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.
Blighty Booch’s award-winning Ginger Kombucha is Certified Organic and registered with the Vegan Society. It costs £38 for a case of 12 x 330ml bottles and is available from health food shops, delis and farm shops and online from www.blightybooch.com.
What the Great Taste Awards judges said:
- A golden cloudy apple colour and a robust ginger aroma. A delicate fizz greets your palate and is immediately followed by a wonderfully balanced combination of heat from the ginger, astringency from the tea and a delicate fruitiness and lovely, restrained sweetness. The perfect level of gentle carbonation makes this an utterly delightful and refreshing drink that would be beautiful chilled.
- A lovely effervescence from the fermentation, a tartness from the tea which then follows through with the warmth of the ginger. This is a really fine example of what a Kombucha should be.
- Warm ginger notes on the nose. Delicate flavours of the tea, which work harmoniously with that of the bolder ginger. We applaud the natural carbonation. A refreshingly delicious drink.
- Wonderful, clean, fresh, enticing aroma, excellent bitter notes complemented by the warmth of the ginger, and a fresh clean finish on the palate.
- A good, warming, gingery aroma with some citrussy notes. Very lively in the mouth with a great level of carbonation. Sweetness levels are excellent – keeping the drink refreshing and slightly savoury.
About Blighty Booch
Blighty Booch Kombucha is available in a range of flavours including Ginger, Nettle & Rosehip, Cherry and Original. Registered with the Vegan Society, it is suitable for vegans and also for coeliacs.
Visit: blightybooch.com
