Two years on: a little moment of pride for fermented drinks
Two years ago, Ki was named one of three finalists for Best Drinks Producer at the BBC Food & Farming Awards. It’s still our proudest achievement. I remember the phone call like it was yesterday. I was wandering the streets of Hampstead and picked up an unknown call and heard the news. I nearly dropped the phone! The 2026 awards have just taken place, and the announcements brought all those exciting feelings back.
We were so happy to see our friends at MOMO Kombucha win this year’s Best Drinks Producer award. The care and hard work that go into making traditionally fermented kombucha on their scale always amazes me. Such a well deserved win!
It also got me thinking about our own experience in 2024. There we were, making kefir by hand in East Sussex, shortlisted alongside Bullhouse Brewery in Belfast and The Glenturret Distillery in Scotland. For a business that began with glass jars in my home kitchen and kefir deliveries on my bike, it was quite a moment.
Part of the judging process involved welcoming brewer and presenter Jaega Wise to our fermentary. We showed her how we make our kefir, shared the story behind Ki, and of course, did plenty of tasting. We also took her to meet the cows at Hook & Son, one of the cheeky ladies tried to get herself on camera!
While kefirmaking has been passed down through generations in some parts of the world, it remains unfamiliar to many of us in the UK. I started Ki to introduce people to authentic kefir, made with living grains. I’m a bit of a purist, and I believe there’s so much we can learn from the generations before us and am very passionate about keeping those traditions alive.
Kefir making isn’t a tradition I grew up with, but it’s one I’ve been fortunate enough to learn on my path. As interest in kefir and gut health grows, I feel strongly that the traditions behind the drink should be understood, valued and kept alive in practice too.
Sharing that craft with Jaega, and reaching a wider audience through the BBC, was such an exciting opportunity to bring some of that tradition into the spotlight. To have the care behind our work recognised meant more to me than I can say.
Our conversation featured on BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme, giving us the chance to share that story with people who might never have tried kefir before.
Our Champagne of Dairy Podcast is on the BBC Food show, Listen to the episode here If you missed it.
Bullhouse took home the award that year, and we came away feeling incredibly proud to have been part of it. Running a small food business involves so much work that happens quietly behind the scenes beyond just the end product on the shelf. Being recognised was a moment to pause and appreciate what we’d created and built! Here’s Rich, our creative partner, and myself beaming with pride at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow, where the awards took place.
Seeing MOMO win this year feels like another lovely moment for traditional fermentation. It’s exciting to see living fermented drinks celebrated alongside established favourites like beer and whisky, and introduced to a wider audience across the UK. A huge congratulations to the MOMO team!
And to everyone who has bought a bottle, told a friend about Ki or made us part of their daily routine: thank you. You’ve helped bring us a very long way from those first kitchen jars in Vauxhall.
Sam x
