Over the past year, the low and no alcohol drinks market has skyrocketed, with many consumers now opting for non-alcoholic, low in sugar and healthy soft drink options.
Meet the Hip Pop team: Kenny, Julian, Aimi and Emma
Manchester-based kombucha company, Hip Pop, are at the forefront of this trend Co-Founders Kenny Goodman and Emma Thackray started making kombucha from Emma’s garage, and this has blossomed into a flourishing business. Earlier this year, the team built a customised “booch bunker” on a farm in Dunham Massey in Greater Manchester, where the healthy soft drinks are now made by Emma’s husband and Chief Brewer, Julian Jarvis.
Emma caught the booch bug whilst living in Virginia, USA, and began homebrewing copious volumes of kombucha for her young family. Kenny’s passion for kombucha began as a result of gut health issues. And so the business idea for a kombucha company was born, so that the good gut stuff can be shared with as many people as possible.
What is Kombucha
For those of you that haven’t heard of kombucha before, it’s fermented tea that originated in Asia. Legend has it that that a Korean called Dr Kombu, the Chinese emperor’s personal doctor, produced the drink as an elixir to improve the emperor’s health.
The drink itself is made with loose green and black tea, cane sugar and a SCOBY,a ‘Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast that is left to ferment. The yeast and bacteria metabolise the sugar, creating a drink that’s alive and brim full of super healthy organic acids
Award winning booch
In August 2019, the homegrown Manchester based kombucha company won its first award. A Great Taste Award was awarded to the brand’s Lemon & Ginger flavour booch. The drink charmed the judges who described the drink as being “delightfully refreshing”!
If you haven’t heard of kombucha before and would like to give it a try, you can purchase a case of Kombucha online or head to the Hip Pop website for more information.
