Meet Rachael Walker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachael Walker.

Rachael, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I had just started college, I was facing a lot of digestive issues and was spending a lot of money going to the doctor´s office every month. After countless visits to try to find a solution to fix my gut, I realized that nothing was working. I had recently started to work in the Health Foods industry and my health soon became a top priority of mine. A friend had introduced me to kombucha and told me how much it had helped her with her stomach problems, so I thought I would give it a try. After trying the fermented tea, I quickly fell in love and started brewing my kombucha in my basement apartment. My digestive issues started to subside as I began my obsession with fermented foods. My friends soon heard about my new hobby and started to pay me for it, as it had a unique, different flavor profile than other commercial kombucha company they had tried before. Before I knew it, I turned my passion for brewing authentic, small-craft kombucha into a flourishing business that is now offered in over 25 stores in the Front Range region.

Has it been a smooth road?
As for starting any new business, it´s not always a walk in the park. One of the biggest struggles when starting in our commercial kitchen space was finding a consistent-tasting brew. Once you start to scale your product, keeping the consistency of the product is key. We found that with our small-craft brewing methods (we brew in 2- gallon glass jars) we were able to have a lot more control over the taste and acidity of the fermented tea. We´ve made a heat-controlled environment for all of our jars, that way every single batch is the very same, every single time. Sugar, tea, and the appropriate amount of heat help feed our SCOBYS (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) and give us the sweet, effervescent tea that we share with the Fort Collins community.

Tell us more about the business.
Our mission is to make kombucha accessible to everyone. With the many proven health benefits of kombucha, we want everyone to be able to enjoy this elixir-of-life just as much as we do. A lot of people are scared to try kombucha because it can taste ¨too pungent¨, or ¨too-vinegary.¨ Our kombucha is very mild in that sense, but very full of flavor, with a very low sugar content as well. We ferment in two gallon glass jars, and that helps keep the authenticity and flavor-profile of our special drink. All of these things are what makes us the ¨Most Bitchin Bucha in Colorado!¨ What I am most proud of is the growth we have made in the past year, all while being self-started and funded in 2018 at 27 years old. I worked a full-time job for my first year in business and has now successfully grown this company into my full-time passion! I am so excited for this journey of growth and can´t wait to see what success the future has to bring!

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see the kombucha industry growing even more than it has in the past few years. More and more, people are starting to realize the health benefits of the drink and are wanting to get some for themselves. With kombucha being the fast growing functional beverage category in the United States, I do not foresee us slowing down anytime soon.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1800 E Lincoln Ave Unit D
  Fort Collins, CO 80521
• Website: www.lifesabuch.com
• Phone: 7194294628
• Email: rachael@lifesabuch.com
• Instagram: @lifesabuch
• Facebook: /Lifesabuch

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