Where to drink kombucha in London

Caravan

Best for: accompanying your superfoods

Caravan is known for its industrial-esque dining rooms, sustainably-sourced coffees and lengthy brunch queues, but the trendy Aussie-style chain is also at the forefront of the fermentation revolution. Among the sweetened offering is a blueberry and tarragon shrub (yours for £3), a pomegranate kombucha (£3.50) and a shot of apple cider vinegar (£2.50) – itself increasingly popular for its ability to reduce cholesterol and belly fat, and lower blood sugar levels.

Little Duck – The Picklery

Best for: exotic concoctions

Little Duck in Hackney is best known for the Mediterranean food it serves, but the eatery also boast a dedicated fermenting kitchen, The Picklery, where it brews seasonal kombuchas. These can be drunk onsite mixed into a cocktail, taken away ready-jarred from the fridge or bought loose by the gram. The menu changes weekly but at the time of writing, drinks included pear and celery kombucha and quince drinking vinegar. If these concoctions sound a bit bold for your palate, though, you might want to stick to a glass of Little Duck's biodynamic wine.

Callooh Callay

Best for: quirky kombucha cocktails

Shoreditch cocktail bar Callooh Callay has long been delighting revellers with its playful cocktails, party vibes and loose Carrollian theme. The bar recently launched a new menu which features drinks laced with their in-house Kombucha. Try the ‘Made to Measure’, a mezcal-based cocktail with passion fruit kombucha. It’s smokey, tangy and a surprising fluorescent blood orange in colour. And, in keeping with the trend for low abv drinks, Callooh Callay also serves an ‘Off Duty’ cocktail, in which one shot is kept to the side – ideal for those who want a lighter drink.

Jarr Kombucha Bar at Mick’s Garage

Best for: fermented goods in trendy bottles

Mick’s Garage is a collaboration between hipster hangout Crate Brewery and foodie favourite Berber & Q. But we’re not here to talk about its beer or meaty delights. The trendy spot in Hackney Wick also houses Jarr Kombucha Bar, specialising in you know what. Jarr Kombucha’s homebrew comes in three flavours – original, ginger and passion fruit – which fans of the fermented tea can order by the case, if they wish. Meanwhile, those who like a bit of sugar with their shrub should try one of the bar’s kombucha cocktails, such as the easy-to-love Junipepper Jarr (raspberry kombucha, gin, pink peppercorns).

High Mood Food

Best for: grab-and-go kombucha

This laid-back Marylebone café encourages its customers to get their five Ks: kimchi, kombucha, kefir, kamut and khorasan, apparently. To help, the team infuse all of their dishes with the exotic, gut-healthy foods. Drinks, too, have been given the fermentation treatment. Try the Wild Fizz kombucha and if it goes down well, get a second bottle to take away.

Where to buy kombucha in London

Kombucha is no longer the reserve of forward-thinking millennials and worldly show-offs. It’s becoming more and more common to see it bottled in London cafés and even supermarkets. Scour the drinks at your local store, but if you're out of luck, Planet Organic and Whole Foods are two food shops offering a decent selection. Meanwhile healthy lunch chains like Itsu offer bottled varieties, too.