No.1 Living (www.no1living.com) is the brainchild of rugby icon Jonny Wilkinson; with a strapline that reads “Full of Life”, No.1's mission is to create revitalising drinks that are alive with beneficial cultures and are accessible to all. With the nation ever more conscious of their immunity, diet and overall mental and physical wellbeing, No.1 Living wanted to offer functional support to help Britons live life to its fullest. Having launched with a range of bottled Kombucha in 2018, October 2020 sees the range expand to include a selection of functional Kombucha Health Shots (RRP £2, per 60ml bottle) and two new light and refreshing, sparkling Water Kefirs (RRP £2, per 330ml bottle).

More people are trying to live healthily as a result of coronavirus; during lockdown consumers have prioritised food that is healthy and immunity supporting[1]. According to a study of 23,000 consumers, 63% are more conscious of their overall health as a result of coronavirus; 80% of those surveyed are planning to eat and drink more healthily and over half want to reduce their sugar intake[2]. No.1 Living Kombucha Health Shots offer a quick and invigorating boost to functional health[3]; starting with a kombucha base, already containing a range of organic acids, No.1 add 2bn active live cultures and a prebiotic fibre which ensures each shot is formulated to be great for your gut health[4]. The shots are further enhanced with vitamins and minerals carefully chosen to support normal gut, immune and brain health.

The Gut & Immune Kombucha Health Shot with Ginger, Grapefruit & Lemon contains Vitamin C (100% NRV) from natural acerola and Vitamin D3[5] (500% NRV) from the addition of algae, both of which are essential to support immune health. 

The Gut & Brain Kombucha Health Shot with Elderberry, Blueberry & Açai contains iodine (100% NRV) through the addition of Scottish seaweed, which supports cognitive health (including memory, attention and concentration), as well as Vitamins B3, B6, B7 & B12 (100% NRV), which help invigorate, energise and support psychological health.

The shots are 100% natural, low in sugar, vegan and they're elegantly presented in sustainable mini glass bottles with recycled plastic labels. Best served chilled. 

No.1 Living's in-house Registered Nutritionist and Food Scientist, Philippa Wallis, says of the new shots, “Our shots pack a phenomenal amount of good stuff into a tiny bottle, meaning you get a huge amount of nutrition for a relatively low amount of calories. Each shot contains over eight times the amount of fibre and approximately 80% less sugar per 100ml, compared to an average strawberry & banana smoothie[6]. With 90% of us not getting the recommended daily amount of fibre of 30g each day[7], we wanted to develop a product that helped consumers increase their fibre intake that could easily be incorporated into a healthy balanced diet.  By providing fibre in a drink format, meaning that you can get your fibre on the go at any time of day, and stay hydrated, which helps fibre to do its job properly. The prebiotic fibre and live bacteria (bacillus coagulans) naturally complement each other in terms of their health benefits: prebiotic chicory inulin is selectively fermented by beneficial bacteria living in the gut and scientifically proven to support digestive health, whilst bacillus coagulans, is proven to reach the gut alive and can help fortify the gut microbiome. The fermentation process used to make our kombucha naturally produces vitamins, but we have added extra vitamins and minerals so we have enough in each bottle to have a significant effect on brain and immune health, which our customers are telling us is hugely important for them right now.”

Philippa adds, “Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables[8], but many of us struggle to achieve our five a day. So we have added acerola, as a natural source of vitamin C, to our immune shot, along with Vitamin D3 – a more bioavailable form of Vitamin D than Vitamin D2. Government advice is that everyone should consider taking a daily supplement of 10 micrograms Vitamin D, especially when exposure to sunlight is limited. One of our shots provides two and a half times this amount. We added iodine to our Gut & Brain Shot, as iodine can be tricky to get hold of from your diet, especially if you don't eat fish or dairy. Over two thirds of women in the UK have iodine deficiency, which is worrying. Iodine is an essential mineral needed to make thyroid hormones, which control our metabolism, how fast and effectively our cells work and it also plays a key role in cognitive health. Seaweed is the only plant-based source of iodine so we have added a controlled amount to provide a consistent and safe amount of iodine along with B vitamins proven to support normal psychological health.”

Tim Lennox, CEO of No.1 Living, says, “We're excited that No.1 Living is the first brand that has addressed the needs of the nation by creating an extremely easy drink format that enables consumers to address their health needs - which are heightened during the current pandemic - a kombucha based shot with the addition of live cultures, fibre, vitamins and minerals that are proven to improve gut, immune and brain health. Simply the most advanced shots on the market right now anywhere in the world.” 

Also launching this October is Water Kefir, a dairy-free alternative to milk-based kefir and a caffeine-free alternative to kombucha; No.1 Living Water Kefir is a lightly sparkling fermented drink with added live cultures. Choose from aromatic Strawberry Water Kefir with Rhubarb and quenching Lemon Water Kefir with Yuzu & Mint. The recipe combines water kefir with lemon juice and apple cider vinegar to create a refreshing, lightly sparkling soft drink that is 100% natural, sugar free and packed with live cultures, clocking in at only 4kcals per 100ml. Served in smart and sustainable glass bottles, the delicate flavour makes the Water Kefirs an excellent accompaniment to food and an ideal alternative to your favourite cocktail. Always serve chilled.

Resident nutritionist Philippa says, “We have kept our kefir water deliciously simple. Like our kombucha, it is made using a scoby (a symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast) in the form of kefir grains – translucent crystals of bacteria and yeasts that ferment the sugar, converting it into a range of organic acids, vitamins and enzymes. Unlike our kombucha, our kefir water is caffeine free, and therefore a suitable and refreshing drink for all the family.”

No.1 Living Kombucha Health Shots and No.1 Living Water Kefir are rolling out now to Sainsbury's, www.no1living.com and Amazon, alongside the full No.1 Living Kombucha range; more stockists coming soon!

For more information, please visit www.no1living.com

Notes to Editors

No.1 Living Benefits*

• Live cultures
• Functional health benefits (kombucha shots only)
• Vegan
• 100% natural
• Sugar free (Kefir waters only)
• Low sugar (Kombucha health shots only)
• Low calorie (kefir waters only)
• Dairy & gluten free
• Sustainably packaged
• Authentically brewed

* See individual product labels for specific benefits

The No.1 Living Range

• NEW Strawberry Water Kefir with Rhubarb (£2, per 330ml glass bottle)
• NEW Lemon Water Kefir with Yuzu & Mint (£2, per 330ml glass bottle)
• NEW Gut & Immune Health Kombucha Shot with Ginger, Grapefruit & Lemon (£2, per 60ml glass bottle)
• NEW Gut & Brain Health Kombucha Shot with Elderberry, Blueberry & Açai (£2, per 60ml glass bottle)
• CLASSIC Great Taste Award winning Canned Kombucha (£1.50, per 250ml can; £3.95 per 4-pack)
  • Ginger, Raspberry, Passion Fruit, Lemonade & Cola
• CLASSIC Great Taste Award winning Bottled Kombucha (£1.75, per 250ml bottle; £3.50, per 750ml)
  • Ginger, Raspberry, Passion Fruit, Lemonade & Cola

The No.1 Living Story

No.1 Living craft great tasting drinks that, quite literally, put life into the body. Based on a living diet, the drinks contain live cultures and are, uniquely refreshing and accessible to everybody.

Founder Jonny Wilkinson says, "I've always been committed to the understanding that if I truly let go and allow to engage fully with 'right now', I give myself the best chance for the future. The number one priority in this idea is wellbeing. What and how I eat, drink and feel is all connected. No.1 Living is based on this idea: the simple notion that by putting our wellbeing first, and improving the quality of what we put into our body, we get more out of life. Creating living drinks is the perfect vehicle to convey this message and to share how it has worked me. I wanted to offer something that makes it easier for everyone to benefit from a living diet and from the advantages of consuming foods that work with the body." 

Since his playing days Jonny has shifted his focus from fitness to a broader view on health, with an understanding of the role of what you eat and drink can have on your mental and physical wellbeing. Jonny and his wife Shelley are huge advocates of living foods, incorporating them into their diet on a daily basis. Jonny launched No.1 Living to make it easier for everyone to start consuming living foods, hence No.1 Living's focus on great-tasting products! 

Find No.1 Living on social media:

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/no1livingdrinks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/No1LivingDrinks

Instagram: www.instagram.com/no1livingdrinks

To request samples or interviews, please contact Right Hand PR:

Alex Godfrey: alex@right-hand.co // 07739 804 670

[1] Nielsen, May 2020

[2] Research carried about by FMCG Gurus in May 2020

[3] The Gut & Brain Shot is high in iodine and B vitamins, which support normal cognitive and psychological health. The Gut & Immune shot is high in Vitamins D and C, which support normal function of the immune system

[4] Containing 4.25g chicory inulin, which contributes to normal gut health function by increasing stool frequency. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily consumption of 12g chicory inulin, obtained by the combination of this drink and other sources of chicory inulin

[5] Vitamin D supplementation is recommended by the UK government to help combat Covid https://www.nice.org.uk/advice/es28/chapter/Key-messages

[6] The nutritional content of No.1 Living shots was compared per 100ml with a range of strawberry and banana smoothies available in UK supermarkets in September 2020. The average sugar content of the smoothies was 10.7g/100ml and fibre content was 0.8g/100ml. Compared to the Kombucha Shots with an average sugar content of 2.25g/100ml and fibre content of 6.5g/100ml

[7] NDNS survey Results from Years 7 and 8 (combined) of the Rolling Programme (2014/2015 to 2015/2016)

[8] In 2018, only 28% of adults were eating the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day – and the average (mean) was 3.7 portions per day (Health Survey for England 2018)