A husband-and-wife team, Living Goodness was founded by Peter Kearns and Fiona Dykes in 2015 upon their return from London. The brand specialises in fermented sauerkrauts and mouth-watering probiotic foods, all providing countless health benefits.
What is your company background, how did you start the business?
“Living Goodness is an artisan food company that creates a tasty range of fermented food products. When living in London, Peter suffered some significant gut health issues including pancreatitis and candida. Being a lover of food, he was keen to research alternative therapies to help heal himself and so began a journey into alkalizing his digestion and fermenting foods. Using Peter’s knowledge of fermentation and my project management skills, Living Goodness was born.”
Fiona Dykes and Peter Kearns
What are the current product range and variants and how do these products stand out in the market?
“At Living Goodness, we believe it’s easy to do something good for your health, and we have created a range of delicious raw Kimchi and sauerkrauts using flavoursome herbs and live friendly bacteria. There are six delicious flavours to suit every taste:
- Sassy Sauerkraut—a fermented cabbage with attitude, juniper berries, caraway seeds and a pinch of Himalayan salt designed for the true Kraut connoisseur;
- Sum Yum Kimchi—a Kiwi twist on a Korean recipe with chilli powder that will tingle your tummy and taste buds;
- Heartbeet Kraut—some purple love to add to any meal, this fermented cabbage and beetroot is tangy and tasty. We also have our Super Superkraut, with an abundance of super fermented cabbage, super kale and super seaweed.
Also included in our range is a delicious, raw, probiotic coleslaw Quick Draw Slaw that has all the favourites (carrot, cabbage, onion). To make things even more colourful, we’ve added celeriac, ginger, chilli, garlic, caraway and celery seeds. Not to forget is our Naked Sauerkraut, nothing but cabbage and Himalayan salt mixed for together for maximum live,
probiotic goodness.
Our products are fermented for up to eight weeks depending on the flavour, using Himalayan salt, a chicory pre-biotic and a Body Ecology probiotic culture. And it’s worth remembering that our products are raw and alive, they’re not shelf stable. A shelf stable sauerkraut, in fact, has been pasteurised, which kills all the good, friendly bacteria.”
Has there been any recent company news?
“Looking to expand, we searched Auckland for months to find new premises. We were based in a wonderful but part-time premises in Oratia, and nearly gave up. It was a real challenge, but finally we decided we had to build our kitchen, so scary as it was we created a specially designed factory for the art of our fermentation. We have a temperature-controlled fermentation room that allows us to maintain a consistent climate for optimum lactobacillus bacteria growth along with production and chiller areas. Now we’re about to kick off our marketing which will raise the profile of the brand and help with store sell-through of the product. We have a loyal following, but our marketing will have an educational element to ensure people know how to eat it for the best benefits.
Eating it frequently, for instance, is key to maximising the health benefits. Research into the benefits of balancing the bacteria in your gut or microbiome is increasing, and links between this and improvements in the immune system, bowels, moods and a number of health issues are being found.
What many people don’t realise is fermented foods are a live, tasty alternative to popping probiotic pills and they have the same benefits – to build up live friendly bacteria and help balance your digestive system. We’re passionate about providing Kiwis with a range of tasty live probiotic foods which, when eaten daily, can help keep them and their guts healthy.”
What are the plans for the business moving forward, is there any expansion on the horizon?
“We’ve been really excited by the reaction our customers and stores have been having to our range. The Sassy Sauerkraut and Sum Yum Kimchi are the biggest winners to date although Heartbeet Kraut and Quick Draw Slaw are coming in a quick second.
There are plans in the pipeline to expand our range, and we’re hoping to launch some new fermented food products in the next six months.”
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?
“Our products are currently sold in over 60 supermarkets and specialised food shops across the North Island, and we’re now in a number of stores on the South Island. Next, we’re gearing up to target the deli sections of supermarkets and would love to see at least two of our top products ranged here, especially the Sum Yum Kimchi.
Kraut really does rock, so if anyone would like to speak about our products, please get in touch and visit livinggoodness.co.nz.
