UpBy9®

OUR STORY

I WENT LOOKING

I wanted an electrolyte drink that was fundamentally saltier than sweet. I couldn’t find one I wanted to drink. I decided to build it when the extreme sweetness started to overwhelm my taste buds.

The shelves leaned candy-sweet. Pretty flavours, bright colours, a finish like the last sip of a fizzy drink. Most of them seemed to be apologising for the salt.

THE GAP WAS TASTE

I wasn’t missing another pretty flavour. I was missing taste. I wanted salt you could actually taste, with the fruit flavour there to keep it company, not cover it up.

SO I BUILT IT

UpBy9® is what I built when I couldn’t buy it.

Electrolyte powder. 30 sachets. Salty character. Not a soft drink. Not pudding.

Stevia brings a hint of sweetness. It doesn’t get a vote.

ABOUT THE CHAIRS

You’ll notice the fruit is sitting down. Zesty Orange, Wild Blackcurrant, Lemon & Lime and Grapefruit, each in an armchair, eyes closed, perfectly comfortable.

Most drinks lean on the fruit for flavour. In UpBy9®, the salt carries the taste, so the fruit get to put their feet up.

Zesty Orange was told there’d be a bowl. There wasn’t. Wild Blackcurrant is my favourite. Don’t tell the others.

Fruit is décor. Salt is the point.

People ask about the name. Factory owners in the Industrial Revolution decided when the working day started. I’d rather you did. UpBy9® means up by 9: am, pm, or whenever suits you. That’s why the fruit are still in their armchairs.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

We launch in January 2027. If you want something fundamentally saltier than sweet, register your interest and I’ll email you when cartons are ready.

If you want soft-drink sweetness, honestly, skip it. I won’t take it personally.

With love. Seasoned, obviously.

Roman

Founder, UpBy9®

In loving memory of Mum and Dad.