We discovered Kombucha towards the end of 2013 and it has been a steady love affair since then. Kombucha is relatively new in the UK marke...
We discovered Kombucha towards the end of 2013 and it has been a steady love affair since then. Kombucha is relatively new in the UK market and not many people have heard of it. For those of you who have not read my earlier posts on Kombucha, here is some information. Kombucha is a soft drink made by adding a live culture(called SCOBY) to sweetened green tea. The culture consumes the tea and sugar and creates Kombucha!
There are very few brands of Kombucha available in the UK and one of them is - Love Kombucha. Today we talk to Melanie - the founder, chief nurturer and brewer at Love Kombucha. She gets talking to us about how/why she set up Love Kombucha and her 4 children(the 4 flavours: Blueberry, Ginger, Original, and Ginger & Lime) that she cultivates.
DB: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
Melanie: I'm a 33 year old mother of one. I worked as an European recruiter within the technology industry for around 13 years and Started Love Kombucha in March 2013.
DB: How did you come up with the idea for Love Kombucha? What was the reason behind setting it up?
Melanie: I first heard about Kombucha through the Paleo / Primal food community. Its a way of eating that cuts out any processed foods, gluten, artificial sweeteners, sugar etc. Kombucha and other fermented foods are very popular in these circles and I was disappointed when I couldn't readily buy any in the UK (it's widely available in the US and many other European countries). So I started making it for myself, then friends and family were interested. The rest is history ;-). Starting Love Kombucha enabled me to do something I am really passionate about. It also enabled me the flexibility to spend more time with my 5 year old son. I definitely don't work less hours, they are just at a time that fits around life better.
DB: Any expansion plans for Love Kombucha in 2014?
Melanie: Absolutely. We are constantly scaling up production. Love Kombucha is relatively new, as is knowledge of Kombucha in the UK, so we anticipate that as more people learn about this awesome drink, more people will want to try it. Ultimately we want to break into the mainstream, and that means starting with the health conscious communities online, via farm stores, health food shops etc. Focusing on those who really appreciate real food and how putting good things into our bodies benefits us.
DB: Which is your favourite Love Kombucha flavour?
Melanie: My personal favourite is Ginger and Lime. I'm not a big fan of the taste of ginger on it's own, but something changes when the lime is added and it really comes alive. We are constantly trialling new flavours and plan to add a couple more in 2014. Current favourites that we have are Mango & Lime and Apple & Cinnamon. But they don't taste sweet as you'd expect. Our Kombucha has a very low sugar content, so even with the flavour of something sweeter, we don't add any sugar. so you get the essence of flavour, without the sweetness. It really has to be tried :)
For all those of you into skincare, Melanie also adds that the original (unflavoured) Kombucha can be applied directly to the skin. The antiseptic quality, the probiotics and organic acids work to balance the skin's pH; thereby giving a clearer complexion. It soaks in very quickly leaving no residue or scent. Love Kombucha are also currently trialling a more potent skin cream (all organic and natural) which can be applied to specific problem areas.
We tried out all the 4 flavours currently available from Love Kombucha. Compared to the other Kombucha drinks that we have sampled these ones were less fizzy and milder in taste. Mr. H felt it was more authentic and closer to the original drink. While I enjoyed Blueberry for its lovely taste and colour, Mr. H preferred the other 3 flavours, especially Ginger & Lime with its perfect blend of flavour and kick. If you are looking for a healthier alternative to a can of fizzy drink; then this one is for you. Perfect on its own and equally good in a cocktail. Give it a try.
Pricing: Each Love Kombucha bottle is 500ml and costs £3.45. You can return the bottles and receive £0.50 for each bottle returned. You can order online or check the list of retailers to find one near you.
Special Offer: Love Kombucha are doing a January detox sale with 15% off, so only £2.95 per bottle until 31st January 2014(order via the website). Love Kombucha also offer additional discount for orders over £20 and over £50 and deliver UK wide.
*PR sample
There are very few brands of Kombucha available in the UK and one of them is - Love Kombucha. Today we talk to Melanie - the founder, chief nurturer and brewer at Love Kombucha. She gets talking to us about how/why she set up Love Kombucha and her 4 children(the 4 flavours: Blueberry, Ginger, Original, and Ginger & Lime) that she cultivates.
DB: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
Melanie: I'm a 33 year old mother of one. I worked as an European recruiter within the technology industry for around 13 years and Started Love Kombucha in March 2013.
DB: How did you come up with the idea for Love Kombucha? What was the reason behind setting it up?
Melanie: I first heard about Kombucha through the Paleo / Primal food community. Its a way of eating that cuts out any processed foods, gluten, artificial sweeteners, sugar etc. Kombucha and other fermented foods are very popular in these circles and I was disappointed when I couldn't readily buy any in the UK (it's widely available in the US and many other European countries). So I started making it for myself, then friends and family were interested. The rest is history ;-). Starting Love Kombucha enabled me to do something I am really passionate about. It also enabled me the flexibility to spend more time with my 5 year old son. I definitely don't work less hours, they are just at a time that fits around life better.
DB: Any expansion plans for Love Kombucha in 2014?
Melanie: Absolutely. We are constantly scaling up production. Love Kombucha is relatively new, as is knowledge of Kombucha in the UK, so we anticipate that as more people learn about this awesome drink, more people will want to try it. Ultimately we want to break into the mainstream, and that means starting with the health conscious communities online, via farm stores, health food shops etc. Focusing on those who really appreciate real food and how putting good things into our bodies benefits us.
DB: Which is your favourite Love Kombucha flavour?
Melanie: My personal favourite is Ginger and Lime. I'm not a big fan of the taste of ginger on it's own, but something changes when the lime is added and it really comes alive. We are constantly trialling new flavours and plan to add a couple more in 2014. Current favourites that we have are Mango & Lime and Apple & Cinnamon. But they don't taste sweet as you'd expect. Our Kombucha has a very low sugar content, so even with the flavour of something sweeter, we don't add any sugar. so you get the essence of flavour, without the sweetness. It really has to be tried :)
For all those of you into skincare, Melanie also adds that the original (unflavoured) Kombucha can be applied directly to the skin. The antiseptic quality, the probiotics and organic acids work to balance the skin's pH; thereby giving a clearer complexion. It soaks in very quickly leaving no residue or scent. Love Kombucha are also currently trialling a more potent skin cream (all organic and natural) which can be applied to specific problem areas.
We tried out all the 4 flavours currently available from Love Kombucha. Compared to the other Kombucha drinks that we have sampled these ones were less fizzy and milder in taste. Mr. H felt it was more authentic and closer to the original drink. While I enjoyed Blueberry for its lovely taste and colour, Mr. H preferred the other 3 flavours, especially Ginger & Lime with its perfect blend of flavour and kick. If you are looking for a healthier alternative to a can of fizzy drink; then this one is for you. Perfect on its own and equally good in a cocktail. Give it a try.
Pricing: Each Love Kombucha bottle is 500ml and costs £3.45. You can return the bottles and receive £0.50 for each bottle returned. You can order online or check the list of retailers to find one near you.
Special Offer: Love Kombucha are doing a January detox sale with 15% off, so only £2.95 per bottle until 31st January 2014(order via the website). Love Kombucha also offer additional discount for orders over £20 and over £50 and deliver UK wide.
*PR sample
These sound interesting, I love ginger so would probably try that one. Yum!
ReplyDeleteHelen X
www.allthebeautifulthings.co.uk
The mango one sounds yummy! And I love the way that you can get money back through returning bottles.
ReplyDeleteLaura
www.maxandmummy.co.uk
these look and sound very tasty and refreshing
ReplyDelete