Blog Review: Equinox Kombucha, Hebden Bridge, Yorks, UK

Working down our list of Kombucha blogs (on the left) we’ve arrived at Equinox Kombucha, located in the scenic Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge. This incredibly beautiful part of the British Isles has been named the best small market town in the country. It’s a mecca for independent retailers and a fitting home for a kombucha brewery.

This review picks up where our notes from last October’s kombucha-fueled tour of England and Scotland left off. We’d spotted bottles of Equinox for sale at Waitrose in our report on Kombucha in the UK, sadly absent from East Cheshire. It’s nice to see that shops in Sandbach and Alsager now stock it!

Stats

Blogging since: Sep 29, 2016
Last Updated: Jan 16, 2019
Posting Frequency: 3-10 times/month
Post Length:  300-2,000 words
Aesthetic Appeal: Well-designed, clean and clear.
Graphics: Gorgeous photos complement each and every blog posting.
Categories: None.
Comments allowed:  Yes (once Disqus terms of service are agreed to).
Alexa.com global traffic ranking: 4,212,282
Social Media:  They have 3,203 followers on Twitter and have tweeted over 2,300 times since they joined in May 2012. Their 1,094 posts on Instagram have attracted nearly 18,000 followers. Their Facebook page has 9,318 followers.

Food & Drink

Even more than Brew Dr. who we’d noted as having a strong focus on food pairings and cocktails, the Equinox blog celebrates the many ways their kombucha goes with a variety of food and drink.

They offer dozens of great recipes for foods that go well with kombucha. From Asian noodles and Italian calzone, to fruit smoothies and cleansing elixirs for the new year.

Tofish and Chips

We were intrigued by their plant-based take on a classic British recipe. The tofu wedges are sandwiched between a ‘skin’ of nori for the full-on fish effect. This is paired with their Original Kombucha to compliment the crisp flavors. It’s open for discussion whether this tastes better when wrapped newspaper!

Cleansing

‘Tis the season to cleanse our systems after holiday indulgences. Equinox offer a wide range of options: cleansing green soup with ginger ‘booch; celery, orange and ginger detox juice; new year immune makeover; and much more.

Cocktails/Mocktails

They indulge us with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic recipes for mixed drinks. The Pimms cup is particularly British. Their pink gin and berry ‘booch sparkler appeals to those who ignore Hogarth’s warning. On the sober side of the street, there’s a whole range of mocktails such as this Christmas cardamon treat.

History lesson

It’s not all food and drink, the Equinox blog discusses the organic credentials of their ‘booch and how this supports sustainability:

Being certified with the Soil Association means that when you buy our kombucha, you can be certain that we know exactly where each ingredient has come from. It means that you know what you’re buying is a genuinely organic product and that we can trace each ingredient back to the farm.

They review the history of kombucha and claim that in the 1960’s (when GT Dave was still a twinkle in his Mum’s eye) kombucha was popular in California:

During the swinging sixties, especially in California, households would brew kombucha and then pass the scoby along to friends to grow their own. It was called groovy tea back in the day! 

This is news to me. In the 40 years I’ve lived in California this is the time I’ve heard of it. The 60’s were fueled by LSD-laced Merry Prankster Electric Kool-Aid and a whole lot of peppermint tea, but “groovy tea”? Really? I’d love to see a source of this claim. Anyone?

In Summary

Equinox have a blog that other kombucha brewers would do well to review. They offer creative ways to pair their ‘booch with foods, mix healthful smoothies, indulgent cocktails, and offer news and views on fermented foods and more.

Hurrah for Hebden Bridge!