Support Received: Croydon Enterprise Loan Fund

Location: Croydon, London

Website: www.nourishkefir.co.uk

Social Media: Facebook & Twitter

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Established in 2009 by Deborah Carr, Nourish Kefir is going from strength to strength.

We spoke to Deborah to discuss how she started her business and to find out exactly just what kefir is…

The Business

Kefir is a speciality yoghurt drink, made by Deborah and her team in Croydon. 100% natural and organic and of Russian origin, kefir is beginning to enter the UK market as a new must-have health food.

The yoghurt drink is produced from fresh organic cow’s milk and kefir grains, and is said to help relieve symptoms of Crohn’s Disease, IBS and other bowel conditions. Deborah herself struggled with Crohn’s Disease but knew when she started drinking kefir that it could potentially help others with similar problems. Deborah now credits drinking kefir with enabling her to re-introduce certain types of food back into her diet.

Originally selling to trade shows and shops, in 2009 Nourish Kefir set up their own production, certified by the Organic Food Federation. The team make fresh batches of Kefir in their Croydon kitchen four times per week, and now sell directly through their website and from several health food shops around the UK. Available in a multitude of flavours and varieties, Nourish Kefir will appeal to all tastes!

How the Croydon Enterprise Loan Fund helped

The Croydon Enterprise Loan Fund helped Deborah and Nourish Kefir relocate to larger premises to extend production and to purchase new equipment for the growing business, allowing them to meet the demands of the market. Deborah also spoke of the advantage of being Croydon-based, where they are at the gateway to London, whilst also being able to remain in the area local to Deborah and her team.

Deborah, would advise any budding entrepreneurs or business owners to “do what you love, and be passionate about it!”. She describes kefir as “the miracle milk drink”, and the testimonials on their website speak for themselves.

The Croydon Enterprise Loan Fund is a growth programme designed to support businesses in Croydon to access finance in order to start or grow a business

For more information on how you could follow in Deborah’s footsteps and set up your own Croydon-based enterprise, visit www.croydonloanfund.co.uk

Remember you can also follow Nwes on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up to date with all our latest business support and advice.