WabiO Kombucha

WabiO Kombucha is the street name for Wabi Originals Ltd, a New Zealand–owned artisan kombucha producer founded in Christchurch following the 2010 earthquakes. The company was established by Warren Moliken, a fermentation specialist and food pioneer, alongside Jo, a tea expert with deep knowledge of tea origin and quality. Brewing takes place at WabiO’s Christchurch fermentory, where kombucha is produced using a small-batch, artisanal process built around four core ingredients: water, tea, sugar, and a live kombucha culture (SCOBY). The brewing approach is often compared to winemaking, with careful selection of single-origin teas used to create layered, tea-forward flavour profiles. WabiO places strong emphasis on sourcing organic and sustainably grown ingredients, particularly tea. The founders have long-standing relationships with small, family-owned tea estates around the world, many of which they have visited directly over more than a decade. This direct sourcing model supports transparency, quality, and ethical production at the ingredient level. While WabiO does not publicly list a specific third-party organic certifier for its finished products, it consistently states that its ingredients are organic and sustainably sourced. The business is widely regarded as a pioneer of high-quality kombucha in Aotearoa and was the first kombucha brand to receive recognition from Cuisine Magazine. In addition to its New Zealand operations, Wabi Originals also maintains a presence in Portland, Oregon, reflecting its international reach while remaining rooted in Christchurch as its spiritual and production home.