SPARK IT UP! THE SPARK KOMBUCHA NO GUTS, NO GLORY STORY - PART 1
Spark Kombucha got its start lemonade stand style at the farmer’s market back in 2015 and quickly became a local favourite because of founder Ellen’s knowledge and desire to share the gut-health connection. In this three part series you’ll get to know Spark Kombucha’s driven leader, why she loves kombucha, what is a SCOBY exactly, and what’s next for Spark Kombucha.
Who is the mastermind behind Spark Kombucha?
Ellen moved to Whistler after an opportunity to work in the Cayman Islands fell through due to a hurricane and for the next several years she did the snowboard, nap, work in a restaurant, sleep, repeat program that many long time Sea to Sky residents have done. Though it was fun for awhile, Ellen knew it wouldn’t be a sustainable lifestyle for long. Searching for a more stable schedule, Ellen went back to school part time and landed herself a “regular” job as an administrator in municipal government.
Ellen’s kombucha journey started slowly but she was hooked by the beverage the first time she tried it - an experience that almost didn’t happen! Ellen was down in the city and in need of a little hydration; she wanted something more refreshing than water but definitely not a pop! She took a chance and bought a couple bottles of a drink she’d never heard of before, kombucha. Knowing nothing about kombucha, she shook up the first bottle and opened it. Ellen (and the inside of her car) immediately got a kombucha shower! Luckily, she had a second bottle on hand that she could actually drink to get the full kombucha experience. She loved the fizzy sour tartness and wondered why she’d never heard of this delicious drink before.
Soon she was making special trips to the city just to get her kombucha fix and she was learning more about the benefits of drinking kombucha. In a short time Ellen was seeing improvements with her allergies and digestive issues she was struggling with. Feeling great, she made the connection - Healthy Gut = Balanced Health + Happy Mind. Now, she wanted to introduce more people to kombucha and it’s gut health benefits too.
It was at this point she decided to start brewing kombucha herself at home. The idea of making kombucha at home didn’t scare Ellen and she began her research deep dive to learn all she could about home brewing. At the time, there wasn’t much information about brewing your own kombucha out there, but she was able to source a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) and start her first batch of kombucha. Ellen took a science-based approach and took note at critical points. She kept a close eye on each batch to make sure her kombucha was safe and healthy every step of the way. Batch after batch she tweaked her recipe and the brew time; she reduced the sugar and tried different flavours and combinations.
Soon after sharing her home brew with friends, Ellen took Spark Kombucha on the road to the farmer’s markets in Whistler, Squamish, and Vancouver - slinging her dry brews exclusively on tap, lemonade stand style! That first year she spent most of her time connecting with people and just helping them pronounce “kom-boo-cha”, it was still such a new product that most people hadn’t even heard the word before.
Ellen’s next career phase may have seemed stable from the outside, but behind the scenes Ellen was filling all her free time with her new passion project … kombucha. “I took Fridays off work in Whistler to brew, which could sometimes roll right into getting ready for the Squamish Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning. Then I’d clean up, pack up, and get ready for the Whistler Market on Sunday, sling till closing then pack up and head home, get some sleep and then go back to the office job on Monday morning,” describes Ellen. Life was busier than before, but now she was building her own business and loving it!
Ellen loved connecting with her customers and other local businesses. She saw an opportunity to deepen her business relationships and took the time to hand deliver growlers to her local business crushes - like the Green Moustache in Whistler, who became her first commercial customer.
Local businesses started asking for the product, so she set taps up in stores and restaurants. Beyond the product, Ellen wanted to serve her kombucha the most sustainable way and it wasn’t long before she started setting up fill stations in cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores throughout the Sea to Sky and Vancouver. Ellen was really feeling the love from her local communities; the support for Spark Kombucha was amazing!
Spark Kombucha was quickly becoming a local favourite and Ellen was turning more people into kombucha fans each weekend at the farmers markets. But there were still people asking “what the heck is kom-boo-cha anyways?”.
Spark Kombucha was quickly becoming a local favourite and Ellen was turning more people into kombucha fans each weekend at the farmers markets. But there were still people asking “what the heck is kom-boo-cha anyways?”.