76ACTUALIDAD I NEWS How did Kombucha Republik come about, and why? Kombucha Republik was born from the desire to bring consumers a fermented, natural beverage with less sugar, made with real ingredients and no industrial additives. We saw that in Spain there was a lack of kombucha with a “gentler” flavor, less acidity, and less sugar, carefully crafted at every stage of fermentation, and we decided to create it ourselves. What are your strengths as a family business compared to large companies? As a family business, we control the entire process from start to finish: we choose the ingredients, oversee the fermentation, and can make quick decisions without depending on large structures. This allows us to maintain the product’s naturalness as our absolute priority, above scale or volume. As a disadvantage, perhaps we grow more slowly, but we prefer to do so without sacrificing quality; that is the premise of our project. Why did you decide to locate your plant in Burgos? We are from Burgos, which, besides being a wonderful city, offers numerous advantages, such as a highly competitive industrial sector with a large number of auxiliary companies and professionals in the food industry, as well as a strategic logistical location in the north-central part of the Iberian Peninsula, which facilitates distribution without losing proximity to the product’s origin. Are you implementing measures to promote sustainable production? Yes. We work with natural ingredients, optimize water and energy use in production, and have chosen aluminum as our packaging precisely because of its high recyclability: it’s a material that can be recycled indefinitely without losing quality, significantly reducing our environmental footprint compared to other formats. How is your kombucha made? We start with natural tea, sugar, and a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), which slowly ferments to develop its characteristic acidic and slightly effervescent notes. We don’t add any preservatives or artificial flavorings: all the flavor comes from the fermentation itself and the natural ingredients we use. Why did you choose a can as packaging? The aluminum can better protects the kombucha from light and oxygen, preserving its freshness and natural properties for longer. It’s also the packaging with the highest actual recycling rate in Spain, lightweight to transport, and perfectly aligned with our sustainability commitment. It’s very different packaging from other kombuchas, which use plastic or glass. It also stands out for its use of color. Which design studio did you work with? We worked with a small studio based in Argentina, led by two very talented young women, with whom we developed a visual identity that reflects the product’s vitality and naturalness through color, clearly differentiating ourselves from the sector’s traditional codes. Do you plan to expand the range with other products? Also in cans? Yes, we are working on new flavor varieties while always maintaining our natural base recipe. The can will continue to be our main format, consistent with our values of sustainability and recyclability. Do you think kombucha will become a permanent fixture on store shelves as a “refreshing and healthy beverage”? We believe so. The demand for more natural, lower-sugar, and functional beverages is increasing, and kombucha responds to this trend. Its consolidation will depend on brands maintaining the product’s authenticity and not transforming it into just another sugary drink. Where are your products available? Currently available in specialty stores, herbal shops, our own e-commerce platform, and local distributors. What are your upcoming projects? We continue working on expanding our presence at the point of sale, developing new flavors, and strengthening our commitment to sustainability throughout the entire production chain.
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