Mother Root

Higson conceived the idea in 2015 during her first pregnancy, drawing on more than ten years of experience in the wine business, and founded the brand with the aim of changing how people think about alcohol-free drinks. Mother Root first reached the public in December 2018, when 180 bottles, produced by a small husband-and-wife-led manufacturer outside London, were sold at a Christmas market in Peckham.

The drinks take the form of full-strength drinking vinegars, labelled as such, a category the brand traces back to Ancient Greek tradition, built on a switchel recipe. Organic apple cider vinegar is the base ingredient, and Mother Root calls it its liquid seasoning. The vinegar is made through a two-stage fermentation process: apple juice is first converted into cider, then continues through a second stage into vinegar, a process that takes around two months in total. The apple cider vinegar is produced using a combination of culinary and bittersweet apples, champagne yeast, and a vinegar culture that dates back to the 1970s. Each drink contains four all-natural ingredients, including blossom honey and chilli, with no additives and no preservatives.

Mother Root has been certified by ClimatePartner and is distributed across multiple retail channels, with direct sales available through its own website.