Our tasty kefir beverage won’t leave you feeling worse after a night in the pub!

Biotechnology graduate GERRY SCULLION left behind a career in chemical sales to come up with a formula all of his own. He created King Of Kefir, an alternative beverage to unhealthy soft drinks with just 10 calories a bottle (and which tastes great by the way). He tells us about the trials of setting up a small Irish business, surviving the Covid lockdown and whether a bottle of kefir will ever start to replace a ‘pint of plain’ in Irish pubs.

If I buy a soft drink, it comes with 9 spoons of sugar – completely free of charge. How could you compete with that?

Ha! We don’t! One of the main reasons we started making our drinks was that we were always looking for alternatives to the highly sugared soft drinks, especially in a bar scenario, where it was nigh on impossible to find soft drinks that ultimately didn’t leave you feeling worse when you arrive home. We designed all our flavours with no added sugar and they all contain less than 3kcal per 100ml. This makes them a much healthier option for children and adults alike.

Tell us about kefir?

It’s a naturally fizzy, fermented drink that tastes rather like lemonade, but milder. These non-alcoholic fermented drinks have grown in popularity in recent years, known for their gut-loving properties, natural fizz and interesting flavours.

But does it taste nice?

Our drinks are gently flavoured with natural juices and herbs and spices and hopefully are an easy transition for people who haven’t tried fermented products before. (Note from our man Bill: ‘I’ve tried it and it tastes great – especially Ginger and Lemongrass and Ginger and Chilli.’)

How did you get funded?

When we sold a couple of cases in the beginning we would buy another small pot or tank and we organically grew. It was tough. But we have had great support from the Chocolate Factory Community in Dublin – a creative community with many independents working there with many skillsets to call upon for help. As we grew, we secured bank loans to further expand.

How are you doing in the Covid crisis?

Sales are definitely impacted greatly due to the closure of the food services sector such as cafes, restaurants and bars. We still thankfully have SuperValu and independent wholefood shops.

Can we buy King of Kefir in pubs?

We have just launched our new hopped culture product which is

What did your parents teach you about money?

Dad was always encouraging us to save. I was slow to listen but I have learnt to appreciate money in a different way now. Less is more.

Ever been treated badly as a consumer? What would you do?

I am not shy about taking up complaints with service providers should the need arise. I don’t subscribe to the ‘Irish’ way of not saying anything at the time and moaning about it later.

What’s your hobby?

I love sea kayaking. The Dublin coastline is beautiful from the water. You get up and close with nature. The most expensive part initially is the kayak but you can rent them in the beginning and always pick up one second-hand when you are more familiar with what suits you. The costs after that are low as maintenance doesn’t tend to be costly unlike with sailing.

What’s your guilty treat?

Craft beers all day long. I absolutely love the Irish craft beer scene. Life is too short to drink bad beer and there is a lot off it from the big brewers. Remember also every euro spent on an Irish craft brewery means the money stays local and doesn’t wing it off to a pension fund abroad.

Three things you would do as finance minister?

Deposits for returning glass and plastic bottles, provide funding for a fast charging network for electric cars and lower taxes on sustainable energy projects. aimed at providing non-alcoholic options for bars. It has hints of elderflower, pineapple and other tropical fruits on the nose and then a grapefruit and lemon juice taste, with no sugars. When the bars open we hope to see this more widely available.