Meet David, the REAL Founder…
… and hear more on how he got the business started with Co-Founder, Adrian.
An engineer by training and a cabinet maker in his spare time, craftsmanship and innovation lies at the heart of everything David sets his mind to. Troubled by the lack of legitimate, quality alternatives to alcohol, David set out to discover flavour profiles suited to pairing with incredible food, without a reliance on alcohol to deliver balanced flavour.
David began experimenting with fermenting some of the teas he had brought back from his travels in India. Going on to ferment an exquisite Silver Needle tea that delivered delicate notes of vanilla, rose and almond, he immediately knew he was onto something special. This ferment was worlds away from the taste profile of tea he had enjoyed just days before, but equally as balanced and striking. David began to realise just how vast the spectrum of tea flavour profiles can be.
After meeting Co-Founder Adrian at a conference, the magic really started to happen. A Dr of Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, Adrian brought a new dimension to the experimentation. With many days and nights spent in a small garage experimenting with hundreds of extraordinary loose-leaf teas and trialling different fermentation techniques, their joint obsession with the art and science of fermentation began and resulted in the launch of REAL.
Since those initial experiments, David and Adrian teamed up with Guillermo ‘G’ Alvarez Schulenburg, a microbiological genius and true master of flavour. Together at The REAL Fermentery in the grounds of the historical Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, they continue to break the boundaries of fermentation and flavour.
With a continuously growing team of passionate creators, the opportunities are endless.
Follow David's travels around India and learn what he discovered on the blog.