Best kombuchas in the UK reviewed
Here we will give a hands-on review some of the UK’s most popular kombuchas, including ones from M&S, Equinox, Lo Bros, Pret, Remedy, No. 1 Living and more.
Kombucha has become popular for gut health and general health because of the probiotics, postbiotics and tea, usually green tea, that it contains.
Types of kombucha
Commercial kombuchas often (but not always) fit into two categories:
Real-ingredient kombuchas: This means that if the kombucha is a raspberry flavour that real raspberries in some form (eg juice, concentrate or puree) have been used rather than just raspberry flavouring (natural or otherwise). I tend to see these as more authentic and natural, and more similar to traditional homemade kombucha. The downside is that they usually have more calories
Low-calorie kombuchas: These tend to use natural flavourings rather than real ingredients and can rely on using sweeteners for taste. I find they often have a flavour with less depth and I prefer not to consume sweeteners, whether natural or not (more on this below). However, the advantage is that these kombuchas are very low in sugar
And of course some kombuchas use a combination of real ingredients and flavourings.
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No. 1 Living kombucha
Score: 4.25 stars out of 5
This is an organic kombucha so it’s all natural.
The main aspect of this kombucha that I love (and it is unfortunately rare these days) is that it is made with real ingredients, not flavourings. It contains real ginger juice and turmeric as well as black pepper to help absorb the turmeric. And these ingredients provide real health benefits (see end of article).
The aroma is mainly of ginger.
The taste is a nice, refreshing ginger with the turmeric coming through only slightly. And the real ingredients give the flavour a nice depth.
The carbonation is very light (far less than others reviewed here especially the Lo Bros).
It is on the higher end of calories for a kombucha with 17 calories per 100ml. However, this is still under half what a normal a soft drink would have.
The main issue is that they don’t specify what probiotic strains are included or the quantity.
I bought it for around £2 in a big Sainsburys.
Summary
4.25 stars out of 5.
A nice organic kombucha, made with real ingredients, but lacking information on the probiotics included.
Pros
organic
real ingredients with health benefits
no sweeteners
Cons
on the higher end of calories for a kombucha
no information on the probiotics
Equinox organic kombuca
Score: 4.25 stars out of 5
This kombucha is made with green tea and being organic it is all natural.
It includes no sweeteners and derives its flavour from natural flavourings and some real ingredients like elderflower, raspberry leaf, nettle leaf and rosehip.
The bacteria strain is Bacillus Subtilis and there are 3 billion of them in the can. This strain is commonly found in fermented foods and probiotic supplements.
The smell is a nice raspberry aroma.
The taste is very pleasant mostly of raspberry but with some elderflower coming through also.
It’s light carbonation is spot on and it is very refreshing.
It has 18 calories per 100ml.
The 250ml bottle is available from Coop for £1.65.
Summary
4.25 stars out of 5.
A great price for a good, refreshing and organic kombucha.
Pros
great taste
organic
no sweeteners
some real ingredients (along with natural flavourings)
Cons
just one bacteria strain
more calories than others
Pret kombucha
Score: 4.25 stars out of 5
This kombucha is organic and is uniquely made with sencha tea.
It also includes stem ginger and dried turmeric.
The aroma is strongly of ginger with some turmeric coming through.
The taste is more strongly of tea than other kombuchas reviewed here - likely because it is made with sencha tea. There’s a mild background of ginger and the turmeric isn’t really perceptible. I would like more ginger, but the overall sweetish tea flavour is really nice ultimately.
The carbonation is nice and low.
It has 18 calories per 100ml.
There is no information given on the probiotic strains included.
I bought it for around £3 in Pret - which is quite high for a 250ml can.
Summary
4.25 stars out of 5.
A nice sencha tea kombucha with a distinctive taste. But lacking details of probiotic strains included.
Pros
real ingredients
organic
unique flavour
Cons
no details on probiotics
expensive
LA Brewery kombucha
Score: 3.75 stars out of 5
This kombucha contains green and black teas.
And it is made with real ginger and lemon juice. However, there’s no information on the form of ginger used (ie whether it is stem ginger or ginger juice) or percentage of ginger used - the ingredients list merely says ‘Ginger’. As we’ll see below, I suspect the percentage of ginger is quite low.
The aroma is subtle ginger and lemon.
The taste is nice and refreshing but the ginger and lemon flavours are quite weak. It’s like sparkling water that’s been infused with a bit of lemon and ginger. I’d definitely like more of a ginger kick.
The carbonation is on the higher end of good. Any higher would get into burp territory.
It has 18 calories per 100ml. This feels a little high considering the weakness of flavour.
There is no information given on the probiotic strains included.
I bought it for around £3 in Leon.
Summary
3.75 stars out of 5.
A refreshing kombucha with real ingredients, but ultimately lacking flavour and details of probiotic strains included.
Pros
real ingredients
refreshing
Cons
no details on probiotics
lacking depth of flavouring considering the higher calories
Lo Bros kombucha
Score: 3.5 stars out of 5
This kombucha contains green and black teas.
The main selling point of this kombucha is that it is very low in calories. It contains under 3 calories per 100ml, which is 6 times less than others reviewed here.
However, the trade off for this is that it does contain the natural sweeteners erythritol and stevia. These are both considered safe but given how in recent years artificial sweeteners have been shown to negatively affect gut microbe composition, I’d prefer to avoid sweeteners altogether to be on the safe side. This is a personal choice though and essentially a trade off between some sugar (which is not good) and natural sweeteners (which may or may not be shown to be unhealthy in future).
The aroma is like bubblegum, with a sort of fake fruit vibe.
The taste is nice and of blueberry. However, considering these is no real fruit ingredients (just natural flavours) there is little depth to the flavour.
The carbonation is a little high and the burps build up a bit.
There is no information given on the probiotic strains included.
The kombucha also includes a prebiotic in the form of acacia fibre - this is essentially food for the microbes in your gut.
It also includes apple cider vinegar which has various health benefits.
I bought it for around £2 in a big Sainsburys.
Summary
3.5 stars out of 5.
A low calorie kombucha with a nice enough taste which includes prebiotics and apple cider vinegar. It does include natural sweeteners though which may put off some people.
Pros
low calories
prebiotics
apple cider vinegar
Cons
taste is lacking depth
slightly overly carbonated
includes natural sweeteners (if that bothers you)
no information on probiotics strain
Remedy kombucha
Score: 2.5 stars out of 5
This is a low-calorie kombucha which contains a mixture of real ingredients and flavourings. It contains 2% ginger juice, but also natural ginger flavouring. It also contains lemon juice.
Like Lo Bros, it also includes the natural sweeteners erythritol and stevia which may bother some people.
It is made with green and black teas.
The aroma is a strong mix of ginger and lemon with a slight unappealing funkiness.
The taste is rather weak and underwhelming with only a little ginger and lemon coming through. It’s also not as refreshing or bright as others reviewed here.
The carbonation is slightly too high with burbs building up.
It doesn’t specify what bacteria strains are included.
On the plus side, it only has 3 calories per 100ml.
It’s a 250ml can and sells for around £2.75 from Wasabi, however is widely available.
Summary
2.5 stars out of 5.
A low-calorie kombucha with some real ingredients, but not much to write home about.
Pros
low calories
some real ingredients
Cons
no information on the probiotics included
weak taste
carbonation is too high
contains natural sweeteners
M&S kombucha
Score: 2 stars out of 5
This kombucha is all natural and the flavour comes from a mixture of natural flavourings and concentrates. It doesn’t include sweeteners.
The smell is nice and mainly of mango with some citrus notes.
The taste however is not good in my opinion. It has a funky taste reminiscent of a stale beer. There’s strong mango and general fruitiness in there as well, but the stale taste lingers and dominates for me.
I’ve never experienced that taste in a kombucha before. It’s like a farmhouse beer gone wrong and not the refreshing experience you’d expect from a kombucha.
The carbonation is a nice light level though.
It doesn’t specify what bacteria strains are included.
It has 18 calories per 100ml.
This is a disappointing kombucha, and even more disappointing is that this home brand kombucha seems to have displaced the better Holos brand they used to stock.
It’s a 250ml can and sells for around £2 from M&S.
Summary
2 stars out of 5.
An all-natural kombucha but with a poor taste and lacking information on the probiotics included.
Pros
all natural
good carbonation
some real fruit and vegetables in the form of concentrates
no sweeteners
Cons
no information on the probiotics included
poor taste
more calories than others
Health benefits of kombucha
The main health benefits of kombucha come from the probiotics, postbiotics and the green tea in the drink.
Probiotics
These are the beneficial living microbes you are ingesting with every sip!
Probiotics offer many health benefits including:
better digestive health
better immune function
reduced inflammation
reduced allergies
better nutrient absorption
Postbiotics
In simple terms, postbiotics are essentially things probiotics produce. These include short-chain fatty acids which nourish our gut lining and may help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Personally, I find that kombucha calms my gut which I (rightly or wrongly!) put down to the presence of postbiotics.
Green tea
Green tea contains polyphenols which are strong antioxidants.
Studies have shown green tea may also:
increase the amount of calories you burn
improve cholesterol levels
help control blood sugar levels
Read more about the evidence-based benefits of green tea and kombucha.
Health benefits of some potential ingredients
Ginger
Digestive health: Ginger can alleviate nausea and vomiting, making it useful for motion sickness, morning sickness during pregnancy and chemotherapy-induced nausea.
Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects: Contains gingerol, a substance with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Pain relief: Studies have shown it may help reduce muscle pain and soreness due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Lowering blood sugar levels: Studies show ginger can help in managing blood sugar levels.
Read more about ginger’s proven benefits.
Turmeric
Anti-inflammatory: Studies have shown curcumin has strong anti-inflammatory properties, which may help with arthritis.
Antioxidant: Antioxidants can neutralise free radicals.
Gut health: Polyphenols in turmeric can promote the growth of good bacteria in your gut and inhibit harmful bacteria.
Brain function: May boost brain-derived neurotrophic factor, linked to improved brain function and a lower risk of brain diseases.
Heart Disease: May help protect against heart disease.
Read more about the evidence supporting turmeric’s health benefits.
Apple cider vinegar
Blood sugar control: May improve insulin sensitivity and help lower blood sugar responses after meals.
Weight loss: Can increase feelings of fullness, leading to eating fewer calories and potentially losing weight.
Heart health: May help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, although more research is needed.
Read more about the evidence supporting apple cider vinegar’s health benefits.
Make your own kombucha
Want to save money? Try making it yourself at home and save a fortune!
Your reviewer
This article was reviewed by Travis - learn more about me!
Or learn more about the basics of gut health.
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