Kefir - The Collective Dairy Drinks Review

Until a few years ago I hadn’t even heard of the word kefir, but now it’s one of the staples in my fridge which I drink every day. Its popularity must be catching on because there are lots of new brands of kefir arriving on the supermarket shelves and well known yogurt makers are also producing kefir.

One brand which has been doing well and has a few different flavours, is made by The Collective Dairy. As well as three flavours of drinking kefir, they also have 2 kefir yogurts.

The flavours of drinking kefir are: Mango ‘n’ Turmeric, Coconut ‘n’ honey and berries ‘n’ hibiscus plus a natural variety. They’re all low in calories ranging between 47 – 57 calories per 100ml and are available in 220ml or 500ml sizes.

Although kefir is easy to make at home, the home made variety is VERY different to those which are sold in supermarkets. I’ve made it myself from kefir grains and it’s just way too pungent for me. Fortunately most of those sold in the supermarkets are more like thinner yogurt and very easy to drink.

Kefir is one of the most potent sources of healthy bacteria and is a wonderfully tasty way of consuming good bacteria cultures. Kefir has been shown to survive the harsh acidic environment of the gut to reach the lower intestines where they’re needed.

Here’s what The Collective Dairy say about kefir:

'Kefir (said keh-fear) has been enjoyed around the world for over thousand years. Kefir is made by fermenting milk with billions of live cultures much like a traditional yoghurt… but what sets kefir apart is the diverse blend ‘n’ numbers of live cultures, in fact, our kefir boasts a whopping 13 different strains! Our kefir drink is a smooth ‘n’ silky which will tickle your tongue with its natural effervescence making it the perfect smoothie or snack. 

Whilst our kefir cultured yoghurt is thick ‘n’ creamy, the perfect brekkie companion to dollop onto granola or fruit… go with your gut, dig in!'

I had been loyal to another brand of kefir which I will review soon. However, after trying the Collective Dairy kefir one day while it was on a special offer, it’s now a regular on my shopping list.

I’ve tried all varieties of this kefir and they are all delicious. I particularly love the Berries & Hibuscus which tastes like a gorgeous creamy berry smoothie.

This kefir isn’t at all fizzy like traditional kefir which I am so glad about. I can’t cope with drinking the fizzy type of kefir which reminds me too much of gone off milk!

But this kefir is deliciously flavoured. Even the Mango ‘n’ Turmeric which I was a bit dubious about, was just sweet enough and the turmeric was very slightly detectable. The coconut is my second favourite after the Berries.

You can easily find the Collective Dairy kefir as it's widely available in selected branches of Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado, Asda as well as The Coop, Boots, Nisa, Budgens, Booths, LEON, Whole Foods, Spar and other health food stores.

Ingredients: Natural:
Pasteurised Cow's Milk Fermented with Live Kefir Cultures*, *Contains 13 Live 'n' Active Cultures including: Bifidobacterium Lactis, L. Acidophilus, L. Rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium Infantis, L. Paracasei, L. Fermentum, S. Thermophilus, L. Delbrueckii Subsp. Lactis.

Ingredients: Mango & Turmeric
Pasteurised Cow's Milk, Fermented with Live Kefir Cultures*, Alphonso Mango Puree (7%), Concentrated Apple Juice, Concentrated Grape Juice, Cornflour, Lemon Juice, Natural Flavouring, Turmeric, *Contains 13 Live 'n' Active Cultures including: Bifidobacterium Lactis, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium Infantis, Lactobacillus Fermentum, Streptococcus Thermophilus, Lactobacillus Delbrueckii Subsp. Lactis

Ingredients: Berries & Hibiscus
Pasteurised Cow's Milk Fermented with Live Kefir Cultures*, Raspberry Puree (3%), Concentrated Apple Juice, Blueberry Puree (1%), Blackcurrant Puree (1%), Concentrated Grape Juice, Cornflour, Natural Flavourings, Hibiscus Extract, *Contains 13 Live 'n' Active Cultures including: Bifidobacterium Lactis, L. Acidophilus, L. Rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium Infantis, L. Paracasei, L. Fermentum, S. Thermophilus, L. Delbrueckii Subsp. Lactis

Ingredients: Coconut & Honey
Pasteurised Cow's Milk Fermented with Live Kefir Cultures*, Coconut Milk (5%), Blossom Honey (2%), Concentrated Apple Juice, Concentrated Grape Juice, Cornflour, Acidity Regulator (Lactic Acid), Natural Flavourings, *Contains 13 Live 'n' Active Cultures including: Bifidobacterium Lactis, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium Infantis, Lactobacillus Paracasei, Lactobacillus Fermentum, Streptococcus Thermophilus, Lactobacillus Delbrueckii Subsp. Lactis

Nutrition per 100ml: Natural
47 Calories, 2.0g fat, 1.3g saturated fat, 4.2g carbs, 3.8g sugars, 3.2g protein, 0.10g salt. 113mg calcium, 0.13mg Vitamin B2, 0.34ug Vitamin B12. Suitable for vegetarians.

Nutrition per 100ml: Mango & Turmeric
52 Calories, 1.5g fat, 1.0g saturated fat, 6.6g carbs, 6.1g sugars, 2.8g protein, 0.09g salt. 98mg calcium, 0.13mg Vitamin B2, 0.20ug Vitamin B12. Suitable for vegetarians.

Nutrition: Berries & Hibiscus
55 Calories, 1.6g fat, 1.0g saturated fat, 7.0g carbs, 6.1g sugars, 2.9g protein, 0.1g salt. 103mg calcium, 0.11mg Vitamin B2, 0.21ug Vitamin B12. Suitable for vegetarians.

Nutrition: Coconut & Honey
57 Calories, 2.6g fat, 1.9g saturated fat, 8.2g carbs, 6.7g sugars, 3.0g protein, 0.09g salt. 102mg calcium, 0.20mg Vitamin B2, 0.26ug Vitamin B12. Suitable for vegetarians.

© Diets and Calories