In November this year, a new startup entered the UK soft drinks market: Spraga. The brand specialises in kombucha — a fermented tea-based beverage produced using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY).
According to the company’s owner, fintech investor Nykyta Izmaylov , the United Kingdom was chosen as the export destination due to being Europe’s most promising and fastest-growing market.
“Interest in gut health and fermented products is growing in the UK, and we see strong potential for the kombucha category. Around 67% of consumers here are already trying to reduce sugar intake, so our product range fits naturally into this trend,” Izmaylov says.
Official statistics support his assessment. According to Grand View Research, the UK non-alcoholic drinks market is expected to approach USD 83 billion as early as this year.
The kombucha segment itself was valued at USD 170–183 million (£135–144 million) in 2024, with growth potential of USD 540–550 million (£400–430 million) by 2033. There is clearly a market worth competing for.
However, competition will not be easy. Major producers such as Equinox Kombucha, MOMO Kombucha, GO Kombucha and others are already present. Craft producers are also competing actively for British consumers, having secured listings in supermarkets and key retail channels, effectively making them mass-market players.
According to Izmaylov, Spraga’s key differentiator lies in taste.
“When we created Spraga, we wanted to prove that a healthy drink can also be genuinely delicious,” he says.
In Ukraine, Spraga is considered a market leader. According to company estimates, it holds around 25% of the country’s highly competitive kombucha market. In 2024, the brand reaffirmed its leadership position by receiving the prestigious “Brand of the Year” award in its category. Today, Spraga products are available at more than 1,600 retail locations across Ukraine.
The brand’s story began in 2014 as an Instagram-based startup focused on producing a range of healthy food products. In 2016, Nykyta Izmaylov joined the project as an investor. At the end of 2019, he appointed a new CEO to lead the company’s transformation — Oleksandr Hubarenko, who had previously managed the Moldovan berry and fruit processing plant Tiferet.
Following this shift, kombucha became the company’s flagship product. The brand underwent a rebranding and was renamed Spraga, a Ukrainian word meaning “thirst”. Until 2022, the project developed dynamically, with more than USD 7 million invested in expansion. Spraga kombucha was sold through thousands of outlets across leading Ukrainian retail chains (FOZZY GROUP, Auchan, MegaMarket, Good Wine), as well as Multiplex cinemas, SOCAR petrol stations and other channels.
The war, however, changed everything. On 24 February 2022, production was halted, and the company’s facilities were used as a headquarters by the Ukrainian military. Some employees volunteered to join the armed forces.
Despite this, the investors did not give up. By April 2022, the company had launched its first production facility, and by May had fully restored operations. The first post-war batch of kombucha was delivered to retailers in June. According to Nykyta Izmaylov, by 2026 Spraga plans to increase its turnover in Ukraine to UAH 500 million.
Spraga carried out pilot export shipments to the Baltic states even before the war. In 2025, the company made the strategic decision to enter the fast-growing UK market.
The launch range includes four flavours: Original, Ginger & Lemon, Pomegranate, and Apple & Pear, which are already available in craft coffee shops across London.
In addition, the drinks are now available on Amazon and via the brand’s official website, as well as through the British health food distributor CLF.
Spraga has entered the UK market with strong initial momentum. The brand’s kombucha received a gold medal for innovation at the UK’s leading professional food-to-go and fast-casual industry exhibition, LUNCH!, held annually in London.
According to Nykyta Izmaylov, Spraga’s next goal is international expansion. In 2026, the company plans to strengthen its position in the UK, secure listings in national retail chains, and launch sales in Spain, Germany, Portugal and the Czech Republic.
For Spraga, entry into the UK market represents an opportunity to establish a foothold in Europe, where the kombucha segment is still taking shape. At the same time, Izmaylov notes that the company is already evaluating the US kombucha market, which is growing at around 16% annually, as well as the Middle East, a region traditionally characterised by strong demand for non-alcoholic beverages.
