Kombucha brand Fix8 has moved into water kefir with the launch of a trio of no-added sugar flavours.
Ambient cans and chilled bottles in Peach & Mango, Raspberry Lemonade and Grapefruit & Elderflower are to hit Waitrose stores later this month (rsp: from £2.75/330ml).
The drinks, which are exclusive to Waitrose until early 2026, contain no added sugar without the use of artificial sweeteners.
They were “brimming with probiotics, raw, unpasteurised and naturally fermented with fruit juice” said Fix8.
The NPD is a first innovation beyond kombucha for Fix8 since its launch in 2018.
The extension into water kefir would help Fix8 “tap new occasions and missions” while also attracting shoppers that found kombucha “polarising”, the brand claimed.
The new drinks would also offer “a dairy-free fizzy drink to customers who might be lactose intolerant but want the benefits of kefir”, it added.
“This launch represents a strategic play for Fix8 and the category,” said Fix8 founder Freya Twigden. “We believe functional and fermented soft drinks have huge potential.
“Our Fix8 Water Kefir offers a lighter, more approachable route into gut health, and we’re proud to be the first UK brand to make it accessible at a grocery retail level, with both chilled and ambient formats.”
Sales of functional and better-for-you drinks in Waitrose were up by 80% in the last 12 months, said the retailer’s soft drinks buyer Matthew Blake.
Waitrose was responding to the trend with new brands and “a number of new sub-categories including water kefir”, he said.
“Fix8 has been an integral part of our growth over the last 3 years as we’ve developed our functional drinks range and we’re delighted to be able to launch a range of exclusive water kefirs with them,” he added.
Fix8’s kombucha range is also stocked in retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Ocado.
The brand is forecasting its revenues to grow by 115% in 2025, following growth of 144% last year.
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