When a parasitic gut infection destroyed Lauren Thomas’ digestive system in South America, she didn’t know the ordeal would lead to a successful small business in Launceston.
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Now based at Earthy Eats, the young entrepreneur of Avocado Moon brews gut-healthy kombucha, a fermented drink crazed for its microbial power.
Originally from the US east coast, LT now lives in Launceston with her Australian partner Marlow McGregor.
Her love of kombucha was born after the pair drank from an infected water system while kayaking in Patagonia.
They both fell ill with Giardia and weren’t able to be treated for three weeks, increasing the damage to their insides.
“It completely wrecked my digestive system,” she said.
That’s when a naturopath introduced her to fermented foods to restore her healthy gut flora.
“I drank kombucha everyday throughout the day and it worked after a month.”
She had been brewing for her own personal use but decided to “have a crack at being an entrepreneur” when she realised no one else was doing it locally.
Kombucha is made by adding a culture to tea and allowing it to ferment.
LT works exclusively with Art of Tea, a company based in the state’s South.
“I brew a big pot of tea, add sugar, add a culture called SCOBY, and let it sit for 10 days to two weeks,” she said.
“I then have to test the pH levels and the taste. When it’s ready to harvest, it goes into bottles with the flavouring and sits for another week or so.”
LT uses natural ingredients for flavouring, and sources as much local produce as she can.
Some of the flavours include lemon, ginger, lavender and thyme, and berries, depending on what’s in season.
“I have a new one, which is a ginger-based black tea, and I second-ferment it with chilli, turmeric and Tasmanian pepper berries,” she said.
“It’s the best one I’ve ever done.
“Pepper berries have so many health benefits I didn’t even know about, and it’s a winter warming flavour.”
Although LT drank large amounts of kombucha throughout the day when she was healing her gut, she said she wouldn’t recommend people drink it in that same way.
“It had to establish a new colony of healthy bacteria in my belly,” she said.
“The best way to drink it for most people is to start with 100 millilitres a day in the morning.”
She only brews in glass and has a bottle-return system.
When customers return a bottle, they get 50 cents back.
“So we’re skipping the recycling process. It’s very labour intensive, but it’s the right thing to do.”
She has also recently started offering her kombucha on tap at Earthy Eats.
“People will soon be able to bring in any container and pay by millilitre and I’d eventually like to have refill stations across the state.
“I’d love to eliminate the waste altogether.”
Avocado Moon is also a regular at the Launceston Harvest Market on Saturdays.
