(Calder Valley, West Yorkshire)
Produce:
Kombucha
The story of Equinox Kombucha began in 2012 when founders Daniel Spayne and Laurie Mutch discovered the benefits of the health-giving fermented tea drink whilst travelling in Asia. They resolved to create their own and, on returning home the following year, the pair set up in a friend`s kitchen in Hebden Bridge and began brewing. Initially, they sold their Kombucha from the back of a “clapped out old camper van” at trade shows and local markets, but in 2014, they won an award for Best Vegan Drink at Vegfest, and a string of awards and accolades followed. From such humble beginnings, Equinox has gone on to become one of the most popular brands of Kombucha in the UK and now retails in seven countries in Northern Europe and Scandinavia.
The name Equinox represents the balance of light and dark, and the kombucha symbolizes the balance between body and mind. Equinox Kombucha is made from green tea, pure spring water, raw cane sugar and the kombucha culture, known as SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). This is allowed to ferment for a few weeks, turning the unique sweet tea recipe into a more sour, fermented tea packed with goodness.
The cultures are removed, the brew is filtered, and some fizz is added, before it is despatched. Customers have reported improved energy levels, better sleep and digestion. Equinox comes in six flavours and is organic, vegan, gluten free and unpasteurised.
However, the journey has not been without setbacks. Disaster struck on Boxing Day 2015 when severe floods hit the North of England and the team found themselves underwater, with computers and brewing equipment floating around in several feet of slimy sludge. Far from giving up, they, with the help of investors and their Kombucha community, ploughed on and set up their first official brewery site and bottling plant in 2016, and this remains the heart of this inspirational business to the present day. More awards have followed, as well as deals with major supermarkets and organic wholesalers such as Organic North.