Meet Our Members – Kouboya (AUS)

 Tsumugi Osakabe, Kouboya, Australia

Q: When did you first discover kombucha?

A: I grew up in Japan where avvariety of fermented foods are consumed on a daily basis. However, after moving away at 15, fermented foods became a rarity in my life.

This all changed when I met my friends who create artisan sauerkraut in Brisbane. I started appreciating the beauty of fermenting foods. They were extremely inspiring and were the first ones to introduce me to kombucha.

They also gave me the opportunity to work for their company in 2015, creating different kinds of fermented products. They shared the fermentation brewery with a kombucha company, and that further cemented my interest in kombucha.
Their flavour of kombucha brew my mind how delicious it was.

Q: Why did you start your own kombucha company?

A: After moving to the mid north coast in 2016, I started exploring the idea of creating a fermenting business as there was a gap in the market. I felt the need to spread the health and taste the benefits of fermented foods. This began with selling Japanese pickles and kombucha at the local farmers’ market. We also used this opportunity to received amazing feedback from customers, which further assisted in finalizing the product.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of Kombucha? 

A: Buchi Hibiscus and Galangal

Q: What is your former/current other life or career?

A: I studied a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences, before making ferments.

Q: What is a saying that you live by?

Appreciate the people that make you smile and throw kindness around like confetti.