Profile: Booch & Brew, Altrincham, England
Since this profile was posed, Booch & Brew has rebranded as Hip Pop.
Home town kombucha #3
This is third in a series of posts featuring kombucha companies based in North-West England. I’m surveying the kombucha scene in the part of England where I grew up, before I left for college, and, eventually, to emigrate to California.
So far I’ve posted an interview with Mark Young of Brew Loka in Manchester and hosted a guest posting by Sabia and Andrew of OMbucha in Wilmslow.
In this profile and podcast I speak with Emma, the founder of Booch & Brew located on the outskirts of Manchester. Stay tuned for more profiles of kombucha brewers in the region.
Booch & Brew
Booch & Brew are based on a working farm in the grounds of the Dunham Massey National Trust property — a 17th English country house which boasts a deer park, the largest winter garden in Britain, and, now, the largest kombucha brewery in Greater Manchester.
While only a half-hour from the vibrant city center, owners Emma and Kenny have established their two-year-old brewery in the heart of the English countryside.
Rapid Growth
Emma and her husband Julian spent some years in the Richmond, Virginia area. While there, they came across fermented foods including kombucha. Back in the UK, they started brewing in their garage, moving from glass bottles to 100, 200 and then 300-liter containers. A year ago they built a micro-brewery in the Manor House Farm and now have eight 1,200 liter fermentation tanks. They distribute around Greater Manchester and as far afield as Bristol and Bath in the South-West.
Northern Powerhouse
Emma is keenly aware that kombucha is currently more popular in London and southern England than in the North-West. She’s pleased whenever she can introduce someone to her beverage — many have no idea that a fermented food can taste so nice.
As well as retail sales, they offered classes so people in the area can learn how to make their own kombucha at home. As development in northern Britain accelerates, Booch & Brew are playing their part in expanding the power of the north, one sip at a time.
Fun video
Booch & Brew feature Emma in a fun video on their home page, highlighting three important elements to their kombucha: Flavor, Health, and Versatility. As an alternative to sugar-laden soda the video shows that, without a doubt, their kombucha is anything but a drag!
Flavors
In addition to a standard selection of Original, Ginger Lemon, Mango, and Strawberry Mint, they offer seasonal flavors including a Dry Hopped blend, and a new “Fairy Wings” variety made from Green Sencha and Chun Mee Tea sourced from world-class tea shop LEAF in Liverpool (which I visited back in 2018).
Podcast
To hear Emma tell the Booch & Brew story, including the reason they chose a butterfly as their logo, click on the podcast below.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | Pandora | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS
Emma wrote an great article in Beverage Daily highlighting the versatility and health benefits of kombucha as a low alcohol/no alcohol alternative in the market.
Hip Pop is profiled as a use case by Canadian aluminum can supplier Cask
Hip Pop Shattered Growth Barriers with Bundled Solutions to Scale Rapidly
2x production Capacity. 7,500 Points of Distribution.
About Hip Pop
Founder Emma and Kenny incepted these gut-healthy probiotic drinks to serve as a soda alternative with immense health benefits. Hip Pop Drinks popularity at local farmers markets compelled them to formalize their brand and scale production. After sweeping success throughout retail chains and Amazon, they have grown their team and brand significantly. Hip Pop was named “Top Product Launch” in 2023 by leading UK food & drink publication, The Grocer.
The Challenge
After securing a contract with a major grocery chain, they moved into a new facility to increase production. However, their existing canning system couldn’t keep up with the volume, forcing them to shut down online orders, including Amazon, to prioritize their grocery contracts. Despite their growth, Hip Pop found themselves struggling to scale efficiently, with overworked staff and operational bottlenecks that threatened their ability to meet demand and capitalize on new opportunities. Hip Pop needed to find a scalable, flexible solution to quickly ramp production without overburdening their team or their business. Maintaining the status quo was not an option, as missed sales opportunities and overstretched resources were hurting their business.
The Solution
Hip Pop turned to Cask for a holistic solution that would enable them to scale up operations efficiently, without straining resources or compromising quality. Cask proposed a bundled Equipment, Can Supply & Service offering, which included:
The Results
Cask is the only canning system manufacturer in the world that also has a direct can supply relationship with Ball Corporation enables a whole suite of creative commercial options that can be incredibly attractive for a growing beverage brand.
With a reliable supply of cans and canning equipment that can scale as they grow, Hip Pop positioned themselves to continue expanding into new markets without the fear of hitting operational limits. Their new ACS FleX2 allowed Hip Pop to double production, meet the grocery chain’s demands, and reopen their online and Amazon stores. Hip Pop built a scalable production model that can adjust to increasing demand, ensuring they stay agile and responsive to new opportunities.