Nuria and Bea are two entrepreneurs from Extremadura who always wanted to bring something personal to their community.
While traveling the world, during a stop in California, Bea discovered Kombucha, a fermented tea drink from Asia with over 2,000 years of history. So, they decided:
"Let’s bring Kombucha to Spain!"
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha is the result of fermenting four ingredients. Through the combination of bacteria and yeast called scoby, the sugar in the tea is consumed, giving it its natural effervescence and resulting in this much-loved product.
It might seem like a coincidence that Komvida originated in Fregenal, Extremadura, but we believe there’s more to the story.
Before Bea discovered this beverage, her grandmother was already familiar with the tradition of fermenting tea, thanks to a recommendation from an Asian doctor in Madrid.
Back then, people in the village called it "The Fungus" and passed it from family to family as it grew from use. However, their process was quite rudimentary, and they couldn’t achieve the pleasant flavor that Komvida would later perfect.
Thus, “The Fungus” was somewhat forgotten in the village and did not get passed down through generations as the product everyone in Fregenal knows today.
But this wasn’t the end of the love story between Fregenal and Kombucha. The fact that the village's slogan is "Fregenal gives you life" and that this drink is known as "The elixir of life" seems too much of a coincidence.
"We’ve always wanted to be from the village and the world."
It was with this desire to explore the world that Komvida began its journey.
During one of their trips to California, Bea discovered Kombucha and wanted to bring it back to her village. To her surprise, her grandmother was already familiar with it, and "The Fungus" returned to Extremadura.
Although not without some difficulties, as Bea’s mother thought the bacteria her daughter sent from California would escape from the jar and ruin the parquet flooring.
After a few more explanations and plenty of laughter, the girls managed to start their first production in the attic of their home.
At first, they produced up to 130 liters, and the product was a hit among the neighbors. Its probiotic properties and pleasant taste were finally winning everyone over.
The benefits of Kombucha
Regular consumption of Kombucha is believed to help regenerate and balance gut flora, increase antioxidants, assist in the elimination of toxins, improve heart risk markers, reduce blood sugar levels, and much more.
By 2019, they were already producing more than 24,000 liters of Kombucha in a warehouse, and Fregenal de la Sierra had become the village that consumes the most Kombucha per square meter in all of Europe.
The best part is that all the production takes place in their hometown. This has helped boost local commerce and reduce unemployment, as well as introduce a healthy habit—drinking Kombucha—among Fregenal’s residents.
Let’s not forget that Komvida was one of the first companies to sell the product online within Europe.
In 2021, with great care, they took Komvida from the attic to their first flagship store in Madrid. With the philosophy of maintaining the product’s authenticity and bringing it to the capital, they aim to promote its benefits and share the millennia-old history of this natural probiotic.
The store is a space to share Komvida's values, bring the brand and product to more people, and bring the essence of the village to every corner of the world.
This is exactly what we do at Optima Retail—we help bring your brand to the world, solve unexpected issues, open new stores, provide all kinds of maintenance services, and much more, so you can focus on what you do best: taking care of your product and your customers.