I recently visited MOMO’s London kombucha brewery to check out their latest seasonal release: a limited-edition Blood Orange Kombucha made in collaboration with Natoora. Using vibrant Moro Sicilian blood oranges, it’s a bright, zesty drink that captures the essence of winter citrus, crafted with the same care and small glass jar fermentation MOMO is known for.
I first came across MOMO last year at the launch of their (incredibly tasty) Forced Rhubarb Kombucha, and have been a fan ever since. They have a fantastic partnership with Natoora, a fresh produce supplier who has built its reputation on selling exceptional, seasonal fruit and vegetables sourced from small producers.
Natoora and MOMO regularly team up to produce seasonal kombuchas, including February’s annual Forced Rhubarb Kombucha, a Winter Green Mandarin Kombucha, and a summer’s juicy Watermelon Kombucha.
Their latest collaboration? A delicious limited-edition Blood Orange Kombucha using Moro Sicilian blood oranges grown by Carmelo, a long-standing supplier of Natoora known for his exceptional care and commitment to quality and flavour.
The blood oranges are grown high above sea level in the Sicilian region of Scordia, then juiced and expertly blended into kombucha by MOMO’s head brewer Matt Canham. This particular recipe uses a sturdy base of tea, a touch of raw cane sugar, alongside a hint of hibiscus and elderflower, enhancing the blood oranges’ zingy brightness and deep, berry-like sweetness.
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a gut-friendly drink made from tea fermented with water, sugar and a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). During fermentation, the yeasts consume the sugar and produce alcohol, then the bacteria consume this alcohol to produce the acids that give kombucha its tangy flavour.
The end result is a delicious, slightly fizzy and refreshing soft drink that is low in sugar and naturally contains probiotics and healthy organic acids.
Brewed from tea, kombucha is high in antioxidants and reputed to support gut health and aid digestion. It is also naturally contains acetic acid, which is great for boosting energy and lowering blood sugar levels.
MOMO
MOMO was founded in 2018 by husband and wife Josh and Lisa Puddle. They discovered kombucha on a trip to New York, where they were amazed at how great it made them feel. On returning to the UK and finding kombucha was hard to come by, they started homebrewing in their kitchen, with fermenting brews stacked up in their small London flat. Josh and Lisa fell in love with the brewing process, quit their jobs and dedicated themselves to brewing the ultimate kombucha. MOMO became B Corp certified in 2022.
Besides their limited edition kombucha, MOMO’s core range include: MOMO Ginger Lemon Kombucha, MOMO Turmeric Kombucha, MOMO Elderflower Kombucha, MOMO Raspberry-Hibiscus Kombucha. All are Great Taste Award winning and retail at £3.99 per 330ml glass bottle.
Unlike other kombucha brands, MOMO’s kombucha is unpasteurised, raw, and unfiltered. This helps preserve its health benefits (the live cultures support gut health and aid digestion), as well as taste but also means that MOMO’s kombucha bottles need to be kept cold to keep the fermentation under control.
How is MOMO’s Kombucha Brewed?
Last week I headed to New Covent Garden Market in Vauxhall and got a tour of MOMO’s brewery which was due to churn out an impressive 50,000 bottles of kombucha over the next few days.
The process of making kombucha is relatively simple whether you make it in your kitchen or on a larger scale and requires 4 main ingredients: tea, water, sugar and a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast).
Step 1: Brewing
MOMO’s kombucha uses a blend of organic, loose-leaf sencha and assam teas. The tea is brewed in hot water an industrial-sized “tea pot” with sugar and a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) mixture.
Step 2: Fermentation, Testing & Flavouring
The tea is then left to ferment in jars in a warm room.
One of the key particularities of MOMO’s kombucha is that it is raw, unfiltered, and fermented in small 10L glass jars to help create a fuller depth of flavour while retaining the maximum amount of living cultures. By comparison, many kombucha brands ferment in large stainless-steel tanks, filter, pasteurise or make their liquid from concentrate.
Once the kombucha has fermented, natural fruit juice is added for flavouring then it is tested for taste, quality, PH, and sugar.
Step 3: Cooling Down and Carbonation
The kombucha is then transferred to tanks where it is cooled down about 2°C (and in some cases additional flavouring like mandarin zests or rosebuds are also added at this stage) and then lightly carbonated.
Step 4: Bottling
The last step is to bottle the kombucha, ready to be shipped out to retailers.
Watch How MOMO’s Kombucha Is Made
Where To Find MOMO x Natoora’s Blood Orange Kombucha
MOMO’s Blood Orange Kombucha is a brilliant example of how thoughtful sourcing and traditional artisan brewing methods can create something truly special. Keep an eye out for this limited edition while it lasts.
MOMO x Natoora’s Blood Orange Kombucha (RRP from £4.50 per 330ml bottle) is available from April 7th, 2025 for a limited time from:
- MOMO (www.momokombucha.com)
- Natoora (www.natoora.com)
- Selfridges
- Gail’s Bakeries
- Planet Organic
- Zapp
- Whole Foods Market
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