Kenyan Originals (KO) are the mind and body behind the groovy fruity flavours of tonic and cider here on our platform. They are a truly authentic African Brand with a mission to create African craft beverages using only African ingredients but more specifically Kenyan ingredients wherever possible. Being able to do what big companies can’t do: be agile, nimble and get innovations to market quickly is what they strive to maintain.
How the Brewing Began
Kenyans have been brewing their own beverages for years using local ingredients, so why not create a truly Kenyan brand that produces a modern and commercial premium cider using real fruit from Kenya? So, Alexandra Chappatte, the founder, did just this. Using the well-known Kenyan muritina as inspiration she began experimenting in a shipping container with mountains of fresh Kenyan fruit. It didn’t take long to create the very cool and funky brand of Kenyan Originals that now processes 15 tonnes of real mango, pineapple, lime and passion fruit monthly.
Kenyan
By getting to know the very best varietals from the best regions in Kenya so to be able to achieve the very best taste for their beverages it took months of trial and error but has led to their exceptional range of flavoured tonics and ciders. Their pineapple is sourced from Kisii, their mint from a local farmer in Thika, their mangos are the Apple Mango variety which has a special sweetness and are sourced from Meru along with their hibiscus. KO believe that consumers are becoming more conscious of what goes into their food and drink and so take pride in the fact that there are no artificial flavourings in their beverages, only Kenya’s very own fruit.
Original
Since 2019 the Kenyan Originals brand has also come to represent much more than just their drinks. They want to be able to provide a platform for all Kenyans igniting originality in modern Kenya. The movers, the shakers, the risk takers, the Kenyan Originals. Collaborating with these fearless individuals to help both them and KO grow. Whether that’s using the Matatu artist’s skills to spray paint their fabulously funky production site or a Kenyan designer to design our merchandise. Their loKOl vibe sessions at their bar in their 20f container depot in Baba Dogo are other examples of how this business want to support local creatives.
