New Kind of Brew

Photo c/o FedUp Foods

From business to health to science, these women have found different perspectives and ways of doing things in their chosen fields.

Though varied in their spaces – the beverage industry, health care, and environmental awareness– one thing they have in common is a drive to bring new ideas to their work.

What began as a shared passion for wholesome, homemade food and beverages between SARAH MULLINS and JEANNINE BUSCHER has evolved into FedUp Foods, now the largest private-label manufacturer of fermented beverages in North America, including kombucha.

In 2008, Mullins and Buscher met at their children’s homeschool co-op in Asheville, unaware that their common interest would lead to the creation of FedUp Foods. Today, it operates three manufacturing facilities – including its newest location in Wilmington – producing kombucha, various pre- and probiotic sodas, tepache, and functional cold brew coffee, all aimed at inspiring healthier choices.

“Jeannine and I connected immediately over our shared love for fermentation and the belief that food should do more than fill you up. It should fuel you, heal you, and connect you to something bigger,” Mullins recalls. “We started brewing kombucha together in her kitchen, not with a business plan in mind, but with a simple desire to create something real and alive.”

FedUp Foods is committed to providing delicious, high-quality functional beverages while investing in the planet’s regeneration and using business as a force for positive social impact.

“People want beverages that taste great, support their well-being, and are made with integrity,” Buscher says.

By 2010, they opened their first commercial kombucha brewery on a 180-acre farm in the south Appalachian Mountains. In 2017, they relocated their brewery operations to a 30,000-square-foot facility in Marshall, North Carolina, and shifted their focus to private-label kombucha.

“As demand grew beyond friends, neighbors, and the local community, we realized we had the opportunity to do something bigger: to bring traditionally fermented, nutrient-dense beverages to more people while staying true to our values,” Buscher says. “That belief carried us through every challenge, from hand-bottling our first batches to building what is now FedUp Foods.”

Driven by continued growth, FedUp Foods opened a second 60,000-square-foot facility in Erwin, Tennessee, in 2022. Last year, they further solidified their leadership in the fermented functional beverage industry by opening and growing a third facility, this time in Wilmington on Greenfield Street. Now, with forty team members. This latest strategic expansion, benefiting from proximity to ports and rail, sets the stage for further expansion.

“We’re up and running and fully operational in Wilmington, producing both fermented beverages and cold brew coffee,” Mullins says. “It’s been incredible to see the team come together to bring this facility to life. … We’re grateful for the warm embrace we’ve felt from the Wilmington community and look forward to continuing to grow alongside it.”

Mullins and Buscher continuously explore new ways to innovate while staying true to their strengths. This year, FedUp Foods is focused on incremental innovations – refining and expanding its offerings while protecting its core product lines.

“When we started, we weren’t thinking about scale – we were thinking about people,” Mullins says. “Sharing something we loved, supporting our families, and creating a space where people could feel good about what they were drinking.”

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