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The start-up company’s focus on tackling the issue of low fibre intake in the UK with a unique carbonated soft drink fortified with a specially designed fibre blend has led to the shortlisting in the prestigious UK Quality Awards. The Northern Ireland company’s raspberry lemonade has been shortlisted for the Judges’ Choice and Innovation of the Year 2025 Award. Fibre UP is the first local company to be shortlisted for the influential recognition. The special awards are selected directly by the award’s expert judges. The products that are considered for the award are selected and put forward by the judges, and then a panel puts together a shortlist of their favourite products. A delighted Paul McCreery, now based in Belfast, his home town, says: “I am really thrilled by the shortlisting and so soon after the company’s launch. “The Innovation of the Year Award celebrates products that demonstrate exceptional creativity and originality, as identified by the judges throughout the judging process. “This is a marvellous endorsement of our new products,” he adds. A former management consultant in London and engineering graduate of the University of Nottingham, Paul founded Funki Drinks in 2023 “out of equal parts curiosity and concern” about the shortage of fibre in diets on his return to Northern Ireland. “As someone passionate about health and nutrition, I kept seeing the same problem: fibre was overlooked, undervalued and heavily under-consumed,” he explains. “So, I started thinking about how to make fibre easy, effortless and most importantly, enjoyable for everyone, to consume every day. Fibre UP was born from this thought process. “We developed our drinks to contain half of the recommended daily fibre intact,” he continues. “They are made with natural ingredients and do not contain added sweeteners,” adds Paul. The drinks are also suitable for vegans. After extensive research into ingredients and flavours, the 250ml carbonated cans feature natural tasty flavours such as raspberry lemonade, mango and passionfruit, and apple and elderflower He launched Fibre UP drinks as a response to The National Diet and Nutrition Survey which found that more than 90% of adults in the UK do not consume enough fibre. Eating enough fibre can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, bowel cancer, and improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Only 4% of women and 13 percent of men aged 19-64 consume the recommended daily adult amount of 30g of fibre. Paul formed Funki Drinks to develop innovative beverages to offer a convenient and appealing way for people to meet the recommended fibre intake of 30g per day, which is often challenging to achieve through a traditional diet alone. The company’s journey began with a pitch for support from Innovate UK’s Better Food for All competition. With support from this programme, Funki Drinks began an in-depth assessment of its existing carbonated drink formulation on the gut microbiome. This led to a collaboration with the Quadram Institute in Norwich, a key food innovation hub in Britain, on the most effective fibre blend for the beverages. “Following rigorous research and development, Fibre UP was born,” continues Paul. “It’s the UK’s first carbonated soft drink fortified with a special fibre-blend. The beverage not only boasts proven digestive tolerance but also showcases beneficial impacts on gut microbes, potentially improving human health.” “This innovative product presented a novel and convenient way for consumers to enhance their fibre intake, thereby contributing to the reduction of risks associated with heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer,” he adds. The researchers at Quadram Institute reckoned Funki Drinks’ concept of providing optimal fibre intake through carbonated soft drinks held immense potential, with the prospect of positively influencing millions of people. Remarkably, it was projected that if just one percent of the UK population consumed one can of Fibre UP daily, approximately 6.7 million more people would meet their dietary fibre intake, thereby potentially reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity. Paul is also a recipient of the Innovate UK Young Innovators Award, which recognises young innovators with great business ideas and offers mentorship as well as substantial funding to assist them at the start of their business journey. “This award helped me to initiate the project, while Better Food For All funding contributed to product improvement and access to world-class facilities at Quadram Institute,” he continues. Images: Paul McCreery, creator of Fibre UP Drinks from Belfast, is in line for a major industry innovation award next month
