Australian canned kombucha brand launches in the UK
Kombucha specialist Remedy has become the first kombucha brand to be stocked in UK Tesco Superstores, with two of its best-selling drinks being rolled out across an initial 327 stores nationwide, as well as online at Tesco.com. Remedy Kombucha is a live cultured, unpasteurised kombucha that is naturally free from sugar, making it a great fit for Tesco which has committed to a 5% year-on-year reduction in sugar across its entire soft drinks range.
Remedy Kombucha will initially be available at Tesco in multipacks (4 x 330ml cans) and in two flavour options – Apple Crisp and Raspberry Lemonade – with an RRP of £5. It will be sold from the soft drinks aisle, enhancing Tesco customers’ choice of healthy drinks, with each can of Remedy containing just nine calories.
Remedy was founded in 2012 by Australian couple Sarah and Emmet Condon, who have gone from brewing kombucha on their kitchen counter at home to producing over 20 million litres of fermented drinks per year. “We started brewing kombucha for our family. We loved how the traditionally fermented drink tasted and also how it made us feel. We looked around and saw so many products on supermarket shelves claiming to be healthy, but they really weren’t. Rather than get frustrated, we saw it as a huge opportunity to make it right,” said co-founder Emmet Condon.
While it’s moved on from the kitchen counter, Remedy is still made the old-school way: in small batches, long-aged brewed for 30 days, raw and unpasteurised. Not only does this brew out all the sugar, but it also means Remedy is full of live cultures (‘good bacteria), with a 330ml can of Remedy containing 330 million live cultures. Remedy Kombucha also contains tea polyphenols, or antioxidants, and organic acids, the same kind produced by our gut bacteria to aid important body processes.
Remedy has enjoyed a meteoric rise in its home market of Australia, one of the most developed markets for kombucha in the world, with Remedy the clear leading brand with over 50% share of the kombucha category. A Remedy drink is reportedly sold in Australian supermarkets every three seconds. Remedy arrived in the UK in 2018 and has rapidly grown to be one of the leading brands here, stocked in Marks & Spencer, Holland & Barrett, Morrisons, Boots, Booths and Amazon. Remedy’s successful international expansion has also seen it launch into the US, Canada, Ireland, Singapore and the Philippines.
The kombucha market worldwide is growing rapidly, with the value expected to surpass USD 5 billion by 2025. In Europe, kombucha was worth nearly £180 million in 2019 and is expected to reach roughly £580 million by 2025, driven by increasing awareness of the dangers of sugary drinks and a general increased demand for functional beverages.
Emmet continued: “Receiving the backing of the UK’s largest supermarket chain marks a monumental occasion for Remedy and is something that we could never have anticipated when we first started brewing kombucha at home for our family and friends. We like to think that it also says a lot about the exceptional quality and taste of our products!
“We are thrilled that our partnership with Tesco expands the healthy drinks choices currently available to UK customers, and we remain committed to continuing to drive and pioneer the fermented drinks category, shaking up the fizzy drinks industry worldwide for good.”
For more information, visit: remedydrinks.com/uk.
