MOMO believes the UK is ready for a kombucha boom – but says quality and authenticity will be key to unlocking the category’s potential.
Remember the time when craft beer smashed the alcohol category wide open? Craft beer became huge because the drinks were so superior to what came before. Plus, the movement tapped into shoppers’ desire to support independents – and a wider feeling of fighting back against corporate giants. For many, it was like discovering beer again for the first time. Ultimately, it’s transformed the sector and shown beer-lovers what’s possible when you think, and drink, a little differently.
Right now, I think kombucha has the potential to do the same in the UK. As an alcohol alternative, it’s far superior to what’s currently out there. It still has the magic of fermentation that you get with beer and wine, and the complex flavour that develops, but none of the alcohol. From a broader soft drink perspective, consumers are increasingly looking to move away from high-sugar, mass-market soft drinks too.
Wider UK mega trends work in kombucha’s favour, like interest in gut health and the search for sophisticated alcohol alternatives. The category is well-established in Australia and New Zealand – two countries with very health-conscious consumers.
It’s interesting to compare timings with what’s happened in America. In craft beer, the US was ahead by a good 15–20 years: the likes of US brand Sam Adams started in the mid-eighties, with the UK relatively nowhere at the time. It wasn’t until 2007 that BrewDog – the brand that really started our craft beer explosion – launched over here. With kombucha, I believe it’s a comparable picture, with the drink probably two decades behind over this side of the pond.
“... unlike the US, the UK category has been dominated by brands that, in my opinion, are kombucha in name only. These brands are full of sweeteners and taste artificial. The US category, by contrast, was built with really authentic kombucha from the start.”
So, what are the barriers to the market catching alight in the UK? Well, my estimate is that sales here are growing an average 30% a year, albeit from a small customer base. UK customers can be rightfully sceptical of products that don’t deliver. And unlike the US, the UK category has been dominated by brands that, in my opinion, are kombucha in name only. These brands are full of sweeteners and taste artificial. The US category, by contrast, was built with really authentic kombucha from the start.
At MOMO, we’re determined to help kombucha really break through. This starts with focusing on producing the best-tasting and highest-quality kombucha we possibly can. We’ve always thought that if we achieve that, we’ve got a great chance of becoming the UK’s favourite kombucha. Secondly, we’re focused on building and growing our community. That means hosting free events for our fans, looking after and rewarding our consumers, creating exciting brand collaborations that make sense and bringing our community on the journey with us through quality content that tells our story. We’re also committed to building deep relationships with our customers. We’re so grateful when a customer chooses to support MOMO and we work hard to deliver a fantastic service to them.
Part of the journey is about switching up production too. This year we replaced our 3,000 glass fermentation jars with bespoke stainless steel vessels we created in-house. The move means huge efficiency and sustainability gains while also improving consistency of flavour. Plus, it removes the need to manually transfer up to four tonnes of kombucha a day.
I believe that the UK is ready. Now, with some hard work, I predict we can build craft beer-style category growth that lasts for decades to come.
By Josh Puddle, MOMO Kombucha