Putting Jonny Wilkinson’s new No 1 Kombucha to the test

This week we were fortunate enough to have some refreshing new drinks land on our doorstep (thanks Jonny). No1 Kombucha is the innovative new soft drink range, founded by Jonny Wilkinson and recently launched exclusively in Sainsbury’s, making this well known healthy drink accessible to all.

No 1 Kombucha is a lightly sparkling fermented green tea, available in three flavours and contains the juice of fresh fruit. As its processed, it produces good bacteria, probiotics, acetic acids and antioxidants which are frequently claimed to provide a number of health benefits such as gut, mental health and all-round wellbeing. Jonny drinks kombucha every day and “started the journey to launch a product that would offer a healthier choice for consumers”.

Now we pride ourselves on our honesty so having put No 1 Kombucha to the test with our expert taste panel, we have to confess that it wasn’t to everyone’s taste. The range offers three flavours (Passionfruit & Goji; Raspberry, Pomegranate & Hibiscus; Ginger & Turmeric) and the latter was certainly a firm favourite for our panel. The zingy ginger leads the way, making for a refreshing, invigorating drink, with a subtle tang of turmeric. That’s not to say the fruitier flavours didn’t hit the mark – the Passionfruit & Gogi could really be tasted over the background flavour of green tea and made for a great pick me up. The naturally lightly sparkling nature of the drink makes them a refreshing and ideal replacement to a high sugar soft drink.

So, what did we conclude? No 1 Kombucha ticks a lot of boxes – being under the newly introduced sugar levy, no artificial sweeteners, dairy and gluten free, and suitable for vegans. If that’s not enough, the whole range is under 50 calories. Available in a range of flavours, we think it’s a great option for the health-conscious consumer that’s looking for a refreshing drink. It is also competitively priced, at £1.95, so why not pop into Sainsbury’s and make your own mind up? We’d love to know what you think!