Meet the Pontefract beekeeper who has launched a new business brewing kombucha in Wakefield

Health enthusiast Claire Tolley, 47, had been tending to her hive for four years when she decided to use her sugary product to make her own kombucha, which is a sweet, fermented drink that has gained popularity on the health market in recent years. Fans say the drink can help to improve digestion and boost the immune system.

Claire had been on a health kick herself when she discovered kombucha, which is partly why she wanted to put her own spin on the popular beverage, resulting in the creation of Cridling. Unlike traditional kombuchas, Cridling is brewed with raw honey from Claire's hive, as well as green tea and fruit. It is produced and canned at a wooden lodge in Cridling Park, Knottingley, just metres from her family home.

The mum, originally from Pontefract, said: "I found beekeeping a really natural thing to take up. It's not for everyone, because some people are quite afraid of bees and you have to be quite confident. But I get the most amazing sense of wellbeing from it. Seeing the bees working in harmony as one organism is just amazing, and there is the most glorious smell of honey when you open the hive. It's a feeling like no other."

It was through a drive to improve her own health that Claire first heard about the drink through one of her favourite podcasts, which spurred her on to set up the microbrewery near her home. She admitted that initial attempts at making the drink were tough, but after some experimentation and through the use of honey, she was able to create a drink that has wowed family and friends.

"I thought to myself, I bet I can use my own honey," said Claire. "It was like a lightbulb moment. As soon as I started using it, everyone told me the taste was amazing."

The fermentation means the kombucha contains a small amount of alcohol, so Claire has pitched it as a low-alcohol alternative, as well as a health drink. It is currently available in four flavours.