A breathtaking conversation with GT Dave, entrepreneur and founder of GT’s Kombucha creator of the Global Bottled Kombucha category on living a vibrant life, bringing real kombucha to the world, fermented foods, mushrooms, plant medicines, future health trends and more Bio: GT Dave is an American businessman who is the founder and CEO of the Kombucha company GT’s Living Foods/ GT's Kombucha. In the late 1990s, he was the first to put kombucha on store shelves and his company currently owns 40% of the U.S. kombucha market.
A breathtaking conversation with GT Dave, entrepreneur and founder of GT’s Kombucha creator of the Global Bottled Kombucha category on living a vibrant life, bringing real kombucha to the world, fermented foods, mushrooms, plant medicines, future health trends and more
Bio:
GT Dave is an American businessman who is the founder and CEO of the Kombucha company GT’s Living Foods/ GT's Kombucha. In the late 1990s, he was the first to put kombucha on store shelves and his company currently owns 40% of the U.S. kombucha market.
Dave was the first to put kombucha on store shelves. His first sale of kombucha (which he marketed as GT's Kombucha) was to Erewhon Natural Foods in 1995, when he sold two cases (24 bottles) which nearly sold out in the first day. From his bedroom, he would call buyers, distributors and store owners, using different voices to pose as different employees.
He continued to homebrew kombucha in his family home, which quickly outgrew the kitchen and expanded to the living room, and would sleep from 4 p.m. to midnight and work while his family slept. His mother Laraine helped him market the product by setting up tasting tables and sharing her cancer story.
GT's Kombucha continued to grow and in December 1997, when he was selling 30 to 50 cases per day, he rented a 2,000-square-foot industrial space in Gardena and began to hire employees. That was when Whole Foods Market called to inquire about distributing his kombucha. He initially hesitated, but ultimately decided to accept their offer, stressing the importance of preserving the integrity of his product.
GT's Kombucha was now in stores across the Southwest and he rented another 2,000 square feet space in Gardena. The demand continued to grow as Dave expanded to more regions and he struggled to keep up with demand but as he insisted on brewing the traditional way with close oversight over every batch.
GT's Kombucha later rebranded as GT's Living Foods and now produces over one million bottles per year in its 100,000-square-foot campus in Vernon. Dave has declined multiple acquisition offers and remains the sole owner of GT's Living Foods which is worth over $900 million and owns 40% of the U.S. kombucha market.
Topics discussed:
GT’s Origin Story
GT’s first Kombucha Brew
Brewing Kombucha is like growing a plant
GT’s Proudest offering
The spirituality of Kombucha
"Kombucha loves simplicity"
Basic Kombucha Recipe
Kombucha Fermenting Time
Second Fermentation -“Permission to Play"
Mothers and Daughters
Mutant Kombucha Cultures
Food as Medicine
Plant-based eating
Immersion in Nature- “Nature is the Greatest Healer"
GT’s morning routine
Morning Smoothies
Meditation
GT’s exercise routine
Gratitude
Empathy
Homebrewing to Commercial Enterprise
Staying true to Kombucha
Keeping the Integrity of Real Kombucha and Kefir
GT’s and Hannah Crum- Kombucha Standard of Identity
Short Cut Kombucha
State of the Australian Kombucha Market
GT’s concerns about the Kombucha Market
GT’s thoughts on Kombucha and alcohol
GT’s health trends for the future
Medicinal Mushrooms
Water Kefir- More beneficial bacteria than Kombucha
Wild Coconut Yoghurt
Water Kefir - Bifidobacteria and Tryptophan
Benefits of Water Kefir
Mushrooms and PTSD
Plant Medicines and Mental Health
GT’s Top Health Tip
Brought to you by:
Nourishme Organics your online shop for Fermented Food Cultures and Home Fermentation Equipment
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