Rise of the ginger shot: Wellness boom sends sales of 'health shots' soaring across the UK

But recently, a new addition has been making its way onto desks in rapidly growing numbers - a small plastic bottle of liquid ginger or turmeric.

These "health shots", lauded for their numerous health benefits, have been lapped up by the British public amid the modern wellness boom.

The fast-moving functional shot market, 81 per cent of is which is accounted for by ginger and turmeric - is currently worth £65 million, up 51 per cent year-on-year, with retail experts believing it has the potential to grow further.

"It's the perfect product. High retail price and low production cost," Karen Green, sales growth expert and Author of Buyerology, told LBC.

"They often use small amounts of cheap raw materials often using apple or orange juice concentrates with addition of active ingredients such as ginger and turmeric."

Even away from the supermarket shelves, TikTok and Instagram is filled with thousands of home-made ginger shot recipes, with influencers encouraging followers to add lemon juice, orange juice, cayenne pepper and/or manuka honey.

So why is Britain gripped by the mini drinks made from concentrated amounts of ginger root? Well, its numerous health benefits is the simple and definitive answer.

Ginger contains many potent anti-inflammatory compounds, including a variety of antioxidants, which are known to boost immune health and massively beneficial for condition such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory gut disease, asthma, and certain cancers.

They are also a common natural treatment for stomach issues, such as bloating and indigestion, while also being found to benefit blood sugar control, weight loss and exhibit anticancer properties.

Interest in the ginger shot saw an uptick during the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms Green said.

"People wanted to build their immunity and ginger and turmeric are seen as good sources of active ingredients to boost immunity especially against colds, flu and covid itself," she added.

"This motivation for wellness continues."

Benefitting from this motivation has been MOJU, whose 60ml and 420ml ginger shot products have become a staple of supermarket soft-drink shelves, alongside other "naturally functional" products like Kefir and Coconut Water.

The company, which has already sold 60 million shots this year and has 50 per cent of the market share, has come a long way from its humble beginnings as the "hobby that got out of hand" for founders Rich Goldsmith and Charlie Leet-Cook ten years ago.

"We discovered ginger and turmeric shots through solving a problem for ourselves," Mr Goldsmith said.

"In them, we found a convenient daily ritual that would help us kickstart our day and support our health, all whilst helping to reduce the amount of coffee, energy drinks and sugary juice & smoothies we were drinking. It was a win-win."

Speaking about the ginger shot boom, Mr Goldsmith added: "We have grown quickly every year as the functional shots category has continued to establish itself as one of the most disruptive innovations in the soft drinks category over the last 10 years.

"In the UK’s supermarkets, functional shots have been consistently the fastest growing and biggest value driver of the wider juice and smoothie category.

"This has been remarkable in a wider category that is facing huge challenges due to sugar concerns, and price inflation.

“A major driver has been consumers looking to take more active steps to support their health and seeking benefits from natural, whole food sources – rather than fortified products with strange sounding additives and preservatives – and products that play a role in supporting people’s health, whether this be immunity support, digestive health or energy support."