An Aberdeen brewer has opened up on a “painful” legal battle which has forced him to change the name of his Kombucha business.
Owner of the former Raw Culture drinks brand, Chris Geary, was left feeling “stuck, miserable and frustrated” after a Danish company pipped them by only 17 days to register a trademark under the same name.
The slight paperwork delay would result in an “exhausting” four-year legal battle over the identity of the brand he worked so hard to create five years ago.
He and his former co-owner set the company up back in early 202o.
The early months were spent buying ingredients, brewing and achieving some “breathing room” for the company.
Aberdeen Kombucha firm becomes Life Blood
They said that a hectic start for the business meant that proper registration fell down the list of priorities.
Chris then had to fight for the rights to the original name. However, the UK Intellectual Property Organisation sided with the Danish business because it filed first.
Now, the drinks business, brewed on Souter Head Road in Altens, has been forced to rebrand to Life Blood.
After agonising for months over a new identity for his business, he is now confident again about the firm’s future.
Brewers left ‘exhausted’ by lengthy legal battle
Opening up over the experience, Chris said he “thought the world would implode” during the trademark crisis.
Speaking to The Press and Journal, he said: “We felt as if the world was going to implode at the time. This was everything that I had been working towards.
“It was a tough lesson to learn for sure.
“It was always something we had on the agenda to get sorted out – but we just didn’t think we’d get this unlucky.
“17 days, I mean come on.
“When working on this new rebrand, we made sure to keep our cards very close to our chest this time!”
Due to Chris’s past as a graphic designer, he was able to minimise the cost of the rebrand for the business, but said it could “have spelled the end” to fork out for an external designer.
He continued: “If we had to employ a designer then it would have been the end of the business.
“There is no way we could have afforded it.”
What next for as Raw Culture becomes Life Blood
Chris has also revealed what the rebrand means for the company and what the future could look like for the Aberdeen enterprise.
He unveiled his plans for a new line of ginger beer products.
Chris also says other drinks ideas are in the pipeline in line with the new Life Blood branding.
He added: “We are focused on wellbeing and gut health drinks, we think that is a huge trend.
“We are bang on track for taking advantage of that as a business.
“Otherwise, we are working on a line of new prebiotic sodas – flavour first, something you’ll really want to pick up and drink.
“The kombucha has been rebranded in line with that as well.
“We are also about to release our new line of ginger beer which will also take advantage of that.
“It’s exciting times coming up ahead.”
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