Andrew Warburton has been named one of BC Business’s Top 30 Under 30.
The 22-year-old is the founder of the BC business Peak Beverage, which can be found on store shelves across the province.
“It was pretty exciting,” said Warburton. “I’ve been following the 30 under 30 since a young age, especially in Prince George. Prince George did a 40 under 40 probably 10 years ago, and I remember following that. I’ve always kind of looked up to the 30 under 30 list. I’ve always wanted to be on it one day. It’s exciting to finally make it — childhood dreams kind of come true.”
Warburton began his entrepreneurial career with a lemonade stand in Prince George. Seventeen years later, he has scaled his operations significantly.
He got the idea for Peak after moving to Summerland and noticing the lack of craft-style non-alcoholic drinks.
“After moving down here, everyone’s bragging about the wineries, the cideries and the distilleries, and the quality of all their products,” said Warburton. “There was no one doing the same thing with non-alcoholic beverages. I saw a gap. I thought it would be cool if people who don’t drink, or people who are underage, could enjoy a high-quality beverage with the same commitment as the wineries, distilleries and cideries.”
Peak Beverage’s very first location was in Warburton’s converted garage. However, his business quickly grew, and in 2024, he partnered with a co-packer to expand production fivefold.
“It was quite overwhelming,” said Warburton. “There were a lot of steps I didn’t take into consideration, a lot of learning as I went. Going from handling everything myself to working with a co-manufacturer was a big change. It’s a lot more industrial. I was still able to keep my finger on the pulse of everything, but it’s definitely on a larger scale. There were a lot of different aspects I hadn’t dealt with before. It was definitely a challenge.”
Warburton told The Citizen that one of the highlights of his journey as the founder of Peak Beverage was seeing it available on store shelves.
“The highlight of seeing it grow was starting to see it on restaurant menus and on store shelves,” said Warburton. “When people start talking about it, you get these surreal moments, especially when you’re standing in a grocery store looking at a shelf and thinking, ‘I created this from start to finish.’”
One of the key lessons Warburton took from his 17 years in Prince George is the sense of community. He still aims to bring that feeling to his company and his products.
“There are a lot of good memories,” said Warburton. “I did some photography for Cold Snap for a few years. I worked at the farmers' market for a while, volunteered at the Crisis Centre, and was able to see the community Prince George has. I think that was pretty cool. I also worked for Betulla Burning. Working at a small, farm-focused restaurant helped me in that aspect, seeing how to bring the taste of local products and how much support comes from the community.”
The future of Peak Beverage under Warburton’s leadership looks bright. He is considering introducing an unsweetened version of his product and expanding its reach to new markets, including Prince George. He hopes to see Peak Beverage products on shelves in his hometown before summer begins.
