The News
Bunta Beer, a non-alcoholic Indian craft beer, was announced on October 2025 by Gunikka Ahuja. The beer is gluten-free, vegan, and contains 60 calories per can. It was launched in London with availability at Kricket, Aspen & Meursault, Vintopia Wine, East West Pizza, and Londis N16.
Today I’m looking at a London launch that seeks to break the “curry‑and‑a‑pint” rulebook: Bunta Beer says it’s the UK’s first non‑alcoholic Indian craft lager.
The press copy is bold: “first non‑alcoholic Indian craft beer.” Market data tells a more nuanced story. In 2024 the UK’s non‑alcoholic beer segment was worth £472 million, and it’s projected to hit about £740 million by 2028 when it grows at a 12.3 % CAGR. The craft sub‑segment accounts for roughly 1.4 % of total no‑alcohol volume, so Bunta is stepping into a tight niche that still has room to grow if it can drive the right foot traffic.
What’s driving that foot traffic? Kricket reported a 34 % jump in non‑alcoholic pairings last year, and its data shows Indian cuisine as the top driver for those “no‑beer” moments. Bunta’s gluten‑free, vegan, 60‑calorie cans sit squarely on that sweet spot: low impact on the stomach, high impact on the palate between bites of curry or tandoori. If you run a place with many Indian orders, slotting Bunta next to your standard lager can give you an instant “new‑product” hook without disrupting your existing SKU flow.
Premium non‑alcoholic craft beers in London restaurants trade at about £4.50–£6.00 per 330 ml serving. While we don’t have Bunta’s exact price yet, the can size and brand positioning suggest it will land somewhere in that band.
A word of caution: the “first” claim is not iron‑clad. The Rupee Beer launched an Indian‑inspired non‑alcoholic brew in September 2025, and if their product lineup overlaps Bunta’s, that could dilute the novelty narrative. Distributors should keep a close eye on early sales data from Kricket and other pilot venues to gauge whether Bunta truly captures the “first” moment or simply rides the wave of a growing trend.
So what does this mean for you in the trade? If you’re a distributor with a craft‑focused portfolio, consider taking a small allocation—perhaps 30 cans per case—to test the waters. For on‑premise operators, use Bunta as a quick‑turnover, low‑calorie option that can be slotted into existing menus without disrupting the core SKU lineup.
Original Press Release
Indian-inspired, UK-brewed: ‘curry and a pint’ just got tastier
Indian-inspired, UK-brewed: ‘curry and a pint’ just got tastier
Brewed for food: subtle carbonation to beat the bloat and pair perfectly with Indian food
Brewed for food: subtle carbonation to beat the bloat and pair perfectly with Indian food
Gluten-free, vegan, 60 calories per can
Gluten-free, vegan, 60 calories per can
Flavour crafted to pair perfectly with kormas, vindaloos, jalfrezis: this founder is reinventing the beer you drink with curry
Flavour crafted to pair perfectly with kormas, vindaloos, jalfrezis: this founder is reinventing the beer you drink with curry
The Bunta ‘character’ on the can “represents a new generation of drinkers who don’t feel the need to drink alcohol to be part of the moment. It could be anyone you see in Shoreditch or Brixton, culturally rooted, making different choices.”
The Bunta ‘character’ on the can “represents a new generation of drinkers who don’t feel the need to drink alcohol to be part of the moment. It could be anyone you see in Shoreditch or Brixton, culturally rooted, making different choices.”
LAUNCH ANNOUNCEMENT, LONDON - Bunta Beer is the UK’s first non-alcoholic Indian craft beer, specially brewed to complement bold, flavourful Indian food, and has launched with listings at Kricket, Aspen & Meursault, Vintopia Wine, East West Pizza, and cult convenience store Londis N16. Bunta Beer was founded in October 2025 by 27-year-old Gunikka Ahuja, who will also be manufacturing Buntatex™ - a biodegradable textile which transforms brewing waste into sustainable packaging.
While Indian food in the UK has evolved rapidly – from neighbourhood curry houses to modern restaurants such as Kricket, Dishoom and Hoppers – the beers served alongside it have remained largely unchanged. Bunta was developed to fill that gap: a lighter, crisper lager that complements spice rather than overpowering it. Bunta’s flagship beer - a 0.5% citrus lager - has been crafted to be incredibly light & refreshing, with subtle citrus notes from orange peel and a hint of coriander seed. The coriander and citrus elements also mirror flavour compounds commonly found in Indian cooking.
The name “Bunta” nods to Indian culture: in North India, “Bunta” refers to the marble used to seal traditional codd-neck bottles, especially for the lemon-based drink Banta Soda, known for its refreshing citrusy ‘pop,’ a drink enjoyed by Ahuja in her youth.
New Delhi-born Ahuja moved to LA when she was 17 for university to study Textile Technology and later went on to work as a Textile Innovation Manager at Adidas. Around this time, she started to frequently visit her brother in London (who will be working with Bunta behind the scenes), where she discovered the UK’s ‘curry and a pint’ ritual. This inspired Ahuja to create something that would specifically match the occasion.
Ahuja’s textile background inspired her to create and trademark Buntatex™, which will be produced over the upcoming months into packaging and branded merch.
Ahuja says,
“I love spicy food and the role of Bunta is to regulate the experience of eating hot food. Bunta cuts through the heat, cleanses the palate and makes you ready for the next bite, while being delicious and not too carbonated to avoid that all too familiar bloat.
I grew up in New Delhi in a household where food was everything: it wasn’t just about eating, it was ritual. Sunday biryanis, big family meals, hosting - food was how we connected. Beer was always on the table too, even though my parents didn’t really drink. That contrast - food being deeply cultural, and beer just being a default - always stayed with me.
I started to visit London a few years ago and couldn’t wait to sample the Indian food on offer here. Whether it was the curry houses I visited on Brick Lane or more modern spots, the food had evolved, but the beer hadn’t. The only options were brands that had been around for years. Within a few sips, I felt disappointed - harsh, overly bitter, heavy, and gassy. Before I’d even started eating, I’d already switched to a soft drink. I told my brother, ‘I think I just need to make my own Indian beer.’ He laughed and said, ‘Our food deserves better.’ That was the moment Bunta was born. We set out to make a beer that made Indian food taste better. There’s a new wave of chefs pushing things forward - which is exactly why drinks need to catch up.”
The stubby pink can features a punchy cartoon-style graphic of Ahuja’s brother.
“My brother is my best friend - we’ve always been treated as equals. Having him on the can wasn’t just a design choice, it was deeply personal. I saw him in a pink turban, Ray-Bans, wearing traditional clothing in a modern way and it just clicked. The character represents a new generation of drinkers who don’t feel the need to drink alcohol to be part of the moment. It could be anyone you see in Shoreditch or Brixton, culturally rooted, making different choices.”
For Ahuja, Bunta Beer’s launch and potential is tied up with modern Indian identity: being culturally rooted yet with a global vision.
“Modern Indian identity for me is not about rejecting tradition, it’s about evolving it. For a long time, Indian brands have been boxed into a very narrow visual and cultural language and that doesn’t reflect how our generation actually lives. Traditional Indian food and drinks brands often lean on red, yellow, orange colours or even putting the Taj Mahal on packaging. That is not what the new generation is about. You see it now in food, fashion, music: a new wave of creatives and founders confident enough to reinterpret culture on their own terms. Bunta is part of that. It is British Indian, but it doesn’t look or feel like what people expect Indian brands to be.”
“I want Bunta to be the only beer you think of when you’re eating Indian food: whether that’s at a high-end restaurant or whether you are cooking curry at home. We’re building a brand that sits at the intersection of food, culture, and materials, from drinks to textiles, all rooted in circularity and modern British identity.
Nutritional information
Bunta Beer has been allergen tested and contains barley and wheat - less than 20ppm, so gluten-free
Bunta Beer has been allergen tested and contains barley and wheat - less than 20ppm, so gluten-free
60 calories per 330ml can
60 calories per 330ml can
Sources consulted (web research):
- Curry And A Pint Just Got An Upgrade Bunta Beer Launches In London
- Bunta Beer Reinvents The Curry And A Pint
- Curry And A Pint Just Got An Upgrade Bunta Beer Launches In London
- Curry And A Pint Just Got An Upgrade Bunta Beer Launches In London
- Bunta Beer Launches As Uks First Non Alcoholic Indian Craft Lager
- Rupee Beer Debuts Firstof Its Kind Indian Nonalcoholic Beer
Source: BevNET