewing
Next Founders, 2021
GRIT
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