Amanda Hamilton, Rhythm’s nutrition director, says there’s been a huge increase in awareness and interest in digestive health, particularly in the company’s UK market. Meanwhile, the number of people searching for information online on kefir and fermented foods has shot up as well.
Rhythm Health’s drinks use coconut (already an on trend product in itself) and kefir cultures to create its lactose-free fermented drinks. Using kefir cultures, the products contain lactic acid bacteria, including Lactobacillus acidophilus.
“We’ve taken the ancient concept of something like kefir and fermented foods, something that is beneficial to our health, and brought it bang up to date,” explains Hamilton.
Kefir is traditionally consumed as a fermented milk drink. But Rhythm takes wild, natural kefir grains as its source of cultures, which are fermented with coconut, and then uses cold-pressing to keep the drinks ‘raw, natural and nutritious’.
“We’re making it much more consumer friendly….we’re making drinks that are really delicious because we’re growing the kefir in coconut, rather than in dairy, so people who are lactose-free are able to use it as well,” Hamilton explained.
Rhythm’s products are available from health stores such as Holland & Barrett, Whole Foods Market, As Nature Intended, and Planet Organic, as well as independent stores and online.
Its products include a small 126g drink, a high potency Life Shot 200, a 500ml drink, and lactose free yogurt – all based on coconut and kefir cultures.
In 2016, it will continue to roll out beverages both domestically and internationally, as well as turning its focus to a snack range.