A small business owner has scooped up a national award for his health and well-being work across South Wales.
Fed Podeschi, a qualified naturopath from Swansea, where his cleverly named business ‘NaturAlly Fed’ is also based, is celebrating after winning the prestigious accolade.
Fed has been crowned the Health and Well-being Specialist of the Year in the Cardiff and South Wales Prestige Awards.
The Corporate Livewire Cardiff & South Wales Prestige Awards recognise small and medium-sized businesses that have proven to be the best in their market.
NaturAlly Fed works to improve people’s health and wellbeing through naturopathy – a natural plant-based approach to nutrition and treatment of illnesses or conditions.
Started just 3.5 years ago, the business has grown thanks to the support of businesses and clients across South Wales, who opted for the local products over big national brands.
As well as offering an online-health clinic providing personalised plans, health and well-being courses and coaching programmes to help people manage and improve health and wellbeing naturally, the company produces the health drink Kombucha.
Kombucha is a fermented green tea drink containing live cultures, which has been used for centuries for its probiotic and health properties, proven to improve gut, immune and overall heath. However, regardless of the many studies which have been carried out about the drink, in Europe there are still restrictions to use the term “probiotic” on most drinks.
Fed, who says he didn’t even like Kombucha when he first started his business, spent years perfecting his brewing methods and flavours, and now makes eight flavours.
“Friends told me about it whilst on holiday in Miami and there were fridges with lots of brands over there! But despite trying it, I just couldn’t get to grips with the concept of bacteria – the live gut-friendly cultures in the drink – going into me!
“It was only when I started studying naturopathy that I read about it and decided to try making it myself because of the amazing health benefits I researched. I then tried many recipes, until one magical day a particular brew ended up tasting like cider – I thought – I can totally drink this!
“Soon friends and colleagues were asking to buy a bottle until Fed was approached by Brontosaurus – a Swansea-based vegan business – who was looking for a local brewer. I decided to take the plunge and filled 100 bottles – that sold out in a week! I was gobsmacked.”
NaturAlly Fed went on to sell 10,000 bottles in its first year, and 30,000 in the second, before receiving support from the Welsh Government, via Business Wales, and projects supporting small local businesses.
“I am absolutely thrilled to have scooped this award. Collecting accolades is not a primary focus of my business, helping people to feel better is all that matters to me. But the support of other businesses and recognition for my product is certainly nice to have and shows we are doing something right and will keep doing that!”
And this week, Fed is celebrating further with the launch of his Natural Health Lab – an online portal packed with free resources to support clients during these challenging times to improve their nutrition, health, fitness, mindset and personal development.
Client, Louise Evans, said: “Kombucha is gaining popularity, so you might visit a health store and try a bottle – let me stop you there, because that experience might put you off.
“NaturAlly Fed Kombucha tastes wonderful. I tried it and thought “yes, that’s what all the fuss is about!” I’ve tried a lot of Fed’s flavours and enjoyed every one of them.”
