This Fredericton Startup Is Reimagining The Adult Drink
FREDERICTON – Lucinda Hughey is entering the non-alcoholic beverage market with a line of healthy alternatives that taste great and spare people the headaches that come with the alcoholic ones.
Her new product, Kensho Botanic Elixr, are drinks targeted for adults that are free of alcohol, calories, carbs, gluten, and animal products.
“It’s something you can either mix with something else or you can mix with alcohol if you want to reduce the amount of alcohol,” said Hughey. “They also work as stand-alone drinks.”
Hughey’s company, Satisfied Fox Estates, is working on several products that serve as an alternative to apértifs and digestifs – drinks typically enjoyed before or after a meal. She compares her drinks to vermouth and Campari and has developed a chocolate dessert drink.
“I don’t want people to be stuck comparing the product to alcoholic beverages,” Hughey said. “I’d like it to be familiar, but it doesn’t have to be the same.”
The goal of the product is to provide an alternative to sugary drinks, infusions, and flavoured water.
Right now, Hughey operates out of her home. Her husband, David Burns, works as a chemistry professor of chemistry at UNB and helped develop the product with Hughey after she sought an alternative for drinking wine.
After doing a marketing accelerator program with UNB in Fall 2019, Hughey realized there was a market for non-alcoholic adult beverages.
“I thought, ‘I think I can make a business out of this,’” she said.
She then attended the Summer Institute at UNB where she developed the product and the company.
“I knew so little about business. I have lots of ideas but how to go about actually starting a business and how to make the right contacts to get the information you need?” Hughey said.
“Now I have a place to start. I’m not by myself in a little vacuum. It’s super exciting!”
Hughey is hoping to begin selling her product in January. Due to the pandemic, there have been setbacks to her original timeline.
“It’s really hard to do tastings in a pandemic,” Hughey said.
Regardless, Hughey has big plans for the future of Satisfied Fox Estates.
“I’m an artist too so the plan is to ultimately open a gallery and a space where you can have workshops, host things, and people can see how Kensho is made and maybe make their own,” Hughey said.
Hughey is also developing a line of vegan foods, including vegan fondue.
For now, Hughey is working on trademarking the name Kensho, working with the Canada Food Inspection Agency, and with bio food tech to ensure the product’s ready for market.
“I moved to Fredericton as a retired person, my son has moved away from home, and my husband goes to work. What do I do during the day?” Hughey said. “Now I have this huge network od people and it’s wonderful.”
Liam Floyd is a reporter for Huddle. Send him story suggestions: [email protected].