Healthy Hooch Kombucha
Abbotsford, BC
‘Kombucha Kids’— a nice little nickname Healthy Hooch Kombucha founders Shoshauna and Will Routley were given by their neighbors, because, well, they love kombucha. Shoshauna and Will are professional cyclists turned kombucha brewers. They've spent the last 12 years traveling together, training and racing, and this year was as good as any to switch gears.
Eleven years ago they rented a basement suite and planted their first garden. As a Whistler boy, Will didn’t have a lot of experience with growing his own veggies, but he took to it immediately. Shoshauna grew up in the Fraser Valley on acreage and acquired a degree in horticulture about 10 years ago. For her a garden was no novelty, but she enjoyed how new and satisfying it was for Will. It made them realize they had a passion for real food, and of course health and wellness. Through the growth of that tiny garden, their dream of one day owning our own property sprouted. Three years ago they made it happen.?
They bought a small farm in Abbotsford and started growing and selling some of their produce. As they continued to race and travel full time, they filled their days at home, renovating a 75-year-old house and doing farm work. They started growing and selling garlic. They juiced and bottled their own grapes and apples. They made jams out of their raspberries and currents. They grew and sold winter squash. They distributed blueberries. And most recently, they co-raised ten pastured pigs and sold pork throughout the Sea-to-Sky corridor. Some ideas worked and some were more work than they were worth, but with their own property they were finally able to bring some of their obscure passions and ideas to life.
This past spring while training in Southern California, Shoshauna and Will committed to the idea of brewing Kombucha, a drink they incorporated into their daily lives for years. They set the wheels in motion, researching everyday after training, learning as much as possible about this drink they loved so much.
Starting their business happened naturally. As cyclists, they are fueled by internal motivation. They know what it takes to crack the whip, brave the elements, and push through the pain to reach our goals. They will tackle their business with the same perseverance and strength.
Healthy Hooch Kombucha is Shoshauna and Will's way of contributing to the local and organic community. They’re sick of foods that make us sick! So they’re producing health conscious products that taste just as good as they make us feel, mind, body and soul.