Published on 1st January 2026

A family-run drinks company in Washington continues to go from strength-to-strength, thanks not only to demand for its products, but also its positive impact on society.

Holos, based on the Wiston estate, produce a growing range of all-natural kombucha. From humble beginnings, the business has steadily expanded and recently took a giant leap forward by partnering with Waitrose.  

It is run by a dynamic quartet comprised of two married couples: Tom and Naomi Partridge and their good friends Joseph and Megan Landreth-Smith. Each brings their own unique experience to the team, although the initial spark came from the wives... 

Naomi recalls: ‘I joined an international project that helps women who have been victims of trafficking, slavery and abuse. I met Megan for the first time at Heathrow, as she was the only other British person working on the project in Cambodia. We had the most incredible experience, working with exploited women in the capital, Phnom Penn. Women we met were keen to escape their situation and, like the rest of us, simply wanted a regular income to house, feed and educate their children. 

‘One woman we met had experience of nail treatments, so we bought her some basic equipment and she started to turn her life around by offering treatments at our hotel. Ultimately, we helped place her five children in education and it felt amazing to transform lives in that way. It demonstrated to us the power of employment when it comes to helping people. 

‘Megan remained in Cambodia for another six months, while I worked for the Sophie Hayes Foundation, which also helps women trafficked for sexual exploitation. After we had both returned to the UK, we met up and talked about ideas. Could we create our own business that – in its blueprint – is designed to provide opportunities and help people emerge from terrible situations?’

AN IDEA BREWS…

The two friends needed a product that would provide them with good market visibility and a platform to make a positive social impact. It also needed to have the potential to create a variety of jobs, from manufacturing and packaging to sales and marketing. One product ticked every box... 

Megan first tasted kombucha in Phnom Penn when an American friend suggested it might help her overcome a bout of illness. She became a convert when kombucha – a fermented drink made from tea, sugar and a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast) – helped her recover. Meanwhile, Naomi had spent a year in the States and seen kombucha’s popularity soar. So, they hatched a plan... 

Megan said: ‘We felt that demand for kombucha would continue to grow in the UK, which has proved to be the case. Our initial ideas were quite naïve, but what we did establish was a clear mission for the business.' 

With their own children to look after, they needed help running the company, which is where Naomi’s husband Tom enters the fray. Tom said: ‘They felt we would need to produce at least 35,000 bottles a year for the business to be viable. I was working in wind energy at the time, but decided to go part-time to head production at Holos, to see if we could establish a foothold for the business. 

‘I didn’t like the first kombucha that I tasted. However, that made me want to create a drink that a wider audience would appreciate. I felt some of the established brands were leaning heavily on kombucha’s health benefits. They were like apple cider vinegar, in that you would only really drink it because it was good for you, not because you actually wanted it! So, my motivation wasn’t the social impact aspects of the business – wonderful as they are. I am striving for excellence, in terms of what we produce.  

‘We developed our own techniques using particular teas, searching for the right balance with the sugars before perfecting precise methods of fermentation to give us a consistent brew. I like everything to be as clean as possible, using organic ingredients, so we can make a healthy drink that people actually enjoy.’  

ON YOUR MARKS

In 2018, Holos secured support from a social impact accelerator programme, which provided enough funding to establish a unit in Earlsfield, London for small-scale production. However, it didn’t offer space for growth and when both couples moved to Sussex, they began searching for a new premises between London and Brighton. Joseph was playing football near the Wiston estate when he stumbled upon new business units that fit the criteria. Holos made the move in January 2020, weeks before the first lockdown.  

Having initially wondered how they would ever fill the unit – which was several times larger than the previous one – Joseph soon found himself with more time to work on a solution, as Covid wiped out his regular work as an event photographer. Devoting his attention to Holos, he soon found that his flair for marketing complemented Tom’s manufacturing and engineering background.  

With all four members of the team contributing, Holos made strides in the marketplace. After consulting with business specialists, they established a network of industry contacts and attained food safety accreditation, including SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval) and Soil Association certification. This helped them secure a contract to supply Marks & Spencer. At that time, its biggest tank could hold only 100 litres. So, when the first M&S order came through for 11,000 units, Holos had to invest in chilled tanks and a new bottling line to meet the sudden increase in demand. 

Joseph said: ‘M&S tried many different kombuchas and said that ours was the best they tasted. At the time, our range included Ginger and Hibiscus, Basil and Mint, and Citra Hops. We also had a Strawberry and Vanilla flavour, which has since been replaced by Raspberry and Elderflower. When we released Citra hops, it really shook up the UK kombucha market by winning 3 Stars at the Great Taste Awards.  

‘Until that point, kombucha brands had typically gone down one of two routes: they either made authentic kombucha, producing a polarising drink that was often very cloudy due to the active fermentation process; or they were making a diluted form of sparkling kombucha in a can that didn’t have the traditional health benefits. We created something that had the best of both. It tasted and looked great, but was also authentic and organic. So, when we won the 3-Star Great Taste award, it really put us on the map, as until that point, we were minnows in the market.’

THE REAL DEAL

In 2025, Holos launched a new range of canned organic sparkling tea to appeal to a different market. These include Jasmine Hops (Jasmine tea and Citra hops), Rooibos Ginger (Rooibos tea and ginger juice) and Cucumber Mint (Oolong tea and mint natural flavouring). Already, these contemporary products have attracted new clients including Ocado and Mindful Chef, and have even been sampled at Meta’s UK offices.  

Like its classic bottled range, the cans have a base in kombucha – a living, fermented tea that’s rich in organic acids and beneficial compounds. Probiotic content supports good gut health, while antioxidants in the tea can protect against cell damage. Other possible benefits include improved digestion, while anecdotal evidence has linked the drink to better heart health.  

Tom says: ‘Kombucha is probiotic, while the sparkling tea is prebiotic, as we use ingredients such as agave inulin, which create fuel for your gut bacteria. So, they literally feed off each other to improve your gut health and digestion. When it comes to the health benefits of kombucha, more research needs to be done to assess its full impact, as some claims made elsewhere are purely speculative or anecdotal.  

‘However, there is a clear link with gut health and people like (medical doctor) Tim Spector are big advocates of fermented foods. Some people have had bad experiences with kombucha in the past. One overseas brand flooded the market with a diluted product that contained very little kombucha, which tainted perceptions of the drink in the UK. Other brands followed suit, leaving many people confused as to what kombucha is or should be. That is something we are helping to change.’

MULLED OVER

With a range of organic kombucha, organic sparkling teas and – for a limited time only – a Mulled Spice Christmas kombucha – Holos now distributes across the UK, with products available in Whole Foods Market, Yo Sushi, Waterstones and Amazon Prime. For the first time, its products are available at a major supermarket too. Since November, Waitrose has offered three of its bottled kombuchas at 32 stores, including Horsham. If the trial is successful, Holos could be available at its stores across the country.   

Its benefits go beyond gut health too, as Holos has stayed true to Megan and Naomi’s original vision. Megan said: ‘We make a positive difference in two ways. Firstly, we provide paid work opportunities, usually through referrals from charitable organisations. These placements can last from just a month or two, right up to a year, providing a stepping stone for someone who has experienced trauma or exploitation.  

‘Additionally, we assigned 25% of the company shares to the Holos Foundation, our charitable arm. Already, we have provided a grant to a woman who previously worked with us to undergo therapy to aid her recovery. As we grow the business we grow the charity too, reaching more and more people. Currently our focus is the local area, as an estimated 100,000 people are impacted by exploitation in the UK alone, including refugees and asylum seekers.

‘We want to meet the need in front of us before we start to look at needs elsewhere. We are trying to achieve this growth while simultaneously raising families too. While Tom and Joseph push on with the business, Naomi and I are still involved in making the key decisions. There’s a strong synergy between us and the ongoing success of Holos will depend on everyone.’

WORDS: Ben Morris / PHOTOS: Alan Wright

Further information:

You can purchase products on the website at www.holoskombucha.com