News / Kombucha
‘Side project’ kombucha brand eyes major expansion with crowdfunder
A kombucha brand that began as a side project in a garage during the pandemic is now eyeing major expansion through a crowdfunder.
James Bayliss-Smith, a winemaker behind Nania’s Vineyard, found himself with surplus wine stock to sell during lockdown.
Taking bottles to Whiteladies Road Farmers’ Market, he decided to bring along something else to fill the table, kombucha he had been brewing at home, poured into repurposed champagne bottles and sold without labels.
The rest, as they say, is history. What started as an accompaniment quickly became the main attraction, as customers returned for the raw, unfiltered kombucha varieties.
Bayliss-Smith shifted his focus solely to kombucha and rebranded the new venture as Nania’s Wildbrew Kombucha.
Now based in Easton, behind Arbor Ales brewery, the brand has grown steadily, but its current setup relies on old refrigerators that are far from energy efficient.
The business recently secured a carbon reduction grant from the West of England Combined Authority, covering 40 per cent of the cost of upgrading its facilities.
Bayliss-Smith plans to install a walk-in refrigerator and a dedicated fermentation room for storing live cultures. To fund the remaining costs, he has launched a crowdfunder with the aim of raising £9,000.
James Bayliss-Smith’s kombucha venture began from a garage in Montpelier during the pandemic
Already a third of the way to the target, he said: “I want to build this business up, and I’ve been really fortunate to receive a grant from the West of England Combined Authority. It’s a carbon reduction grant, which is helping to fund a walk-in fermentation room and a walk-in fridge.
“All of my kombucha has to be refrigerated because it’s live, so that infrastructure is essential. I’m currently working out how to cover the remaining costs.”
The crowdfunder also acts as a pre-sale for new collaborative flavours. Bayliss-Smith has teamed up with several other local food and drink businesses, including Wogan Coffee (green coffee beans), Bristol Fungarium (organic fungi), Arbor Ales (malted barley) and MasterChef winner Ping Coombes for a lychee-inspired creation.
Bayliss-Smith has teamed up with several other local food and drink businesses for the pre-sale, including Wogan Coffee
Bayliss-Smith added that the new facility would be a “win-win”, with the walk-in fridge set to significantly slash carbon emissions while allowing him to grow the business to produce more barrel-fermented “delicious drinks”.
All photos: Nania
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