An innovative new Welsh Kombucha brand has scooped gold in this year’s prestigious Great Taste Awards, the ‘Oscars’ of the food world.
Blighty Booch Organic Ginger Kombucha has won three Gold Stars, the highest accolade possible, in the world’s largest blind-tasted food awards. Judges called it “an utterly delightful and refreshing drink” and “a fine example of what a Kombucha should be”.
Established in 1994, The Great Taste is the largest and most trusted accreditation scheme for speciality and find food and drink.
This year 12,777 products were blind-tasted by panels of specialists including top chefs, cookery writers, food critics, restaurateurs and fine food retailers. Only 1.6% of entrants (205) achieved a 3-star award, putting Blighty Booch Kombucha Organic Ginger amongst the elite.
It will now be considered for a Great Taste Golden Fork Award, which recognises the best of the best regionally and internationally, later this year.
Blighty Booch and Blighty Brew Organic Tea brands were launched by Mark Pavey and Alana Tyson, founders of Conwy Kombucha Ltd in North Wales in 2019. Alana developed the artwork with a fellow North Wales artist and illustrator Elly Strigner.
A naturally sparkling organic fermented tea, Kombucha is the fastest-growing market in the functional beverage industry. The industry is projected to reach a global value of $6.2 billion by 2026.
Global demand for organic and authentic Kombucha is soaring due to the varied health benefits associated with it, including its natural vitamins and minerals and its probiotic qualities.
Mark said: “We’re absolutely delighted to win three Gold Stars for our Blighty Booch Organic Ginger, especially as it’s the first time we have ever entered the awards.
“We take great care in making the highest quality Kombucha, blending in small, slow batches the finest organic whole leaf and bud tea we have sourced from the high mountains of Hunan China. We are lucky to have our beautiful Welsh water, organic Brazilian sugar and live heirloom Kombucha culture to add to it.
“Making it is a complex skilled process and we see our authentic brand as the Champagne of Kombucha which maximises the abundant goodness of nature.”
Mark was first introduced to live refrigerated Kombucha while living in Canada and was intrigued by its taste, its health benefits and the complex skilled process it takes to make it.
The couple are now looking to grow their listings across the UK including targeting national outlets such as Co-op, Planet Organic and Waitrose.
Mark and Alana are also working closely with the Future Foods Programme at Aberystwyth University who are investigating the beneficial health-giving and wellness properties of Kombucha and other functional foods in humans.
The Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme for rapidly expanding companies is also supporting the company.
