To celebrate all the brains behind our Thrive Festival brands we wanted to delve deeper into the beginnings behind each one! Today we chat to Conor from Nú Infusions

What is Nú Infusions’ mission statement?

Our mission is to help people discover the benefits of guayusa tea, and how it offers a healthier way to get your daily caffeine fix. We want to introduce this product to the Irish market and we really believe that it will one day be as popular as any other hot drink – even if it is a bit hard to pronounce!

Where did you get the inspiration for your brand?

We discovered guayusa through a friend of ours from Ecuador. The whole inspiration for our brand really comes from that process of discovery and our experience of the product – we wanted the brand to reflect the kind of energy that guayusa gives you, so we try to make sure that everything from our packaging to our social media has a bright and natural feel to it.

What are some of your favourite brands in your space that you don’t make?

I admire brands like All About Kombucha and Synerchi, who are doing a great job of introducing people to kombucha. We’re hoping to achieve something similar with guayusa so we take a lot of inspiration from them.

In your opinion, what has been the biggest innovation within your sector in the last few years?

Within the hot drinks space, it’s been great to see so many people taking real notice of the quality of flavour of what they’re drinking. This has definitely happened in the coffee space, with lots of boutique brands popping up. We think people are going to start paying more and more attention to the quality of the tea they’re drinking as well, and realising that there’s a lot more out there than just Barry’s!

What has running your own business taught you?

That it’s both hard and rewarding! There are great days and there are tough days, but that’s going to be the same with anything worthwhile I think!

What do you think is the next big thing in the world of wellness?

Guayusa! We might be a bit biased but we do believe that healthier sources of energy are going to be a big trend in wellness in the years to come. I think the tide is definitely shifting towards more natural products in general, and I think that’s a great thing. Personalised medicine is something that I also think will grow a lot.

What did you and your team enjoy the most about this year’s Thrive Festival?

We loved the general buzz around the place and the chance to get to meet so many customers and other brands face to face. It was our first big event so the first chance to get a lot of people tasting and reacting to the product right in front of us. It was really encouraging so definitely looking forward to next year!

You’ve been working from home during the COVID19 crisis. Tell us what your daily routine is like?

I generally start the day with a jog to the park and then some HIIT exercises. I’m enjoying that as an alternative to the gym so might keep it up when things can go back to normal! Then it’s usually back home to work there for the day and sip on a few cups of guayusa! I do like getting out to meet people so I’m definitely looking forward to the times where we can all work in offices/cafes again. When I’m done work I usually get out for a walk and listen to a podcast, and then back home to wind down before bed. Not incredibly exciting these days but I think everyone is in the same boat so it’s not too bad!