Great news that Square Root are the latest KERB members to be taking flight. For those of you who’ve followed their story, these ex ‘science nerds’ have secured investment to help maximise efficiency, taking their mission beyond the kerb and the hyper local and further out there into the world, and we are made up for them:

Our belief in always making our product from Fruit to Bottle has brought us this far and we won’t stop now. This belief is driving us to grow and strive for new standards and challenges just like in the beginning. We’re sticking to our guns and keeping all the process we’ve developed over the past 6 years in-house – no shortcuts to be taken, no weird stuff in our drinks and never any compromise on the quality – Square Root, 2019

From juicing windfall apples to the soda trike they used to cycle over to King’s Cross, to their Hackney Soda Works and now their first SODA FACTORY, founders, Robyn and Ed are the ultimate kerb/grass roots success story. Like all great success stories, they literally started with a camping burner and a leaning gazebo.

There they were, waayy up North at Harringay Market, 2011, standing amidst the profligate wind. Burger Bear was there with a massive queue, but apart from that, it was shiveringly cold and miserably grey. Although burgers are nice – and were even nicer in 2011 when they still had that ‘dirty burger’ sheen – it was this ad-hoc little arrangement at Square Root that drew us in. On the menu: hot ginger beer and chocolate cobnut tart (from their local tree). We ordered both and though the burner couldn’t muster up the nous to fully heat the ginger beer, the tart was magic and the chat and vision were impressive.

Square Root have grown hugely since then but they’ve never wavered from their DIY roots and commitment to local, seasonal and in-house. We love the way that they are rewriting the story of what typically happens to an independent drinks company once they catch a bit of attention from the bigger units. Yes, they want to sell a lot of product and have as many people as possible be able to drink it, but the goal is mainly to provide a soda that truly represents what they believe in, that is good for the environment, that remains experimental and progressive, and that continues to pack a real punch on the taste front.

Look out for their latest flavour – a limited edition Earl Grey shandy and read why they collaborated with Orbit Brewery for it.