From Home-based To Global Stage, WonderBrew Aims To Double Production Next Year

By Fatin Umairah Abdul Hamid

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 (Bernama) -- Homegrown “kombucha” or fermented tea producer WonderBrew aims to double production in 2026 as it scales up innovation and outlined its strategy to extend its footprint across Southeast Asia, founder and chief executive officer Joseph Poh said.

He said since its inception in 2018, WonderBrew has sold more than 1.5 million bottles and is exploring opportunities to penetrate the Singaporean and Indonesian markets as part of its regional growth strategy.

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Hence, the brand continues to focus on innovation both in flavours and development of new products, he said.

Asked on WonderBrew’s journey, Poh recalled meeting his co-founder and chief operating officer, Loke Boon Eng, at a kombucha workshop eight years ago where the two embarked on a steep, uncharted journey, mastering everything from the craft of brewing to distribution and wholesale.

“We had no prior knowledge of kombucha or business,” he told Bernama in an interview recently.

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From a humble home kitchen in Subang Jaya, WonderBrew has grown steadily, expanding to a small shoplot in Kelana Jaya to a full-fledged manufacturing hub in Bandar Sunway, Selangor now, he said.

The hub houses three tanks, each capable of producing 10,000 bottles, enough to cover two days of sales at a daily rate of 5,000 bottles, he said.

It has grown to become the country's leading kombucha producer, with more than 2,000 retail touchpoints across supermarkets, convenience stores, cafés, hotels and restaurants nationwide.

Hence, the recent recognition at the World Kombucha Awards 2025 where the brand emerged as one of the biggest winners, clinching one Gold, four Silvers, and one Bronze across the Taste and Design categories, adding another feather to the company’s growth, said Poh.

"For us to be able to achieve something like that and be recognised on a global stage, we are actually quite surprised that we managed to win a total of six titles. We were only expecting maybe a few, so that was beyond our expectations," he said.

The winning entries comprised one Gold (Taste) for its best-selling Passionfruit Mint Kombucha, three Silvers (Taste) for Nihon Green Tea, Mango Jasmine and Raspberry Lemon Jun Tea, one Silver (Design) for Nihon Green Tea in the World’s Best Bottle Design category, and one Bronze (Taste) for Pink Guava Jun Tea.

The World Kombucha Awards, now in its third year and organised in collaboration with Kombucha Brewers International, is a globally recognised benchmark for quality and creativity in the rapidly growing kombucha industry.

This year's edition was its most competitive yet, featuring 360 entries from 39 countries competing for top honours in 22 distinct categories, up from 250 entries in 2024.

He said the awards augur well for WonderBrew’s plan to promote kombucha to more Malaysians, boosting local brands and consumer confidence.

-- BERNAMA