Here's What Happened To Victoria's Kitchen Almond Water After Shark Tank
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Hailing from France, entrepreneurs and married couple Deborah and David Meniane had been creating David's grandmother's recipe for almond water in their own kitchen. Almond water is made with sirop d'orgeat and tastes like amaretto "with hints of vanilla and rose" and is a refreshing French tradition (via Frenchly). They named the product after David's grandmother, and she even lent her likeness to the cans. The drink was low in calories and was a good mixer. It was also gluten-free and lactose-free.
The couple bottled the almond water in 2011 and displayed it at the 2012 Winter Fancy Food Show, where they made an impression. They were selling Victoria's Kitchen Almond Water in 800 stores across a few grocery chains, and even a few health stores. Hoping to capitalize on their quickly growing company, they appeared on Season 6, Episode 16 of "Shark Tank," looking for a $200,000 investment for a 20% stake (per Shark Tank Blog).
Sometimes not getting a deal is a blessing in disguise
Not only were Deborah and David hoping to capitalize on their growth, but they were also looking to gain an edge in the hyper-competitive beverage market. They were valued at $1 million but didn't know if that would be enough to get a shark to bite. They mentioned that they saw sales increase over the two years but declined in the third year because a new flavor flopped. The sharks liked the almond water samples but weren't sure about the couple and their plans for the company. Robert Herjavec dropped out even though he thinks they're ambitious — he thought that David might be playing it too safe. Mark Cuban believed David might be grasping at straws and so he dropped out. Lori Greiner dropped out because she thought there was too much work. The Menianes left the tank without a deal (via Shark Tank Blog).
It's not all bad though, because in 2017, Victoria's Kitchen was acquired by beverage brand accelerator Hispanica International. "Our distribution network and brand accelerator infrastructure will enable Victoria's Kitchen to prosper under the Hispanica portfolio," said John Romagosa, Hispanica president (via GlobeNewswire).
No update on when the refreshing drink will be back on shelves
After Hispanica International closed the acquisition deal there haven't been many updates. The Victoria's Kitchen Facebook page has been dormant since 2019 and the beverages are out of stock on the product's Walmart and Amazon pages. According to a press release, David Meniane is now the CEO and SVP of Finance of CarParts.com.
Fans of Victoria's Kitchen Almond Water seem to be disappointed that they can no longer find the sweet, refreshing beverage in stores or online. Some have taken to the company's Facebook page to express their dismay, with one writing, "Hope you guys show up back in HEBs in Texas again! I randomly found one HEB near me that carried it and I cleared out the whole shelf. But now I'm down to my last three cans!" Another fan wrote, "This should be brought back. There's an entire fanbase that uses Almond Water, specifically this brand even, as a 'signature' beverage, on the internet."
When the water was available, reviewers on Amazon were split, asking to have the beverage sold in bottles again, as the tin cans made the light, delicately flavored water taste metallic. "I used to be a huge fan of this almond water ... However, since they made the move to Amazon, I have found that quality and taste has diminished ... the water had a tinny taste to it, almost like the can has ruined it," wrote a disappointed reviewer.