GOODIE Guts was set up by Clara Larrieu and business partner Vanille Goguet after they saw the benefits of kombucha, a non-alcoholic beverage made by fermenting sweetened black or green tea. They have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £50,000 to bring their products to the people of Inverness next month.
Name: Clara Larrieu
Position: Founder
WHAT IS THE BUSINESS CALLED?
Goodie Guts
WHERE IS IT BASED?
Inverness
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
IT all started with a book by Giulia Enders called Gut – she explains in an easy way how the intestine works. The book changed everything for me. I added fermented food to my diet like fermented cod liver oil, which is a very Scottish thing, and kombucha. Sauerkraut is not the first thing you want to have in the morning. Kombucha is a nice non-alcoholic beverage, like a soda with health benefits. I started brewing a lot and people told me it was brilliant. I always wanted to run my own business but I didn’t know what I wanted to do specifically. I used to be obese and lost a lot of weight but my gut became unbalanced. Fermented food helps people with IBS and diabetes. I have worked in hospitality for 10 years as a receptionist and in events planning in different parts of the world. I wanted my own hostel but something didn’t feel right. I value small businesses but that’s not what hostels are about. I wanted to be my own boss and have good working relations with people.
HOW HAVE YOU COPED WITH CORONAVIRUS?
THERE have been positives and negatives. I had a lot of time to perfect my recipes because I was in Tanzania at the beginning of the year, then came here and the hospitality industry was not hiring. I got a part time job at Morrisons and perfected my business plan. I didn’t expect the second lockdown so I started crowdfunding. I know people don’t want to part with their money during this time. I planned to make people try my kombucha on the streets of Fort William. We’ve had really positive feedback.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
THE target market would be people who don’t know about kombucha and are searching for a holistic approach to gut health. People who use protein powder and yogis are a really good market. Most people interested in the crowdfunder are those who know about kombucha.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
KOMBUCHA boomed in the market a few years ago so lots of businesses are doing it. They brew it in 1000l plastic cubes. If you brew in plastic it is really bad for you. I have specific flavours that are different. Some competing businesses make it with lots of CO2 like Cola. I like to keep it naturally fizzy so I don’t add CO2. I like natural fizz better. I brew it in oak barrels. The wood breathes. Most people will use a cheesecloth or brewing vessel and leave it but it needs oxygen to do its thing. You need to stir it every day and the wood allows you to do that. There’s lots of yeast and bacteria kept in the barrel so you are constantly giving it air. The yeast and bacteria gives a nice taste to it as well.
IS SCOTLAND A GOOD PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS?
IT is. I know it seems like there are not many people in the Highlands but people here are very outdoorsy and interested in gut health. They can buy it regularly and have it with lunch or it is a good alternative to beer. People are health conscious here.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
IT’S been ages since I have been able to be an accountant – I loved that when I was doing my studies. It’s really fun to research and develop new products.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
MAKING sure my product is as consistent as possible (because people value consistency) while being okay with the fact each batch won’t taste exactly the same. Lots of brands manage to be very consistent but I think they do continuous brewing which is just topping it up with sweet tea.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
I’D love to be an established Highland brand. My dream would be to have a garden where I grow fruit and veg and ferment them. I want to keep it local – I am not interested in expanding to Europe. An adviser from the crowdfunder contacted me and advised me to make the target less so it’s attainable. It was originally £50,000 and it is now £20,000. It’s rare that they change the target but I am thankful we’ve reached that. We will be applying to Scottish Edge and hope to get funds from investors.
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