Welcome to the fermentation revival.
WHO WE ARE
We are BURP FERMENTS, a social enterprise brewing naturally fermented, non-alcoholic fizzy drinking vinegars, using organic, seasonal produce and ancient methods, putting culture back into drinking.
We source 100% of our ingredients straight from small-scale, sustainable farmers in the UK and aim to reinvest in impactful organisations working across the food sovereignty movement - because we believe that business should work in collaboration with both communities and ecosystems.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is threefold:
- Support the UK’s food sovereignty movement, by paying farmers using sustainable, agroecological farming practices a fair wage, and reinvesting in organisations helping fight for the cause across disciplines. WHY? Because we believe small-scale, agroecological farming is the answer to a better food system.
- Brew vibrant, deliciously healthy fermented drinking vinegars using traditional methods, reviving the UK’s fermentation culture. WHY? Because we believe fermentation shouldn’t be exclusive and is much much more than a ‘clean eating’ fad, rich in culture, history and sensory revitalisation!
- Break the conventions of what a drinks brand can do. WHY? Because we believe business should work in collaboration with people and the planet, not compromise them for profit.
WHAT’S THE ISSUE?
Here in the UK, we guzzle around 13 billion litres of soft drinks every year, the biggest percentage of which is carbonated soft drinks. But many of the non-alcoholic drinks available to us contain no intrinsic nutritional value, meaning they have been packed with high-levels of sugar, toxic additives, chemicals and preservatives, and have been sterilised through pasteurisation killing every ounce of goodness.
In addition, many of these drinks are produced by global brands using unsustainable business models that are supportive of industrial food systems, damaging both communities and ecosystems around the world.
We at BURP FERMENTS want to change this, leading by example of how a drinks brand can disrupt the norm and have fun doing it, crafting drinks that are good for both you and the world around you, contributing to a better #burplife, one drink at a time.
HOW WE SOLVE IT
Steering well clear of pasteurisation, our drinks are crafted and brewed using ancient British fermentation methods, making them as wild as they come, free from additives, artificial colours, chemical preservatives and toxic sweeteners. Every sip holds a burst of sensory reinvigoration, filling your gut with a thriving culture of thousands of good bacteria which has proven health benefits - meaning you can indulge in your fizzy drinking pleasure without the sugary guilt.
And it doesn’t stop there! By believing that looking after our health includes the health of our societies and planet too, we challenge the ‘business-as-usual’ of global, unsustainable supply chains by sourcing, producing, distributing and reinvesting right here in the UK, ensuring we take care in what we do every step of the way, from farm, to ferment, to you.
We do all this because we believe that building a sustainable food community is the key to the good #burplife.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE BURP
We are Holly and Georgie and between us we have over eight years of marketing experience including work within the drinks sector. Our friendship began on the Anthropology of Food masters course at SOAS university, demonstrating our shared passion, knowledge and interest in the food systems of today. And of course, we are both avid fermenters!
OUR STORY
As part of the food anthropology community, we are captivated by the cultural richness of food from around the world. With a specific interest in fermentation, we became frustrated by the ‘clean eating’ marketing tactics that were being used to minimise the few fermented products on the UK market to simply “good for the gut”, alienating them to the exclusive few.
Already disillusioned by the unsustainable, unhealthy and pretty damn crazy ways of the food business world, we decided that we wanted to change that, and share the cultural and historical richness of fermentation in a fun and bold way, disrupting the emerging exclusivity by showing that fermentation is for everyone, and always has been.
And so it is through rebellion and a little bit of wit, that BURP FERMENTS was born.
Breaking the pretentious mould and shouting out BURP we have crashed and splashed around farms and our kitchens ever since, crafting wild drinking vinegars from whatever fruits are seasonally available to us.
So whilst others are filling the pockets of fossil-fuel reliant farms or concentrating on eating a diet of pure sweet potatos, we want to join the rising fermentation revival and break the boundaries of what a drinks brand can do. Putting your body, our communities and ecosystems first by brewing a fizzy BURPing delicious revolution. But our journey has really only just begun.
THE FINANCIALS
We have been lucky enough to have been selected for Impact Hub’s Feeding the City start-up programme which offers us eleven months worth of mentoring, help and advice plus a small amount of funding that has enabled us to get this idea off the ground. For this, we are extremely grateful, however this is still far from the capital we need to make this idea into a thriving reality.
Having also won Crowdfunder's what's your idea competition for the food and drinks category, we are extremely excited to have the opportunity to get matched by Crowdfunder if we reach our £1000 target. So we need your help to reach that £1000 and come out with £2000!
All of the money raised through this crowdfunder will go to the rent of a kitchen space in London (£1000 for one month), helping us get started and get this BURPeliciousness out there to all of you thirsty people.
So, will you join us in the fermentation revival?
CONTACT US
If you want to find out more, ask us a burning question or just want to say hi, we love making new friends, so get in touch at [email protected]
Or follow our ever evolving #burplife:
Twitter: @burpferments
Instagram: @burpferments
Facebook: @burpfermentsUK
https://www.facebook.com/burpfermentsUK/
Our website is in the making so keep your eyes peeled!
