But maybe put your kombucha back and grab a KVASS instead?
As you start reading this, you may not have heard of kvass yet, and you might not even be sure how to pronounce it. That’s okay, because once upon a time you probably didn’t know about the existence of kombucha either. You may have thought that sauerkraut could stay with the Germans, and that kimchi had no place between your burger, or in your probiotic gut-health routine.
That’s okay. Because among those cult favourites (and for good reason) is kvass.
While fermented foods and drinks have become fixtures of contemporary food culture, one of Eastern Europe's oldest and most beloved beverages has quietly remained under the radar. Enter kvass: a naturally fermented, cereal-based drink with a sweet-sour flavour, gentle fizz, and centuries of history behind it.
Originating in Eastern and Northeastern Europe, kvass dates back over a thousand years. Traditionally made from rye bread, rye flour, or malt, it became a staple drink across Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Poland, Ukraine, and beyond. Cloudy, refreshing, and naturally low in alcohol, kvass has long occupied a place somewhere between a soft drink, a cultural ritual, and a daily refreshment.
Today, kvass is finding its way into contemporary food culture far beyond its homeland.
One of the people leading that revival is Vilte, founder of Spooky’s Kiosk. The idea began with a simple mission: to bring authentic Eastern European kvass to the UK without watering it down- culturally or flavour-wise.
"I grew up spending summers in Lithuania, drinking kvass straight from plastic bottles by the pond," she says. "That taste has stayed with me."
Today, Spooky's Kiosk produces properly fermented rye and beetroot kvass rooted in tradition but designed for the contemporary palate, naturally fizzy, full of character, and packed with probiotics.
If you've seen Vilte around London's food scene, you'll know she's hard to miss. With her distinctive style, unmistakable Y2K energy, and as a contestant on MasterChef UK 2026, she has become an ambassador for a drink many people in Britain are tasting for the very first time. Whether intentionally or not, she's helping push kvass beyond Eastern European communities and into the wider food conversation.
And if kombucha managed to make the leap from niche curiosity to supermarket staple, perhaps kvass is next.
In many ways, Spooky's Kiosk feels like an extension of Vilte herself. It's playful yet purposeful, rooted in tradition but unafraid to be a little eccentric. There is an artistic edge to everything she creates, balanced by an effortless sense of glamour and fun. Much like kvass, the brand doesn't fit neatly into familiar categories- and that's precisely its appeal. Understand Vilte and you begin to understand the drink through her lens: complex yet approachable, nostalgic yet contemporary, a little unusual at first encounter but impossible to forget.
Before Spooky's Kiosk existed, what was your first great kvass story?
Me and my brother would buy giant bottles of generic really bad kvass from the eastern european supermarkets in Kent, England (only ones we could get our hands on). We would chug them over the week. I would often leave it to go flat in the summer sun because I liked it flat sometimes.
If we were dropped into your childhood summer, what would we be eating, drinking and hearing?
You would be dropped off to my elderly relatives in Plateliai, Lithuania eating a lot of shashliks with ketchup and picking gooseberries off a bush. You’re drinking the milk you would pick up from your neighbour's cow. You would be forced to drink a whole jar of that milk by your great aunt, if you didn’t, you would be scolded.
What was the hardest thing to explain to British people about kvass?
That it’s a fermented rye bread drink but it doesn’t taste like bread.
What's the worst description of kvass you've ever heard?
That it’s the same as Guinness. (Although I suspect they were trying to rage bait)
What food from your childhood do you wish British people understood (that isn’t kvass?)
TINNED FISH. I do love that it is having a moment right now and is being adopted as a luxury food item. However, I have had people say to me that they had to unfollow me online because the videos of me reviewing different tinned fish made them feel sick. Live a little! Tinned baltic sprats are my favourite.
Your personal style feels very considered and on-brand. Do fashion and the creation of Kvass come from the same place creatively for you?
Absolutely. I wanted to build a brand that was selfishly, authentically me. I might make more money or be more popular if I focused solely on the profitability of the brand but I wanted to treat Spooky’s Kiosk like an extension of my art practice. To create a genuinely great product and build a fun little world around it that is very much influenced by my personal tastes.
If Spooky's Kiosk was a fashion label, what would it be?
I actually had a little stint of attempting to start a fashion label just before starting my kvass brand but soon realised I prefer to consume fashion rather than create it. Spooky’s Kiosk would have very classic silhouettes with slightly inappropriate materials. Gorgeous pinstripe suit trousers but the crotch area would be silk organza. Obviously everything would be black, white or grey. We would also cater for girlies with bigger boobies as it’s a nightmare to get well fitting clothes in the chest area!
What have people misunderstood most about what you're trying to do?
They think I’m just making the gimmicky kvass in the eastern european corner shops that's not even real kvass. That stuff is full of sugar syrups and extracts and often not even fermented.
Who is one person who you think would really like Kvass if they would know about it?
Nigella Lawson. I bet she’d made a really good soup with it for Boxing Day.
Best corner shop snack?
Kinder bueno
Favourite thing to eat standing up?
My fermented cabbage straight out of the jar. I make a massive mess with the brine everytime.
Worst food trend?
Curating your whole food itinerary for a holiday based on tiktok videos.
Last thing that genuinely tasted better than expected?
Tinned baby eels!
Dream dinner party guest?
At the moment Bryan Johnson and I want him to bring all his millions of supplements with him.
One food you'll defend forever?
Haggis! It baffles me that some people think it's weird, it's so delicious that even the vegan versions are good.
One food you'll never understand?
Spam. As someone that has publicly stated that I like the taste of tinned baby eels, spam is where I draw the line.
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