Aug 19 / Nabeel

Gourmet Soft Drinks Review

competition, Gourmet soft drinks, soft drinks

Gourmet Soft Drinks Price: Rs. 45/- (1.5 Litre)

International Brands Price: Rs. 60/- (1.5 Litre)

I appreciate Pakistani companies are moving forward to produce their own goods which would lead to a prosperous country. Many companies of soft drinks came in market to overtake Pepsi and Coca Cola in Pakistan but they did on basis of Islamic scandal only i.e. Pepsi and Coca Cola serve Jews so take Muslim’s drink and they name their products like Makkah Cola and other Islamic names.

None of them sustain in market because their basis was not a better product but an issue. As their issue fade away from consumer’s mind so their products. Now we don’t see any other name in market except Shandy Cola which is building its market gradually but they are not upgrading their product. They should also give variety or update their product through market research except of producing more bottles. Shandy and other soft drinks are found mostly in remote areas or villages where people buy them because of low price and only available option.

Gourmet Bakers and Sweets which is growing rapidly and introducing new product lines frequently. They dare to jump in soft drinks market; I hope with much research work at back. However they haven’t introduce any of their own created unique flavor but copied the other brands flavor very well.

I’m discussing their each flavor below separately with respect to the flavor they copied. My critics is not to letting Pakistani product down but to motivate them with customer’s feedback so they can improve their product.

Gourmet Cola v/s Pepsi & Coca Cola:

Not a bit near to Pepsi or Coca Cola. It is typically the same flavor as other local companies offered before. I’ve heard about the security of Coca Cola and Pepsi formula but I think of it as a joke. Now I realize that why no one can easily make a Cola like them.

I often take Gourmet Cola and I don’t know why I’ve started to like it even their taste is inferior and much sweeter than Pepsi & Coca Cola.

They need to improve their flavor to get a larger market. Before Gourmet Cola, in local companies I liked Amrat Cola most but it is not available in market now so I can’t compare these both.

Lemon Up v/s Sprite & 7Up:

It doesn’t match with big brands like Sprite and 7Up. But in case of lemon flavor I’ve seen that every local company manages to make it good. It might because the access of lemon flavor don’t make the taste bad where as in case of cola; if one use more flavor quantity than it will be completely in no-to-take list.

This flavor is easy to make that even those people who make soft drinks in house can make this good. I had a soft drink maker in my home and concentrate of this flavor was better than cola.

Like Cola it is little sweeter but we can accept this sweetness in lemon flavor.

Malta v/s Miranda & Fanta:

In competition with Miranda and Fanta, we have Gourmet’s Malta. How good it feel with a casual name like Malta, easy to catch up consumer’s mind. How great that someone choose Urdu word for their product.

Like else Lemon flavor, Orange flavor is also easy to make. In my home made soft drink maker I loved this flavor most because this is the one nearest to the original or neartest to Miranda and Fanta. This is the most easy flavor to make. However in Gourmet’s Malta I miss the amount of carbon dioxide or which in common language we can say Gas. Yeah but here it is Gas in a bottle. By increasing this we can have more fizzy touch which is a spice of this flavor.

Every one don’t go for Orange flavor but this flavor is mostly famous in kids. They should try Gourmet as well, I hope won’t find greater difference.

Twister v/s Mountain Dew:

From here Gourmet differentiate itself from all other local companies. Those all local companies which came in market and fade away make typical three flavors which are Cola, Lemon and Orange, and then never think of moving on. Gourmet dare to break this tradition by competing Mountain Dew with its Twister. This initiative of Gourmet might give some other companies energy to move on to different flavors. By competing this way it is possible that one day we can have a products purely made by Pakistani producers; not a copy of foreign product.

Till then we need to run this race with upcoming flavors. Twister is no doubt a good competitor of Mountain Dew and now I prefer to take Gourmet’s drink over it. Like Mountain Dew; it is also in yellow color however their bottle color is green.

Lately Sprite try to compete Mountain Dew with their new flavor 3G but it failed. They tried a little change flavor, on the other hand Gourmet has tried to give as much same flavor of Mountain Dew as possible.

Soda Ice Cream v/s Pakola:

When I was in class 2 I use to drink Pakola which was an ice cream soda. After sometime this drink become hard to find in market. I missed it but don’t have any option so forget it soon.

Now after more than sixteen years my younger bro bought ‘Soda Ice Cream’ of Gourmet. It’s first sip take me directly to class 2. I believe they have copied the exact flavor of Pakola and make a good substitute of it. Though there is no more competition because Pakola is not found in market nowadays, not in Lahore at least.

It is not acceptable flavor by everyone that’s why most of the people don’t like it. It is not because Gourmet didn’t make it well, it is because they don’t like ice cream soda whether it is from Pakola or any other company.

This taste is little different than our normally taken drinks. I like it but if I’ve other options than I’ll not go for it. My eldest and youngest bro are fan of this drink. If they go to buy soft drinks in market than they always go for this drink. In home I come to be the only next one to enjoy it.

Gourmet Apple v/s Big Apple:

In recent years Big Apple by Murree Brewery become one of the favorite drink for youngsters. Gourmet seek a good growth in this flavor and achieves to make a taste which matches with the original. This was the first Gourmet drink I tried. It was quite same as Murree Brewery offered. Due to it’s low price people immediately shift to Gourmet Apple.

No doubt it has given a good competition to Murree Brewery’s Big Apple and they must had lost much market share.

Diet Cola and Diet Lemon Up:

I didn’t use diet Coca Cola, Diet Pepsi or Diet 7Up and Zero Sprite much. I’ve just taken them for one or two times, same-wise the case with Gourmet’s Diet Cola and Diet Lemon Up. Those who take diet regularly would know better that how worse diet drink tastes when it’s not chilled. Or is this the only case with Gourmet?

Why Gourmet Soft Drinks Are Hit:

There is one problem that you can’t find Gourmet soft drinks from any shop like international brands (Pepsi, Coca Cola company) are found. You can find these international brands from Pan Wala and any general store where as Gourmet soft drinks are only available in their own outlets. But now they have more than 90 outlets in Lahore which cover almost every part of Lahore so people use to travel a little far to have Gourmet soft drinks.

This is not because of their superior taste. They also know that there taste is not as good as international brands are giving but their prices are low. Mostly Gourmet drinks are used in 1.5 litre which is of Rs. 45 and other big brands are of Rs. 60.

Other reason is their outlets, which are very neat & clean and give a high quality look. However some people have affairs with their quality which they mentioned in comments of my last post on Gourmet. Generally people like Gourmet outlets environment and believe that products are of good quality.

So now it’s your turn, let me know your experience with Gourmet soft drinks: How much you love it? or How much you hate it?

Get Shareaholic