Tesco says kombucha is set to go mainstream in 2024
Tesco is predicting that probiotic drink kombucha is set to go mainstream this year.
Popularly known as ‘booch’, the drink contains live bacteria which is said to maintain good gut health.
The supermarket said that current interest in gut health has boosted sales of other probiotic foods such as kefir, kimchi and miso. Tesco now includes kombucha as part of its Clubcard Meal Deal following a 65% increase in sales of the drink in the last two years.
Tesco drinks buyer Emilia Riant explained: “Although it’s been around for more than 2000 years, kombucha has only recently become popular in the UK as a result of growing interest in probiotics and hydration in general.
“Since lockdown, there has been a general uplift in shoppers looking for functional food and drink so Tesco decided to make kombucha available as part of our Clubcard Meal Deal which has helped boost sales.”
One of the biggest players in the kombucha world is Australian business, Remedy Drinks. The company began trading in the UK in 2019 and now has a 36% share of the kombucha market.
Remedy Drinks commercial director Ian Hadley said: “The really important part of our mission to establish Kombucha here in the UK has been to transform its image from purely being a drink aimed at the health market to an everyday thirst quencher that has zero sugar, has less than five calories per can and tastes great.
“We’ve done that by launching different funky flavours and Tesco has helped widen that appeal by having including our Wild Berry and Raspberry Lemonade flavours as part of its Clubcard Meal Deal.”
