MOMO launches forced rhubarb kombucha

South London based husband and wife team, MOMO Kombucha, create Great Taste Award winning kombucha using natural methods; 30th January ‘24 sees the New Covent Garden Market based brewery launch a new, hyper-seasonal, limited-edition Tomlinson’s Forced Rhubarb Kombucha (RRP from £4.50 per 330ml glass bottle) in collaboration with Natoora.

A little bit sweet, a little bit tart, and totally delicious, forced rhubarb and MOMO’s unfiltered kombucha is the perfect combination. This tasty new flavour uses forced rhubarb from Robert Tomlinson, one of only 12 producers left in Yorkshire’s “Rhubarb Triangle” still practicing this age-old technique. The rhubarb is grown outside for two years, before being uprooted and brought indoors to a forcing shed where it is grown in darkness and warmth. This process makes the rhubarb grow quickly, as it searches for light – hence the name “forced”.

The harvesting process is the most magical part of all. To avoid exposure to light, which would kickstart photosynthesis and take sugar from the stalks to the leaves, the rhubarb is harvested by candlelight by Robert and his wife Paula. After harvesting, the rhubarb was transported down to London to be freshly juiced by the MOMO team. The result? A delicate yet delicious new flavour which MOMO know you’re going to love.

“It’s a huge honour to partner with Natoora, an inspiring organisation which exists to fix the food system by sourcing radically seasonal produce from small-scale growers,” said Co-Founder Josh Puddle. “With a shared commitment to quality and artistry, Natoora and MOMO are natural partners.”

10p from every bottle sold will be donated to Natoora’s Farm Fund, which supports young farmers who are committed to agroecological methods. Their goal is to raise up the next generation of growers and address climate change.

WHAT IS KOMBUCHA?

Kombucha, or fermented tea, has been around thousands of years. When properly brewed it is a delicious, slightly fizzy and refreshing soft drink that is low in sugar and naturally contains probiotics and healthy organic acids. Kombucha is made using four simple ingredients: tea, water, sugar and a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). During fermentation, the yeasts consume the sugar and produce alcohol, then the bacteria consume this alcohol to produce the acids that give kombucha its tangy flavour. MOMO’s raw and unfiltered kombucha is full of live cultures which support gut health and aid digestion. Kombucha also naturally contains acetic acid, which is great for boosting energy and lowering blood sugar levels; as kombucha is brewed from tea, it’s also full of antioxidants.

MOMO tested numerous combinations of tea as its base, before settling on the current blend, which uses three types of organic, loose-leaf tea: a delicate sencha, delicious and rich assam and a deep, earthy pu-erh, which is a rare, fermented tea from China.