Gut health Kombucha by Gut Feelings

My name is Hannah Taylor. I am 26 years old and I created Gut Feelings Kombucha in April 2019 after many months of trialling the product on my friends and family.

Kombucha is an effervescent, fermented tea created by using green tea and a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). The SCOBY feeds on the sugar and caffeine within the brew to produce beneficial bacteria and acids, leaving an end product that is fizzy, low sugar and contains substances that contribute towards gut health and, as a result, health body wide. Widespread research pinpoints the gut as the centre for health, as it is connected to so many aspects of the body’s function, including the brain. I believe that ensuring optimal gut function is the key to balanced health and a very accessible way to do this is through consuming fermented food and drinks.

I have a strong passion for using Organic and good quality ingredients in my Kombucha and enjoy experimenting with different fruit and herb combinations to add even more beneficial nutrients into the brew. I am currently in my final year of studying Naturopathic Nutrition so I am able to take a lot of inspiration from the knowledge that I am gaining about the different benefits of certain foods. The two go hand in hand and I feel the further I get into my studies the more passionate I become about the business as I can understand and explain the mechanisms behind the benefits of introducing healthier habits into your life.

I also have a passion for low waste living. I run the business using a low waste model where I buy all of my produce in large bulk. I nag all of

my suppliers to ensure they send everything as recyclable as possible, which has resulted in one of my suppliers sending parcels with no plastic and even paper tape is used! The Kombucha production creates very little waste. I currently set up Refill Stations, in local cafes and zero waste shops; I convert small second-hand fridges to have taps on top so that people can come and buy an empty bottle and refill as and when they please - creating zero waste. I have been running on this model since the beginning and I am just about to launch a small bottle range in February 2021. So far, the Refill Station design has been successful but I feel it is necessary to adapt the business to allow Kombucha to be more accessible. Introducing the small bottles, which are refillable, will allow those who are unsure to have a taste before investing in a larger bottle. My big goal is to get Kombucha into a larger audience through supplying to convenience shops and hopefully one day supermarkets to show that there are options other than sugar packed fizzy drinks. Making one small change can lead to you

thinking much more about your health and what you put in your body.

I was inspired to create this business after living in New Zealand where I became amazed by a company producing Kombucha. I had never heard of it before and soon became obsessed with how great it made me feel. On my return back home, I began delving into creating fermented goods of many kinds including Kombucha and Kefir. After many attempts I finally started producing a drink that was actually palatable. I started to give it out to friends and family to see if I was onto something. At this point, the word Kombucha meant absolutely nothing to a lot of people in this part of Scotland and I cannot explain how many different ways I have heard the word being pronounced! Kombucha has now become a very popular alternative to alcohol and sugar filled fizzy drinks. After receiving very promising feedback from my trusty guinea pigs I decided to create a business from it. This was started from my home kitchen using the funds gathered from small sales to friends over many months. I managed to get certified after a very long road of sending product samples away for testing and learning the ins and outs of how to be completely in control of every aspect of this kind of business. The business took off quicker than I ever could have dreamed thanks to local businesses being keen to take a risk on a new and locally made product. After 9 months of trading I moved into the professional kitchen that I now work from which, once again, is more than I could have ever imagined.

Once qualified in June I hope to use my Naturopathic Nutrition qualification in conjunction with this business and expand the service from Kombucha to one on one consultations and group workshops on how to create and maintain optimal health.

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