From cottage industry to certified B Corp: the story of MOMO Kombucha’s stellar success
MOMO Kombucha creates certified organic kombucha using natural methods from its New Covent Garden Market brewery. The growing team’s mission is to produce the best tasting and highest quality kombucha, which is achieved by using organic ingredients, including a blend of the finest teas and slow pressed organic juice. It is brewed in glass bottles, in small batches, and left completely unfiltered to offer the maximum health impact.
Kombucha, or fermented tea, has been around for thousands of years. When properly brewed it is a delicious, slightly fizzy and refreshing soft drink that is low in sugar and naturally contains probiotics and healthy organic acids. It is made using four simple ingredients: tea, water, sugar and a SCOBY, which is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. During fermentation, the yeast consumes sugar and produces alcohol, then the bacteria consume this alcohol to produce the acids that give kombucha its tangy flavor.
Celebrating its fifth birthday in 2023, MOMO has enjoyed considerable success to date. Founders, Lisa and Josh Puddle, fell in love with the kombucha brewing process and have taken the business from their kitchen in Southeast London to over 7000 square feet of space at New Covent Garden Market. Josh left his job in equity analysis for Berenberg Bank and PwC, and Lisa left her role in fashion marketing for Net a Porter, ASOS, Prada and Urban Outfitters, to dedicate themselves to brewing the ultimate kombucha.
A strong summer in 2023 saw MOMO hit record volumes of 20,000 bottles sold per week in September. In October, the brand hit a run rate revenue of more than £2 million. The team has increased from being a husband and wife led kitchen business to now being 15 strong.
MOMO has raised £1.5 million in investment from several angel investors including the founder of Planet Organic and Brixton Brewery and is targeting EBITDA breakeven next year on £2.5 million revenue.
Award-winning flavors
MOMO’s Elderflower is the number one bestselling soft drink on Ocado this year. From herbal medicine to cakes and cordials, people have been obsessed with elderflower for centuries. The company’s Ginger-Lemon flavor is number two and Raspberry-Hibiscus takes the number four spot. MOMO also makes its Turmeric product. The old-fashioned brewing process brings out turmeric’s deliciously earthy flavor, which is followed up with a hint of pineapple juice.
All of MOMO’s core range of kombuchas are Great Taste Award-winning. The most popular is Ginger Lemon. Some ingredients just work magic together and ginger is to kombucha what salt is to dark chocolate. Ginger Lemon is a staple that’s ideal as a morning pick-me-up. Alternatively, its Raspberry-Hibiscus product is sophisticated in profile and beautifully pink, thanks to a hint of organic crushed raspberry and plenty of hibiscus. The result is deeply hued and richly flavored, making it an excellent alcohol alternative.
As the highest scoring B Corp kombucha brand in Europe, MOMO has undertaken additional initiatives to improve its positive social and environmental impact. The company is proud to be a London Living Wage employer, certified organic by the Soil Association, and since its launch, has pledged to donate one percent of revenues to charitable causes. The organizations it has supported include Future Dreams, a breast cancer charity; Crisis, the UK national charity working to end homelessness; YoungMinds, the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s mental health, and Ol Pejeta, a Kenyan conservancy that provides sanctuary for local wildlife and invests in rural communities.
MOMO’s brand strength has led to partnerships with the likes of GANNI, Natoora, and Caravan Coffee Roasters; having launched Coffee Kombucha with Caravan in spring 2023, and Watermelon Kombucha with Natoora in the summer. There are more special collaborations planned for the coming months.
Homemade health
Co-Founder, Josh Puddle says: “Starting MOMO was our way of living healthier, more connected lives. From the beginning we’ve made kombucha the old-fashioned, homemade way: in a small glass jar. It means we’re able to produce the tastiest and highest quality kombucha, which we brew and bottle from our London brewery. Over the next five years our ambition is to become the UK’s favorite kombucha and we are well on our way to being that due to our homemade production process and dedication to authenticity.”
MOMO’s raw and unfiltered kombucha is full of live cultures which support gut health and aid digestion. Kombucha also naturally contains acetic acid, which is great for boosting energy and lowering blood sugar levels. As kombucha is brewed from tea, it’s also full of antioxidants.
Among its fans, MOMO counts bestselling cookbook author and chef Melissa Hemsley, as well as gut health expert Tim Spector, who espouses the four Ks: kombucha, kefir, kraut and kimchi. Tim is a big fan of MOMO and took time out to visit the brewery in person to champion kombucha made with maximum health benefits.
“MOMO is completely unfiltered for a fuller depth of flavor and always organic, making it better for you and better for the environment. It’s not easy making kombucha this way,” Lisa concludes, “but we know it’s worth it. We hope you’ll think so too.”