Mama's Brew Shop: Expert advice helps local business taste success

This article references business support received through Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, which previously delivered the Government’s Regional Business Partner Network (RBP) programme in the Auckland region. These business support services can now be accessed through the Auckland Business Chamber, the RBP delivery partner from 1 July 2022.

Getting the right business support and advice helped Mama's Brew Shop co-founders take their product and their business to the next level.

"The help we received through Tātaki Auckland Unlimited has been one of the most significant factors for our business."

Liv McGregor and Rene Schliebs, Co-founders, Mama's Brew Shop.

Finding business support

"The people we've met through Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, finding out what support is actually available, that was a bit of an 'aha' moment," say Liv and Rene.

Ask for help – it's the only way you're going to meet the people who can actually help you, so it's been super beneficial in that respect."

Organic innovation

"We started Mama's Brew Shop about five years ago and we were just in the thick of having small children. We were both kombucha home brewers and we just thought there was a real place for a really nice non-alcoholic drink that still made you feel special.

We flavour our drinks with botanicals so that's beautiful organic herbs and spices; we don't use any juice or any fake sugars, so it's 100 per cent natural."

Expert advice

"We've had some really valuable advice through Tātaki Auckland Unlimited around capital raising and we've formed some good connections via that.

We worked last year with a business mentor who really helped with the launch of the hard kombucha, getting that marketing launch underway and getting that into supermarkets."

Row of cans and bottles of kombucha with Mama's Brew Shop label

Making the right connections

"Deb, our advisor from Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, introduced us to Callaghan Innovation and they put us in touch with Massey University and we're currently well into a fellowship grant with them.

Some initial test results that we've got back from that, are that our kombucha has the highest probiotic level of any kombucha on the market in New Zealand, so we're really proud of that."

How Tātaki Auckland Unlimited can help

"It's been really fun working with Liv and Rene," says Deb, the duo's Business and Innovation Advisor. "They're both very passionate about their business, very excited about the products and also really happy to work with the connections we've been putting them in touch with.

In the future it'd be really great to see them looking to export their products, really bring New Zealand products to the world stage."