When making kombucha started taking over the home of Alex Campbell and his wife Amber, they decided it was time for a new chapter in life and started their business Goodbuzz. The couple chatted with the team about new flavours, health benefits and expanding production.
What is your company background, how did you start the business?
“It was a position working in Wellington for a Silicon Valley software company that brought my family and me back to New Zealand just a few years ago. My wife Amber, a certified personal trainer and a former massage therapist, had been making kombucha, a fermented fizzy beverage made from sweet tea and a culture for family and friends. I left my job, and we both went in full time to launch Goodbuzz, sharing a facility in Wainuiomata.”
What are the current product range and variants and how do these products stand out in the market?
“Currently, there are six flavours available for sale online as well as stockists in all parts of the country. We’ve found that folks enjoy what is offered due to the low amount of sugar in each drink, others like the health benefits that come from a probiotic drink that is living, and other folks have shared they like having one of our brews when out with friends because they don’t feel the pressure to have a beer or cocktail in their hand. We are in the process of both fair trade and organic certification.”
Has there been any recent company news?
“We launched our newest flavour a few months ago, Coffee Kombucha.”
What are the plans for the business moving forward, is there any expansion on the horizon?
“We are currently securing investment in order to expand production and enter into more retailers by this coming summer. We were running out of product weekly over summer and autumn, and we outgrew our current facility. We are looking at large fermentation tanks similar to that of a beer microbrewery and using a contract bottler.”
Where are your products currently available to buy, and are you looking at or wanting to expand your availability? If so, where would you like to see the product situated?
“Right now about 60 percent of our retailers are cafes and a handful of restaurants and bars. We also stock most Bin Inn stores, many organic and health food stores, and a small number of supermarkets including Moore Wilsons. Once production has increased, we plan on expanding into both Foodstuffs and Progressive supermarkets. We are constantly being asked by our consumers which supermarkets we stock, with many telling us that they would like multi-packs to enjoy regularly and at home. The message is that kombucha is the preferred drink of choice for a growing number of people, but convenience is the current obstacle.”
