When his wife developed digestive issues in 2011, René Archer was teaching culinary classes on a regular basis at the Wise Cicada Café in Newmarket. Being part of the café and shop family, he was always keen to find new products. When Organic India’s Tulsi teas arrived he started playing with them and various fruit teas to create his kombucha.
Q: What is the brand story?
A: Rene’s Archer started making kombucha in 2011 for his own family in an effort to increase their pro-biotic food count. It went hand in hand with making brine pickles, sauerkraut, water kefir, Caspian Sea yoghurt, milk kefir, sourdough bread, and kvass. The Tulsi tea added a dimension to kombucha that we hadn’t experienced anywhere else.
Q: What is the current product range and variants and what makes these products stand out in the market?
A: There are currently two bottle sizes (glass, plastic optional), 750ml and 330ml, and four flavours: Red Berry, Pomegranate, Lemon & Ginger, Guarana & Açai (only in 330ml). They stand out through their unique tea formulas, utilising Tulsi tea (Holy Basil) and its specific floral character and herbal benefits. Another distinguishing quality is the mild and pleasant flavour achieved by the fermentation process and duration – it yields an only mildly acidic flavour in comparison to most other brands. Rene’s is still a truly artisan manufacturer, individually batch brewing teh drinks.
Q: What is innovative or unique about the product?
A: A brewed soft drink utilising a symbiotic probiotic culture. It is unpasteurised and not carbonated, yet creates its own fizz once bottled. It combines the experience of a soft drink with the benefits of a digestive tonic.
Q: Who is the consumer and what benefit does the product bring them?
A: Health conscious people, often parents.
Q: What consumer trend does the product support?
A: A growing awareness of and demand for probiotic and functional foods and beverages.
For more information please contact René Archer at rene.archner@gmail.com or call +64 027 555 1622
