Yvonne and the team at Pura Vida Organics handcraft kombucha with locally sourced organic ingredients, many of which are from their very own garden or locally foraged. Raw and without the intervention of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives kombucha makes a great beverage at anytime. We sat down (with a glass or kombucha, of course) to unpack the year and dive into the future with Yvonne.
In a few words, tell us how 2021 has been for you and the business. (spare the expletives, ha!)
2021, whoa what a year, started out ok and then boom! Delta walks in the door. We lost a lot of business with the closing of shops for some businesses and no markets to serve. It was a chance to work on our online shop and at the same time look after our wholesale customers who could still operate. Your Food Collective in particular being Your Food Collective who have supported us the whole way through. Online business was the way to go and with the support of businesses such as YFC this is what helped pull us through.
What's on your Christmas wish-list?
A holiday! Really looking forward to a few days rest and lots of time with family.
Where will you be spending Christmas day?
On the South Coast at Bawley Point and Ulladulla where we have family.
Who will you be sharing the day with?
My husband's family who live in Bawley Point, a small coastal village known for its surfing and beautiful beaches, and also my parents (Yvonne) live in Ulladulla in an apartment with an amazing view that overlooks Ulladulla harbour.
Favourite Christmas tradition.
Seafood! The tradition is a roast meat-cooked lunch, followed by a pudding of a traditional, passed down generations recipe. And a glass or two of sparkling of course!
Favourite Christmas food/ drink.
Roast leg ham and porkwashed down with bubbles. Kombuchais always on the table as an aperitif, refresher, and great option for everyone.
Tell us about your amazing product(s), and what makes them extra special at Christmas time?
We have been brewing kombucha since 2016. We follow traditional brewing methods that have been practiced since the famous legend of kombucha, Emperor Qin Shi Huang (221-206 BCE) in China. Claimed at the time as the "Tea of Immortality". Kombucha is a great one to have around at Christmas time as it helps to balance the gut. With all the indulgence it's good to have an equalizer that will help digestion and detox the body. We love to have kombucha bottles on the Christmas table as a refreshing drink, for an alcohol-free option and a great, low sugar drink for the kids.
What's your food philosophy at Christmas time?
Source your food locally, is the grower/farmer ethical eg. grass-fed meat, sustainable seafood farming and as fresh as possible. Limit waste eg. Don't overindulge and have too much food on the table, compost green waste, seafood waste can also be composted though only in small batches if you have or know of someone with chickens they love it!
What’s coming up in your business for 2022? Let us know about any new products you are working on
We are looking to improve on where we source our ingredients from to be more sustainable and of ethical practices, for example, packaging and location (km to our address). Also, we will be looking to hold workshops to educate our community on gut health and why including fermented foods in your diet are important - stay tuned!
What are you looking forward to over the summer?
Getting out in the sunshine and a tan haha!! Summer brings warm days and this is a good time for kombucha. Our Mint Kombucha is so refreshing on a hot day and one to pack going to the beach :)
