In Partnership with Nummy Creations
A coffee alternative that actually tastes like coffee? We know, it sounds impossible. We’ve tried them all over the years, so were recently delighted to find one that truly hits the mark. A caffeine-free, super delicious herbal alternative made with dandelion root.
Corey Seale and Akiko Hyodo created the beverage to address their personal struggles with caffeine intolerance and the adverse effects of traditional coffee. Corey had realized that caffeine was causing him anxiety, sleep problems, jitters, and frequent restroom trips, negatively impacting his daily life. Despite multiple attempts to quit caffeine, he couldn’t find a satisfying alternative.
Akiko’s story is one of a deep love for coffee paired with adverse reactions, including gut issues, energy crashes, and migraines. Her struggles with caffeine led them to develop a caffeine-free coffee alternative, driven by a desire for a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.
Determined to create a drink that offered the same coffee-like experience without caffeine’s drawbacks, Nummy Creations was born. We sat down with the pair to learn more.
Wander: Many people turn to coffee for its caffeine content. Does Nummy provide an energy boost or a similar experience?
Akiko: Nummy does not provide the boost of fake energy that you would get from coffee – but you don’t get the crash either. What we’ve discovered is that most people need caffeine in the morning to jumpstart their day. During the day, it’s the experience of drinking coffee that people love and crave the most, not the caffeine itself: the smell, the warm mug in your hands, the first full-bodied sip. That’s exactly what Nummy provides.
All the feels of drinking a coffee, without the caffeine. It gives a placebo effect to trick your brain into thinking you’ve had one. About 50% of our customers still have their morning coffee, but then drink Nummy throughout the day. That way, they can enjoy their coffee experience but can still sleep at night.
Dandelion root, chicory root, barley and rye extracts…what considerations went into selecting the ingredients for Nummy?
Corey: We really wanted to provide a product that not only tasted delicious but was also very healthy and nutritious. Dandelion root is an incredible herb that provides full body support, so we knew we wanted that ingredient in our blend. Chicory root is a cousin to dandelion and helps to round out the coffee taste, along with barley and rye extracts.
Nummy offers a variety of flavours, such as Vanilla and Caramel (our favourite). How did you work these flavour profiles into the OG product?
Although we love our Original blend, and it’s an absolute staple in the collection, we also knew we wanted to offer flavours for more variety. Creating a product that was made with premium ingredients, no sugar or sweeteners and nothing artificial was of the utmost importance to us.
Our flavours are all-natural, which lends a nice subtle flavour to the product; not an overpowering, artificial syrupy taste, as is the case with most flavoured coffees. (In fact, most people who don’t like flavoured coffee say they like ours!)
Sustainability is an important consideration in the food and beverage industry. Can you share your approach to sustainability in the production or packaging of Nummy?
The ingredients used to create Nummy coffee alternative are very sustainable, as they use a fraction of water compared to coffee and produce up to 90% less carbon footprint. Sustainability is an important factor for our company.
In terms of consumer feedback since launching Nummy, have there been any surprising or unexpected reactions to your coffee alternative product?
The most surprising reaction we get (which we love) is how astonished people are that it actually tastes like coffee! So many coffee alternatives taste like dirt, roots, or mushrooms. We worked really hard to get as close to a coffee taste as possible, and we feel like we’ve achieved that.
How do you see the market for caffeine-free, health-focused coffee alternative beverages evolving in the future, and how does Nummy fit into this landscape?
The coffee alternative category is a growing one. More and more people are discovering that they either have a caffeine sensitivity, or they are simply consuming too much and need to cut back. Consumers are already looking for alternatives that provide the same coffee experience (taste, full-bodied mouthfeel, and smell), and it’s only going to become more popular over the years, especially since coffee production is proving to be a challenge in the near future.
Are there any upcoming developments or innovations you can share regarding Nummy or other coffee alternative products in your pipeline?
I can’t share specific details, but we are definitely working on some new exciting products. The focus of our brand is to create healthier, more sustainable versions of popular foods and beverages. We hope to have our next product launch in 2024.
Follow Nummy Creations on IG to stay updated @nummy_creations, and head on over to their website for delicious recipes.
