From a gut feeling to start a business to making gut-boosting sauerkraut

A start-up success story: Savvy Ferments

People start their own business for various reasons, from fulfilling a lifelong passion project to a side hustle for extra income. At the Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Sussex we meet start-ups on daily basis with their unique ideas and stories and we are excited to support them on their business journeys.

One of these start-ups was Savvy Ferments, who came to us just after the pandemic for some business support and we have been following their journey and successes since. We sat down with them for a short interview and to share their story.

Can you introduce yourselves?

We are Savvy and Stevo, a husband and wife team based in Brighton, and our business is Savvy Ferments. We make unusual small batch flavours of raw unpasteurised sauerkraut.

What gave you the idea to start this business?

We started fermenting in the first lockdown to earn some extra money, as the pandemic affected our jobs and livelihood as it did for many people. Then we realised there was a fast-growing interest in raw fermented food in the city. We decided to combine our skills and go into business together – to make flavourful and gut-boosting ferments for the people of Brighton and beyond! Stevo is the brains behind our incredible and eye catching branding and I’m the queen of the flavours.

Why the name Savvy?

Savvy: Well, my name is Savita which is primarily a female name of Indian origin that means ‘Best In The Universe’ – yep hippie parents! And as my nickname is ‘Savvy’, it seemed serendipitous to call our kraut SavvyKraut which is of course…The Best in the Universe!

How did you learn to make sauerkraut?

Savvy: My food journey began in the 70’s. Born to hippie parents I was brought up on a vegetarian wholefood diet. Our house was always filled with the smell of spices, herbs, curries, and stews. I remember being at school in the 80s and feeling like a total freak with my rice cakes, tahini, and alfalfa sprout sandwich! 

Today though, I am so grateful for my healthy upbringing and how it has fuelled my love of nourishing food and bold flavours. As a sufferer of M.E., I have found eating fermented foods has had a profound improvement on my energy levels. I found lot of shop bought sauerkraut just wasn’t delivering on flavour so I started to make my own, using my love and knowledge of spices and flavour to make the sort of banging kraut my taste buds were crying out for.

Why is making sauerkraut important to you?

We believe that eating superfoods is integral to promoting good gut health and general wellbeing. It’s become scientific fact that eating raw & unpasteurised ferments such as kefir, kombucha, kimchi and kraut help to boost our immunity and are also excellent natural alternatives to taking probiotic supplements. 

We make live culture food that is delicious, nutritious, affordable and accessible to anyone wishing to improve their gut health. Making delicious flavours and showing people how to use it on the plate makes it so much more fun for everyone to begin to heal from the inside. 

We make our SavvyKraut sauerkraut in bi-monthly small batches so it’s always fresh. And with five banging flavours to choose from there’s a kraut for every tastebud! We are currently stocked in 20 shops & cafes across Brighton, Hove and Greater Sussex.

Where do you get ideas for new sauerkraut flavours?

Savvy: I am inspired by dishes I like to cook and I’m excited by all the possible combinations of herbs and spices you can use in fermented food. I don’t go for traditional flavours as I’m all about breaking the mould and pushing the boundaries of what people expect sauerkraut to taste like. For instance, I love Mexican food and use a lot of limes, jalapenos and paprika so this is what inspired my Jalapeno & Lime Savvykraut flavour.  

What is the best part about running Savvy Ferments and what have you most enjoyed?

There are many areas of the business that have been really rewarding but one of the big highlights has been seeing the reactions of people when they eat our SavvyKraut at the markets. Customers are naturally reticent as the idea of fermented cabbage is not particularly appealing but once people try it, they are blown away by the incredible flavours. Hearing people’s feedback first hand is really valuable. 

We’ve also learned so much about business and one another. Learning how to work together and enhance each other’s skills, Savvy as the inventor of the flavours and Stevo as the designer of the brand. We could not be at this point with the business without one another. It’s helped strengthen our belief that we can run a business well and make it a success. Learning how to work together to make delicious food has created massive new opportunities for us in a fantastic city that loves eating healthily! 

How did the Business & IP Centre Sussex help you on your business journey?

BIPC have given us expert guidance on how to grow our business sustainably. Initially through the Reset Restart Programme and then with follow on one-to-one sessions, we’ve become comfortable navigating areas of the business that we would otherwise have struggled to understand. 

The team are friendly, knowledgeable and have always gone out of their way to give the personalised support we’ve needed for our fermentation business! And we are SUPER proud to have been featured as a new Brighton business on this year’s promotional material to promote the incredible services of BIPC Sussex!

What does a typical day look like for you both, running your business?

Our mornings vary a lot depending on where we are in the month. Every morning starts with strong coffee and a catch-up on what’s to be done over the coming week. 

If it’s a ‘make’ week, we work out our ingredient requirements and decide which flavours we’ll make each day. Some flavours are more physical and also take longer to make, so we normally start the week with an easier make such as our Chilli Dilli Beets. By the end of the week we’ll be in full flow and so that’s when we take on the Tom Yum Thai which has the most prep and ingredients to consider.

If it’s a ‘jarring & labelling’ week then this too will be spread across a week we’re not making products. Our days either side of making and jarring are used for research & development, marketing, new business, and admin. 

Trying to keep our weekends free but this doesn’t always happen…ask our kids! 

What advice would you give someone starting a new business, or in general?

“Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.”

Where are you most likely to be found in Brighton?

At the beach with our kids, hiking across The Downs, exploring Stammer Park or checking out the amazing markets and independent stores and eateries around Brighton!

Seeing as BIPC Sussex is based in libraries… tell us what books have impacted you?

Jen Sincero – You Are A Badass
Will Bulsiewicz – Fibre Fuelled

What are your future plans for the business?

We’re really excited about growing our business to a nationwide scale, enabling people across the UK to try our smashing flavours. We are also developing some really exciting new fermented products which don’t yet exist in the UK food market. Watch this space! 

Would you like to be our next success story?

Get in touch with BIPC Sussex to book a free one-to-one session with one of our Information Specialist, so we can help you develop your business idea or grow your existing small business.

Visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/bipc or email bipc@brighton-hove.gov.uk