When friends Oliver Dickinson (right) and Rory Paterson discovered that chia seeds could not only cure a hangover, but also boost energy levels and improve skin and hair, it was a natural step to creating their own juice. Now, Wow Chia is stocked in Selfridges and Planet Organic and has the first and only licence to manufacture a chia seed drink in the EU
What inspired you both to come up with your own chia drink?
We were flying to Dusseldorf for a three-day Karneval street party and picked up some chia after a caring friend told us it would help with our hangover, which was inevitably fast approaching (needless to say it helped!). Once the seeds have been hydrated in liquid, they pass on the gesture and hydrate you slowly and consistently. On top of that, we also noticed a general increase in our wellbeing and energy levels. To find something that had a real impact was exciting and we knew very quickly that we wanted to share this with other people.
Why has Chia become the ingredient of the moment?
Because it has a real impact on people’s well-being. We often run to the shops to try a new fad, but alas we notice no change. After incorporating chia into your diet, you notice a genuine increase relatively quickly in your energy, your skin and your hair.
How do you differ from other drinks in the industry?
We have created the most premium juice possible. Plus, we are the only company that can actually make chia seed drinks – a somewhat daunting feat which took us 17 months and required the approval of all 28 European member states; we’ve offered ourselves to David Cameron to help with his EU referendum, but as yet have had no reply.
Our overarching desire was to make something special that went far beyond just one of your five a day. As a result of the chia when you compare us to any other drink brand, we always have substantially more fibre, more minerals and vitamins (magnesium, iron and Omega-3), more protein and less sugar. This is why we refer to our drinks as ‘no ordinary juice’.
When you drink a ‘normal’ juice that has been heat pasteurised, you are pretty much just consuming a sugary drink. The fibre has been destroyed along with much of the mineral and vitamin content. Cold-press, like we do, should be the only way.
We have also worked hard to keep ourselves dynamic. All of our production is done in batches and only after we have selected – by hand – the best quality fruit. A couple of times we have delayed an entire production because we were not happy that the fruit was as perfect as it could be. Before deciding on where to work, we payed visits to a lot of drink production facilities where often there was not one single person present; you would find robots and machines pumping boiled juice through pipes. We knew from the offset that was something we did not want.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Getting the mix of the drinks just right. We were excited to launch, but we just could not do that until we were happy with the recipes we had created, and this took us about five months. The difference in a 250ml bottle between 20ml and 21ml of mango juice, for example, is surprising.
What does your blend contain?
Our drinks are 250ml and contain 11.36g of the best quality white chia seed. This combination is just right and you will also find it is large enough to take the edge off your hunger.
We go to great lengths to source the best chia possible and subsequently partnered with Don Chia, who owns a superbly run and well sustained farm in Bolivia. We found the prospect of passing all that time and dedication through a heat pasteurisation process criminal, so we sourced a drink producer who could work with us to create a cold-pressed blend of the ripest possible fruit. Because the presence of chia lowers the overall sugar content, we were able to keep the drinks tasting fruity and vibrant.
Where can we find Wow Chia?
Here in the UK you can find us in Selfridges, Wholefoods, Planet Organic and Cojean, along with a number of other independents.
What’s next? Do you have any exciting projects in the pipeline?
We are launching quickly across Europe. Our largest market is Germany, where we have an office in Berlin and Dusseldorf. We should be in stores across Benelux and France in the next couple of months, too. Exciting product development is at our core and we are going to be launching additional drink flavours alongside some other products to be found outside of the drinks fridge.
What is your everyday luxury?
Oliver: My everyday luxury is a small slice of Gruyère cheese every morning at 6am before my pre-work gym session… considerably tastier than a protein shake!
Rory: Working between London, Berlin and Dusseldorf ― three fantastic places to work and enjoy.
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