HerbPress wins the Innovation Smart Label Award at HOST Milano

The Smart Label – Host Innovation Award, promoted by Fiera Milano and Host Milano in collaboration with POLI.design and under the patronage of ADI – the Association for Industrial Design, has established itself in just eight editions as a global benchmark for innovation in the hospitality sector.

This year, the distinction was once again highlighted through the products recognised across three categories: Smart Label, for products with outstanding innovative features; Innovation Smart Label, for products that push beyond established trends, particularly through digital solutions; and Green Smart Label, for products demonstrating exceptional eco-sustainability.

The awards were judged by a panel of industry experts, chaired by Matteo O. Ingaramo, Associate Professor at the School of Design, Politecnico di Milano, with jurors including Venanzio Arquilla, Associate Professor at the School of Design, Politecnico di Milano; Vu Duy Phong, Chief Design Director at the De’Longhi Group; Markus Orthey, Design Director at Braun; and Giselle Chajin, Service Design Director at Tangity / NTT Data.

This year, HerbPress by Wilden Herbals was awarded in the Innovation Smart Label category, celebrating a breakthrough in how hot beverages are prepared and served.

Founded in 2018, Wilden Herbals is an Italian organic-certified company specializing in premium herbal infusions. The company combines contemporary taste with mindful wellness practices, reimagining the ritual of hot beverages for today’s consumers. After years of research and testing, Wilden Herbals has developed HerbPress, a patented technology that transforms standard professional coffee machines into efficient systems for brewing herbal teas and infusions.

HerbPress allows cafés, bars, and restaurants to serve perfectly extracted herbal beverages - “herbpressos” - in under a minute. Using a specialized filter and puck diffuser screen compatible with most major coffee machines, the system produces consistent, high-quality infusions without any mechanical modifications. The standardized brewing protocol - 5 seconds pre-infusion, 10 seconds pause, 45–60 seconds extraction at 94°C/9 bar - ensures that every cup of herbal tea delivers full aroma, flavor, and health benefits.

This innovation bridges the gap between traditional tea preparation and modern café service. HerbPress expands beverage offerings without extra equipment, creating new revenue streams and meeting the rising demand for caffeine-free alternatives. It even supports latte art with both dairy and plant-based milks, giving baristas new ways to showcase creativity while mastering herbal infusions.

Wilden Herbals has engineered five filter models to cover approximately 80% of professional coffee machines worldwide. After 71 tests with 43 unique blends, HerbPress is ready to revolutionize tea and herbal beverage service, offering speed, versatility, and cost efficiency while elevating the consumer experience.

Winning the Smart Label Award underscores HerbPress’s innovation: it simplifies tea and herbal infusion preparation, creates new market opportunities, and helps establishments maximize their existing equipment. With HerbPress, every cup becomes a premium, wellness-focused experience.