Profile: Rooted Kombucha, Lisbon, Portugal
On a recent visit to Lisbon I was able to visit AMO Kombucha and OH-K! Kombucha. However, I ran out of time to meet with other brands. So, on my return to California, I made contact with Camila from Rooted Kombucha and we spoke on the phone about her business.
Wellness Coach
Camila Balbi was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and started brewing kombucha in her kitchen in Cascais, Portugal four years ago. It was while working as a health coach that she first discovered kombucha when researching auto-immune disease nutrition to assist her patients. It was love at first sip and from that day on she´s never stopped brewing.
After two years of home brewing, producing up to 200 liters at a time, she took the plunge into commercial production. Her factory in the Marvila district produces the bottles that are sold throughout Portugal. A distributor secured shelf-space in some of the larger stores and production doubled this summer. She notes the popularity of her kombucha among the increasing number of overseas visitors–both tourists and permanent residents– attracted to Portugal.
Camila is now looking for partners to invest in her growing business and take it to the next level. She’s looking into selling her kombucha on tap, as well as offering a range of fermented products.
Flavors
Rooted is a premium kombucha available in a variety of flavors including Orange Blossom, Lemon Ginger, Moroccan Mint, and Mango Passionfruit.
Podcast
To hear Camila tell the story of Rooted Kombucha in her own words, listen to the podcast.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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In December 2024 Camila posted to Instagram:
2024 was a deeply challenging year for me. In January, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life: to close my company, my baby, ROOTED KOMBUCHA. A project that I carried with so much love and dedication for 6 years, and that transformed not only my life, but also the lives of so many people.
It was a painful choice, but the right one. However, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t have to grieve this farewell. I allowed myself to feel everything I needed to truly let go: the sadness, the longing, the uncertainties… it was all part of the process.
To get through this moment, I needed to retreat, take care of myself and nourish myself, from the inside out. I learned that sometimes it is necessary to take a step back to realign ourselves with what makes sense and make room for the new.
Lessons I take with me:
* Grief is part of the cycle of ending something significant, and feeling it is an act of courage.
* Being at peace with our decisions is the greatest sign that we are on the right path.
* Nourishing myself is the first step to creating something new and true.
I still don’t know what 2025 has in store for me, but I know that I will enter it stronger, more aware and with a more open heart.