*Ellen Quinn and Alex Falco, founder of Hurst Botanicals in Clarecastle.
CLARECASTLE is the home of kombucha in the West of Ireland, thanks to a couple of entrepreneurs who are brewing the fermented drink from their botanical brewery in the village.
28-year old Ellen Quinn and her partner Alex Falco (33) established Hurst Botanicals in March of this year. Just two months later, they were stocked in 150 Aldi stores nationwide in what was a baptism of fire for the young kombucha producers.
Ellen and Alex both have background in the food industry and it was while working for Kerry Group in 2018 that the pair met in County Wicklow. A shared passion for food and nature lit a spark between the pair who quickly became an item. Having left their jobs to go travelling, it was while travelling in Asia – where kombucha was readily available – they would be inspired to later develop their business.
Ellen tells The Clare Echo, “When the pandemic hit, we found ourselves with our tails between our legs. We returned home and ended up living in a barn in a place called Hurstpierpoint in England, that’s where the name Hurst originated from. That’s where I would have started brewing and fermenting the kombucha”.
Ellen’s parents Paddy and Cora are the publicans at Katie O’Reilly’s in Clarecastle, and it is from here where the Hurst Botanicals business was established. From their botanical brewery, the couple ferment tea botanicals to create a light refreshing kombucha drink which is low in calories.
Ellen describes kombucha as an “adult soft drink. It’s like a non-alcoholic beer but light and refreshing. Because of the fermentation they produce antioxidants and probiotics so it’s good for your wellbeing as well”. Such is its popularity, people are beginning to choose it as their drink of choice on a night in the pub.
Their first nine months in business has been “a bit of a whirlwind”. Along with launching their online store, Hurst Botanicals were winners of the Grow With Aldi initiative which has since seen them stocked in 150 stores throughout Ireland for a one-off campaign. “It’s been a really busy year for us and we couldn’t have asked for a better start. To be stocked in 150 Aldi stores was incredible, to get our product out there across Ireland. We were staying up ‘til all hours most nights until 2-3am to fill the order”.
Ellen admits it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of her parents, neighbours and the local community. “We had locals coming in helping us moving pallets while they were having a few pints,” she laughs, adding, “It was just something else. I don’t think you’d get it anywhere else in the world, the help we got and we would not have been able to do it just the two of us”.
The campaign helped Ellen and Alex promote their business on Ireland AM and Newstalk and Ellen credits Local Enterprise Office, Clare with encouraging Hurst Botanicals to enter the competition. “From the very beginning when we moved home to Clarecastle we started chatting to Clare LEO and they outlined all the grants, aids and programmes that were available to us. For me, it was phenomenal to have such an aid when you are setting up a business. Ever since we made contact, they have been by our side, showing us everything they can help us with,” says Ellen.
Hurst Botanicals are available online and in stores and cafes across Limerick, Dublin and Clare (including Mondo, Sweet n Green, Sourdough Farrell and various shops including Centra). They have ambitious plans to expand their range next year and develop new products while on a personal level, Ellen quips that Alex is quickly getting to grips with life in Clarecastle.
“He’s really embraced it, all the locals know him now especially through the pub and he’s really slotted into Clarecastle life – more than I could have imagined or wished for. It’s a different culture [to England], I think we forget that sometimes and we have so much fun talking about that. He’s well able to go into the pub now and handle the comments and sly digs he gets and he’s well able to put it back to them!”
Hurst Botanical drinks come in three flavours, (Apple & Elderflower; Plum & Pear; and Wild Berries) are created using raw material sourced through Fair Trade with full traceability, an important ethos for Ellen and Alex who source most of their tea botanicals from Sri Lanka. “We feel it’s important to pay farmers Fair Trade prices so they can live a better life, that encompasses the people aspect of our sustainability. We are currently working on biodiversity projects locally as well. It’s really close to our hearts and the pillars of our brand”.
