Organic start-up Yuyo has brought the national beverage of Brazil to the UK market with its innovative range of certified organic yerba mate – in both teabags and loose leaf.
The Yuyo range of infusions comprises: Pure Yerba; Yerba Zing, with grapefruit essential oil, orange and lemon peel and rosehips; Yerba Mint, blending yerba mate with peppermint, garden mint essential oil and lemon verbena; and the chai-like Yerba Spice, which combines cardamom, ginger and turmeric.
Indigenous to South America, yerba mate has been drunk by the indigenous population as a way of boosting mood and metabolism. It is also known to help soothe indigestion and help with weight management. The leaves of the plant (Ilex paraguariensis) contain a host of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
“Yerba mate has a unique combination of caffeine and theobromine – the feel-good compound from cacao. The theobromine kicks in more slowly than caffeine, so what you get is a cleaner, more sustained lift than coffee, without the crash,” explains co-founder Dr Charles Grummitt.
The brand was founded by Grummitt and his partner Rosie Marteau after an inspirational trip travelling from Panama to Paraguay.
