Beetroot drink offers growth for Skibbereen firm

A SKIBBEREEN-based food company has produced a new organic drink made from cultured beetroot that can support your immune system and digestion.

Beet Kvass – the only Irish made product of its kind –  is made by the Cultured Food Company, who work from the Carbery Enterprise Park in the town. 

Hayley Milthorpe, owner and founder of the Cultured Food Company, saw a gap in the market for this product and brought it to Irish consumers earlier this year.

‘We started the company making sauerkraut’s and kimchi but I wanted to introduce Beet Kvass to the range to give our customers a quick and easy option to get these vital nutrients into their diets,’ said Hayley.

‘We started testing out the recipe late last year and we launched the product in February.’

Beet Kvass is an ancient organic drink, originating from Russia over two centuries ago. It is made from cultured beetroot that has been fermented in brine over several months. 

To give it a little zing, the Cultured Food Company have infused heir Beet Kvass with organic ginger. Its vibrant colour comes from the fermenting process, which released the pigments of the beets.

The barrel-fermented handmade Beet Kvass is made in small batches, which is then left for several months to give the health-benefiting bacteria from the beetroot a chance to grow and multiply. The end result is an unique salty and sour drink, rich in probiotics with no added sugar.

The Beet Kvass is raw and pasteurised and contains organic beetroot, filtered water, sea salt and organic ginger.

‘Each bottle contains five servings and it is suggested to drink one glass in the morning, but you can also drink a couple of shots of it throughout the day, add it to your favourite oil as a salad dressing, add to a fruit juice or even a cocktail.’

Beet Kvass is available at local health shops or SuperValu.