By Charlie Fulton
When it comes to energy drinks, most options involve excessively sugary and highly processed caffeine boosts. But for Greenock entrepreneur Kane Edwards, the founder of SPOT. Drinks, he decided there had to be another way.
After spending the past decade working in Scotland’s food and drink industry, Kane decided to see if he could create his own natural energy drink – made with yerba maté.
Originating in Paraguay, yerba maté is a tea-like drink made from the leaves of the Ilex paraguariensis plant. It naturally contains high levels of caffeine and theobromine, providing a smooth energy boost.
Traditionally, it is served in a hollowed-out gourd and sipped through a metal straw called a bombilla, often shared as part of a social ritual.
‘I’ve grown up all around the world, but was born and raised primarily in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire,’ Kane said.
‘I joined the food and beverage industry a decade ago as a barista at Costa, eventually working my way up to running my own café in Edinburgh after working for amazing specialty coffee shops such as Little Fitzroy.
‘Having been surrounded by excellent mentors in the industry, I really craved building something unique, premium and made with real, whole ingredients.’
Kane first discovered the South American drink seven years ago. But it wasn’t until his father gifted him a traditional bombilla and loose-leaf maté for his birthday that he truly understood the drink’s appeal.
‘Yerba maté by itself tastes like a richer, deeper version of green tea, but the effects are much more noticeable and steady,’ Kane said.
‘It feels like somewhere between matcha, green tea and coffee in terms of caffeine effect. ‘Energising without being overwhelming or susceptible to a massive crash.’
Now he has launched what is believed to be the first yerba maté drink to be produced in Scotland.
‘After looking at so many different caffeine sources, I found that the best fit, without adding any lab-made additives like L-theanine or L-tyrosine, which are incredibly hard to trace back to a farm, region or even producer, was yerba maté,’ Kane said.
‘I’ve had the idea of a holistic, traceable drinks company for six years, but once I landed on yerba maté, the idea really started to build itself out and every one of the now 50-something iterations of the recipe has led to where it is now.’
Kane’s flagship release, Solmaté, combines the gentle stimulating effects of yerba maté with a blend of hibiscus, elderberry, liquorice root, dandelion leaf, burdock root and acerola cherry in a crisp and refreshing (and environmentally conscious) tonic.
While UK regulations limit the health claims brands can make, yerba maté has traditionally been enjoyed across South America for its naturally stimulating qualities.
‘Its naturally uplifting qualities have historically been used to help relieve fatigue and support mental alertness, as well as overall energy and vitality,’ Kane said.
Transparency has become one of the company’s defining principles. Rather than relying on vague ingredient lists or artificial additives, Solmaté is brewed using six organic botanicals, two of which are FairWild-foraged from ancient forests, along with UK-grown, named-farm lion’s mane and organic yerba maté.
Everything is brewed in-house at the Baker Street Food & Drink Hub in Greenock, where each batch is steeped, chilled, lightly carbonated, canned and labelled by hand.
‘In a world full of everyone over-optimising, overdosing on irrelevant vitamins and underdosing on real, beneficial compounds, I felt lied to every time I saw “natural flavourings” or arbitrary smoke and mirrors around product formulation,’ he said.
‘I thought, surely it’s possible to craft a genuinely good, healthy product without holding any information back? So I did.
‘We use six organic botanicals, two of which are FairWild-foraged from ancient forests, along with UK-grown, named-farm lion’s mane and organic yerba maté.
‘It’s all brewed in-house, with no co-packers or scientists arguing about efficiency or commercial product viability.
‘We brew and craft every drink as a brand promise and will always make everything in-house and deliver full transparency on where our ingredients come from, why we use them, and that will never change.
‘The reaction so far has been amazing. All of the many taste-testers have loved it, with everyone really appreciating how different, real and rich the flavour is.
‘Putting something unique and tasty into people’s hands and onto shelves is the best part.
‘I would love to eventually build our own brewery, have a whole family of products, and be run and owned by employees, friends, family and our customers.
‘This company is a dream of mine, but it’s not just for me. I want SPOT to truly bring joy, health and prosperity to everyone involved, from the farms and producers to the customers and businesses we serve.’
Read more Producer’s Corner here.
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