Three flavours of So Good Kombucha were each subject to a technique called tandem mass spectronomy analysis at the labs belonging to NeoVos, which is based in Morley, just outside the city.
The tests were looking to measure the levels of acetate and lactate, both of which are key ingredients which add to the health benefits of kombucha, an ancient Chinese recipe which is made by fermenting tea and sugar with a culture of bacteria and yeasts – known as a SCOBY.
Lactate – or lactic acid – is beneficial because it is linked with boosting people’s immune system, while acetate, which is most commonly known as acetic acid and is found in vinegar, is believed to help reduce blood sugars, promote weight loss and control blood pressure.
The test results showed good consistency across all three flavours tested – strawberry and basil, elderflower mojito and gingerlicious – for lactate, with an average concentration of at 0.0102 grams per litre across the range, as well as for acetate, which averaged 2.027g/L for all three flavours.
Lesley founded So Good Kombucha as a social venture three years ago and it is now sold all over the county, thanks to the different range of flavours and growing awareness of the health benefits of the drink.
These were underlined by NeoVos’ report conclusion, which stated the recommended acetate levels in kombucha should be between and 0.5g/L and 2.5g/L, meaning Lesley’s 2.027g/L score is “informative and give confidence of good manufacturing practices and recipe design.”
It added: “This also puts So Good Kombucha at the more potent end of the spectrum which maximises value for money and health benefits of this product.”
Lesley, who also took an Advanced Gut test – and received a 10/10 score for the functioning of her gut bacteria – said: “I am delighted with the results and very grateful to NeoVos for analysing my So Good Kombucha. As with any product that is marketed as a healthy choice, I am always careful to ensure that any claim I make is backed up with evidence, so it’s wonderful to learn that the acetate levels in particular are so healthy.”
NeoVos, which is operated by SureScreen Scientifics, offers a range of health tests, including Vitamin D tests and Omega 3, and a range of gut health tests, which use cutting-edge laboratory analysis to find out what bacteria are present and what chemicals they are producing in the all-important microbiome – the unique population of bacteria that each of us has living inside our large intestines.
Troy Whyte, managing director of NeoVos said: “I am a huge fan of kombucha and drink it regularly because of the benefits that it has on my microbiome.
“Both lactate and acetate are indicators of the health benefits of kombucha, while the acetate has an effect on the flavour, so these tests give information for both quality control and for research and development for the product range.
“Everyone who follows a typical Western diet should incorporate more fermented products into their daily intake. They are strongly linked with good gut health, which is vital for both our physical and mental wellbeing.”
For more information visit www.neovos.com
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What happens when 50,000 apples get rejected by a customer due to over ordering the product? It could either go to waste...or if you are super creative you put out a post on LinkedIn with the idea to collaborate with another drinks brand...and that's how (through a great prompt by the wonderful Rachel from the Swap Shop) and found ourselves talking with the team from Flawsome on how we can use their juices to create a wonderful new Kombucha blend. Flawsome!
One of our key brand mission is to do everything we can to be Good to our planet and this absolutely falls within what we are super passionate about.
After some recipe testing and a quick turnaround we have managed to save nearly all of the apples with our new kombucha flavour:
APPLEMARY! (Wonky apples + rosemary)
We're so excited about this flavour and hope that you will enjoy it too!
This is just one way we take action everyday to transform how we consume and manage the Earth and its resources. #worldenvironmentalday #savetherejected #nofoodwaste
We asked Lesley a few questions on the collaboration so we hope this answers any questions you might have.
Q: Lesley, why did you choose to work with Flawsome! Drinks?
A: We had known about the good work that Flawsome Drinks is doing for quite some time now, so when we heard about their mission to rescue 50,000 of apples from hitting landfill – we were immediately on board to help. Our united brand mission to do good for people and the planet resonated, so we felt passionate about helping.
Q:How does Flawsome! Apple juice compare to others?
A: After tasting the juice we were floored by the taste and qualities of these rescued apples. We wanted to create a special blend that would ENHANCE, not DISTRACT, from the wonderful natural taste of the sweet and tangy apples.
Q: How do you create kombucha with apple juice?
A: Our process starts with our first fermentation, where we add our secret family kombucha SCOBY with a special blend of organic green & black teas and raw cane sugar. As the sugar is consumed and gut-friendly bacteria count increases, we ferment it again for the second time using the Flawsome apple juices – no additional sugar added. The sweetness of the apples works perfectly with our family recipe.
Q: Why this flavour combination?
A: We experimented with a dozen or so flavour combinations, but the winner that really jumped out was an Apple and Rosemary blend – with the rosemary being picked fresh from our garden being used in our second fermentation process. We didn’t use just ordinary dried rosemary, but picked fresh, green, young rosemary shoots that really give it that subtle yet fragrant scent – perfect in rounding off the naturally sweet and tangy flavours of this amazing Flawsome apple juice!
Q: How do I store it?
A: Once you receive your products put them in the fridge right away. They taste best cold but also this slows down the fermentation process of the kombucha. Don’t worry if they arrive a little fizzy and with sediments, this is normal - but do make sure to consume before the best-before date and try to drink it fresh where possible! Our kombucha is raw and pasteurised and therefore living and will continue to ferment in bottle!
Q: Where can I buy it?
A: We’re so excited to be collaborating with our new friends on this amazing new AppleMary flavour, which you can now purchase from our shop.
Huge thanks to our team and to our new friends from Flawsome! for allowing us to use their amazing apple juices for this collaberation!
]]>We wanted to let you know that we have recently experienced an issue with a manufacturing defect in a small number of our glass bottles. In very rare cases, pressure build up within the bottles has led to the bottom of the glass bottles dropping off / shattering.
We wanted to let you know this so that if you had purchased bottles and had kept it in the fridge all this time it would be best to ensure that: 1) all bottles are being refrigerated below 5C at all times, 2) bottles are not being kept past best-before date and, 3) you are very careful when opening the bottles in case they are very fizzy (e.g. burp the bottles carefully before opening the cap).
As you know, our drinks are unpasteurised and unfiltered which means that they are living and packed full of gut-friendly bacteria. Keeping the kombucha refrigerated at all times below 5C effectively slows down the fermentation process – but it does continue to ferment in bottle, which is what makes our drinks fizzy.
We are working to continually tweak our recipe to slow down the in-bottle fermentation in process. However, please do try to drink the kombucha fresh where possible and be careful when opening (in case it’s fizzy!).
Please always consume drinks before the expiry date!
We’re a small business and learning through growing pains – thank you so much in advance for your understanding and support.
Many Thanks,
The So Good Kombucha Team
]]>Buying Local is so good for so many reasons. At So Good kombucha we are always grateful to our customers for buying from us; going local and small, proving that local business are just as reliable and high quality as larger chains.
Here are just 5 of the reasons why you should be buying local:
By buying local you can put some love (and money) in to local businesses allowing them to grow and prosper. But it isn’t just the businesses themselves that benefit, other local services also benefit as local business are far more likely to access other local utilities such as markets and local tradesmen meaning the wealth is spread through the local economy. A study done by Visa estimated that for every £10 spent, over a third stayed in the local area.
As local businesses expand and grow, they are able to higher more employees in all sorts of fields. Having local employees gives the business a better ability to know and become more actively engaged in the community. Creating jobs in the local economy also allows organisations like the JobCentre to work with companies more closely, guaranteeing jobs for those who need them. For example, So Good Kombucha is working with the East Midlands Chamber to support the Kickstart Scheme, which allows us to employ marginalised members of our community.
Shopping local allows you to create a relationship with the owner. With local businesses often being small, this means they’ll go out of their way to retain customers through excellent and personalised service. So Good Kombucha has a great network of partners within Derby area and we love working with local businesses whom we know are doing great things for the community.
Many local businesses are becoming more dedicated to reducing waste as much as possible, as a local business this is both better for the environment. Also, by using local produce and buying from local producers, perishable items like fresh fruit and veg need to spend less time on the road, reducing food miles. Fresh foods are often more widely shipped by air, creating up to 50 times more pollution than transport by sea. By working locally, So Good Kombucha has established green bottle return centres which allows us to reuse glass bottles and reduce our environmental impact.
Many local businesses, including ourselves, often donate to local charities and give back to the community that helps us to grow and thrive. Giving back to charities is our way of supporting the community that supports us, as well as allows people who need help get access to it. In 2020, small businesses donated over £890,000!
Want to explore more food and drink in the Derbyshire region? We would recommend local bloggers such as Molly’s blog here which is full of insights on local businesses!
Fermentation has been an effective way of preserving foods for thousands of years, with the first evidence dating around 7000 BC in what was Neolithic China (!). During the fermentation process microorganisms like yeast and bacteria convert carbohydrates such as sugar and starch into alcohol and acids. These in term act as preservatives and gives the fermented foods and drinks a distinctive tanginess as a result. Well-known fermented foods include kimchi, cheese, sauerkract, yogurt, and of course – kombucha!
So why are fermented foods “So Good”?
There are a number of reasons, but the gist of it is that a variety of beneficial bacteria (known as probiotics) are present in fermented foods, which helps to restore the balance of bacteria in your gut. This is why it is commonly believed that probiotics can help with alleviating IBS symptoms such as bloating and gas, as well as help with general digestive problems (1). Higher microbiome diversity is considered good for your health in many other ways as well, these include:
Apart from Kombucha, our favourite fermented food has got to be the spicy and appetising culinary marvel that is KIMCHI ! Living in the centre of the UK (Derby) – it isn’t easy to get access to traditional Korean recipe ingredients such as fermented fish and squid. However, HAVE NO FEAR – today I’m going to show you a recipe that is super easy and you can make almost anywhere. Most impressively this kimchi even tastes yummy straight away (fresh)and gets increasingly delicious as it further ferments in your fridge, It’s also not super smelly and is OK even in a shared refrigerator. It might be the most potent and traditional recipe – but I think it’s the best recipe because it’s pretty much the easiest and most accessible kimchi making method I’ve ever come across.
Ingredients:
Process:
Fresh kimchi is delicious so you can have some straight away! Pack the rest in the jar tightly and leave it out for a day of 2 in room temperature to help kickstart the fermentation process – then put it into a fridge or cold storage - use until it’s gone!
Comment below to tell me how yours went!
Enjoy 😊
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One of the most frequently asked questions amongst kombucha homebrewers when they are just starting out is: IS THAT MOULD!? |
We get it! It's scary! In reality this very very rarely happens as Kombucha cultures naturally have antimicrobial properties. However, in some circumstances where the kombucha culture has not been given a chance to grow and thrive, for example if you are just starting out your homebrew with nothing apart from a blob of SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria & yeast)...then it can happen :( |
First things first - if you DO find mould growing in your kombucha jar - THROW IT OUT and thoroughly clean and sterilise all of your equipment! Do not risk further cross-contamination - or worse - health risks by trying to salvage the SCOBY. It's simply not worth it! |
How can you tell if it's mould? The SCOBY is a funny looking thing, and the yeast underneath it in particular can look a bit scary. But one thing is certain: it's not mould unless it is DRY. If you shine a light on it and it's glossy/wet - it's not mould. Mould is always dry (therefore it has to be at the top not underneath the starter liquid), and most of the time it's a bit furry and almost always grow in circular clusters. |
Healthy SCOBY can have holes in it, and have green bits in it (often it's bits of tea or yeast), and grow in lumps. Unless it's dry - it's not mould!
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Occasionally though, you can have a pot of kombucha contaminated with Kahm yeast. It's got a matte finish and smells very yeasty (google it!) - it's not unsafe to consume but unfortunately it will mess with the taste of the kombucha so you are better off throwing that out and starting again as well :(. |
SO...what are the 5 top tips to ensure that you won't get any mould in your kombucha?! |
1. Make sure there's enough starter liquid in your tea + sugar + starter blend so that the PH level of the blend is below 4. If you don't have a PH meter you can buy some PH testing strips online for a few quid - worth investing in for your peace of mind! As a rule of thumb your starter volume should be at least 10% of the volume of your final blend to ensure that the PH level is low enough such that it creates an environment where no mould could grow! As your SCOBY grows it's a good idea to "wet" the top surface every now and then with a sterilised spoon to ensure that it doesn't dry out. |
2. Check that there is sufficient airflow! The fermentation process requires oxygen so to ensure that your SCOBY is happy and healthy it's best to put it somewhere where there is good airflow. However, do not put your kombucha brew near house plants to avoid airborne contamination! |
3. Keep your brew warm in the winter - good temperature to aim for is around 25-26 C (degrees Celsius). This keeps your SCOBY nice and happy :) |
4. Ensure that your equipment, kitchen environment, and hands are thoroughly clean and sterile through the brewing process! Distilled vinegar is a good cleaning agent - but please do not use raw vinegar or your brew can get contaminated with vinegar eels (!!!) |
5. Scale up SLOWLY ! If you don't have enough starter, then start with a smaller jar to ensure that your PH level is low. A SCOBY will form and you can use that (and the starter) to brew a bigger jar of kombucha. |
So there it is - happy brewing! I hope that helps. A reminder - if you have followed all these advice and still find that pesky mould in your kombucha - do NOT try to salvage your brew! Throw it out and start again...it's certainly not worth getting ill over! Please also be aware that under the homebrew environment kombucha can contain quite high levels of alcohol so please be careful and consult with your GP before consuming if you are pregnant, breast-feeding, or alcohol intolerant in any way. Finally, if you have any questions about whether or not your brew is mouldy - feel free to email and send us some pictures at hello@sogoodkombucha.com we'd love to hear from you! |
If you are going to grab a fizzy drink today, chances are it won't be doing you any good – it’s probably got sugar, sweeteners or alcohol and made by a massive corporation.
Cue a fresh new alternative to your fizz : Kombucha!
But wait - is kombucha just a new health fad?
Not at all! Naturally sparkling and slightly tangy, kombucha is actually an ancient fermented tea with origins thought to go back over 2000 years to Chin dynasty China (220 BC). Dubbed the “Elixir of Life” for its many health benefits, legend has it that a Korean doctor named Kombu brought the tea (or “cha”) to Japan in AD 414 where it was credited as the cure of digestive problems of the king. Reports of its consumption in East Russia was recorded as early as the 1900s, where word of its health benefits spread its usage to Western Europe.
Kombucha’s popularity soared in North America, Europe, and Australia in the 21st century as increasing health-conscious consumers look for a wellness alternative to alcoholic drinks or high-sugar fizzy drinks.
In its essence, kombucha is a fermented tea made by adding a "symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast" (known as the SCOBY) to a solution of tea and raw cane sugar. During the fermentation process, the culture metabolises the sweet tea components to create a naturally carbonated beverage full of healthy components like B vitamins, acetic acids, antioxidants, enzymes, and very low trace amounts of alcohol and sugar. Commercial kombucha contains less than 0.5% alcohol (and homebrew likely to be more!) - however if you are pregnant, breast-feeding, or alcohol intolerant it is recommended that you should contact your GP before consuming.
1. Kombucha is potentially a good source of probiotics
Kombucha is rich in tea polyphenols and acetic acids, both of which are known antimicrobials able to kill and fight a range of harmful bacteria and microbes (1). This suggests that it may help prevent infections by killing the harmful bacteria that cause them - though more human trials are necessary to confirm the hypothesis. (2)
3. Kombucha shares the same health benefits as green tea and is rich in antioxidants
Kombucha is fermented green tea - one of the healthiest beverages in the world. Studies show that regular consumption can increase calorie burn, reduce belly fat, improve cholesterol levels, and regulate blood sugar levels (3). It is also rich in powerful antioxidants which helps to fight free radicals which are reactive molecules that can damage human cells and cause cancer (4, 5, 6).
4. Kombucha may reduce risk of heart, pancreatic and liver disease
Studies done in a laboratory with mice show that kombucha can greatly improve two markers of heart disease, “bad” LDL and “good” HDL cholesterol, in a time period of less than 30 days (7, 8). Green tea protects LDL cholesterol particles from oxidation, which is thought to contribute to heart disease (9, 10, 11). This is supported by studies which show that green tea drinkers have up to a 31% lower risk of developing heart disease, a benefit that may also apply to kombucha (12, 13).
In addition, animal studies consistently find that drinking kombucha regularly reduces liver toxicity caused by toxic chemicals, in some cases by at least 70% (14, 15). Kombucha is packed with bacterial acids and enzymes, thus there is some evidence that suggests that drinking it regularly also helps to decrease the workload and ease the burden on our pancreas and liver.
5. Kombucha may help manage type 2 diabetes
A study in diabetic rats found that kombucha slowed down the digestion of carbs, which reduced blood sugar levels. It also improved liver and kidney function (16).
6. Kombucha may help protect against cancer
In lab studies, kombucha showed promising signs of being able to support the prevention and growth / spread of cancerous cells due to its high concentration of tea polyphenols and antioxidants (17, 18). Further studies in this area are required, but it is thought that tea polyphenols block gene mutation and growth of cancer cells while also promoting cancer cell death (19), and there is also evidence that green tea drinkers have reduced risk of prostate, breast and colon cancers (20, 21).
7. Kombucha is known to have loads more other benefits!
Kombucha-lovers credit the drink with helping to fight arthritis & other degenerative diseases, as well as detoxify the body, boost energy levels / mental health, increase metabolism, rebuild connective tissue, and reduce headaches / migraines. A more thorough summary of all the possible health benefits of kombucha may be found in this Medical News Today article
You can make it yourself at home. However, be sure to prepare it properly as homemade kombucha can run the risk of getting contaminated or over-fermented which can result in high alcohol content (22, 23, 24). The safer option is to purchase an authentic commercial product - but make sure that it is raw and unfiltered so that it retains the maximum probiotic benefits!
What's So special about "So Good Kombucha"?
So Good Kombucha is authentically handcrafted in Derbyshire. It is never filtered nor pasteurised in order to maximise the living, gut-loving, friendly bacteria in every sip.
We brew the most delicious and healthy kombucha possible using the So family recipe and 100% natural, organic, vegan-friendly ingredients. Our drinks are naturally fizzy, low-in-sugar, non-alcoholic, kosher, and halal friendly. We believe that a good fizzy drink can be both tasty and healthy; and that a Good business is one that cares for our planet and local community.
Learn more about how we do Good, and join the #sogoodmovement
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