Modern Indian Craft Beer Redefines UK Dining Pairings
Bunta Beer launches in the UK, introducing a low-alcohol Indian craft lager designed for spice-led cuisine, blending modern branding, sustainability innovation, and evolving consumer demand for mindful drinking experiences.
A new drinks brand is looking to change how Britain pairs beer with Indian food. Bunta Beer, launched by 27-year-old founder Gunikka Ahuja, positions itself as the UK’s first non-alcoholic Indian craft beer—designed specifically to complement the complexity and heat of spice-led dishes.
Now available at a curated selection of venues including Kricket, Aspen & Meursault, Vintopia Wine, East West Pizza and Londis N16, Bunta enters a market where Indian cuisine has rapidly evolved, but beer pairings have largely stood still. While restaurants have pushed boundaries with regional cooking and modern techniques, the drinks list has often defaulted to the same familiar lagers.
Ahuja saw this disconnect firsthand. Born in New Delhi and later working in textile innovation at Adidas, she began visiting London frequently and was struck by the mismatch between cutting-edge Indian food and uninspired beer options. “The food had evolved, but the beer hadn’t,” she says. “It felt harsh, overly bitter and heavy—completely at odds with the experience.”
Bunta Beer is her answer: a 0.5% ABV citrus lager crafted to refresh rather than overwhelm. Light, crisp and gently aromatic, it features notes of orange peel and coriander seed—ingredients that echo flavour compounds commonly found in Indian cooking. The result is a beer designed to cool the palate, cut through spice and enhance each bite, rather than compete with it.
The name “Bunta” draws on a nostalgic cultural reference. In North India, it refers to the marble used to seal traditional glass bottles of fizzy drinks like Banta soda, known for their bright citrus flavours and signature “pop.” For Ahuja, it’s a personal nod to childhood and a symbol of refreshment reimagined.
But the brand’s ambitions go beyond beer. Drawing on her background in textile technology, Ahuja is also developing Buntatex™—a biodegradable material made from brewing waste that will be used for packaging and merchandise. It signals a broader commitment to circular design and sustainability within the brand’s DNA.
Visually, Bunta deliberately breaks from traditional cues often associated with Indian brands. Its bold pink can, featuring a cartoon-style illustration inspired by Ahuja’s brother, reflects a new, global Indian identity—one that is culturally rooted but creatively unrestricted. “It’s about representing a generation that doesn’t feel the need to follow expectations,” she explains.
At its core, Bunta Beer is tapping into a wider cultural shift: a growing demand for thoughtful, low-alcohol options and a redefinition of how food and drink interact. Ahuja’s goal is clear—to make Bunta the default beer for Indian food, whether in high-end restaurants or at home.
As the UK’s dining scene continues to diversify, Bunta Beer is betting that what’s in the glass should evolve just as much as what’s on the plate.
