The functional shots space has seen a lot of activity lately, with global launches of RTD health shots growing by 80% between 2023 and 2024, according to data from Mintel. Launches for 2025 already exceed those of 2024, despite two months of the year remaining, and innovation is coming from companies of all stripes, from small start-ups to the private label brands of major retailers.
In the UK, a young brand is aiming to differentiate itself with shots for digestion and energy made with what it calls “one of the world’s most nutrient dense fruits”: baobab.
Called Unrooted, the name comes from the optical illusion of the baobab tree; the tree appears as though it’s roots-up-in-the-air, giving the impression of being un-rooted. Company founder Nathan Clemes learned about the baobab fruit while growing up in South Africa. After working in finance, he wanted to raise awareness of the many benefits of baobab and created Unrooted. The brand offers four shots sold on either a gut health or energy platform:
- Good Gut Apple Cider Vinegar – made with ginger, apple cider vinegar, baobab and spirulina
- Good Gut Super Greens – made with lemon, cucumber, pear, spinach, ginger and baobab
- Good Energy Punchy Turmeric – made with carrot, turmeric, ginger and baobab
- Good Energy Mighty Ginger – made with ginger, pineapple, lemon, baobab and chili.
All shots are based on either coconut water, orange juice or apple juice and are sold in 60ml or 420 ml glass bottles. Unrooted is available in around 1,500 stores across the UK including chains like Ocado, Holland & Barrett and Planet Organic. At £2 ($2.6/€2.3) per shot, the brand is affordable compared to its competitors.
The brand encourages its consumers to “unroot your wild side” and try “the legendary superfruit” that is baobab. The fruit is said to have been a dietary staple for hunter-gatherer tribes in Africa for over 1000 years and Unrooted claims that it contains five times more vitamin C than oranges, five times more fibre than oats and twice the antioxidants of açaí, making it “a nutrient powerhouse”. In line with this, the products are mostly promoted on platforms of energy, immunity and digestion.
Other marketing claims focus on the social and environmental sustainability of baobab as a fruit and Unrooted as a company (it became a B Corp in 2023).
