Biotiful kefir review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Biotiful Kefir. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of this popular kefir.
For this review we have tested the cherry version.
About kefir
Kefir is a fermented dairy drink which is made by adding kefir grains - full of different strains of bacteria - to milk. (There’s also non-dairy kefir, but we won’t get into that here.)
The result is a tangy dairy drink which is similar to yoghurt but more runny. It also has a lot more bacterial diversity than yoghurt does which makes it better for our gut.
Because of this diversity and increased microbial activity, kefir can sometimes taste a bit more ‘funky’ than yoghurt.
Kefir is a refreshing drink on its own or you can add it to cereal, yoghurt or dressings to increase your probiotic intake.
And because of the strong fermentation of the milk sugars, it is better for people with some degree of lactose intolerance.
Read more about the benefits of kefir and how it differs to yoghurt.
Ingredients of Biotiful kefir
This flavoured kefir naturally has more ingredients than unflavoured versions (such as Yeo Valley Kefir). The ingredients include milk, cherry puree, fruit extracts, pectin, lemon, natural flavourings and various cultures.
As you can see, there’s no nasty ingredients or anything to worry about. However, it is not an organic kefir like others.
This kefir is made in the UK with British milk.
It also claims to be the UK’s number 1 kefir brand.
Benefits of Biotiful kefir
This kefir comes with various health benefits.
Bacterial diversity
Biotiful lists various bacteria as being present such as Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. It’s not possible to say exactly how many strains of Bifidobacterium are present as they only list the genus. But we can at least be sure there are 4 strains of bacteria - which is certainly better than most commercial yoghurts or kombuchas but lower than other kefirs (such as Zoe x M&S Kefir gut shot).
Also, they give no specific colony forming unit count (ie an estimate of the number of actual bacteria present), rather it simply says there are ‘billions’ of bacteria - which is probably enough you would think :)
Other health benefits
This kefir is also a good source of:
calcium (which helps digestion)
protein - it is 3.3% protein
phosphorus
vitamins B2 and B12 (which supports immunity)
Appearance
The liquid resembles a flavoured milk or thin flavoured yoghurt.
Texture
There is a nice and thick mouthfeel more like a runny yoghurt or than a thick milk.
Flavour
The flavour is brilliant.
The aroma is like a cherry yoghurt - with none of the funky vibes you can get with kefir.
The taste is fruity with cherry being dominant. Interestingly I would say it tastes more like a clean yoghurt than a kefir given the absence of any kefir funky flavours. This may make it appealing to a lot of people and it certainly makes it very approachable.
Use
It’s a very versatile product. I use it in smoothies, on cereal or just have it straight from bottle.
Cost of Biotiful kefir
I bought a 500ml bottle from a small Coop for £2.85. Personally I think this is a reasonable price, but not as good value as others.
Summary
4.5 stars out of 5.
A delicious kefir which is more akin to yoghurt in taste with decent microbial diversity for a reasonable price.
Pros
clean ingredients (but not organic)
fairly good microbial diversity (at least four strains)
great cherry taste
very approachable, clean flavour
good source of vitamins and minerals
Cons
more specifics on the number of bacterial strains present would be helpful (as would a colony forming unit count)
not the cheapest
Your reviewer
This article was reviewed by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut enthusiast and passionate kombucha maker!
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