Celebrating 20 Years of Optibac: 5 things we’re most proud of

What began in 2004 as a small venture with my siblings, Jalal and Farah, has grown into the UK & Ireland’s most trusted & recommended brand of friendly bacteria supplements. It’s been a remarkable journey, and with the backing of our incredible team, loyal customers, and valued partners, we’ve helped millions of people to support their health with the power of friendly bacteria.

Here are five things that stand out to us as we celebrate this milestone:

1. Setting the Gold Standard

From the very beginning, we set out to do things differently. There were only a handful of friendly bacteria supplements available, all of which offered a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to the microbiome.  We wanted to create high quality friendly bacteria supplements that were actually tailored to people’s individual needs. Because that was what the research showed (and indeed continues to show!) – that different strains of live cultures have different properties. 

Even today, some friendly bacteria ranges boast different products for varying life stages and ages, but most of these simply use the same live cultures strains and rely on other added ingredients to tailor the products for travel, immunity, antibiotics, and so on. The Optibac range on the other hand, provides the most researched strains for the specific need – whether that be the best researched for women’s intimate flora, or the most researched for pregnancy & breastfeeding, the most researched in children, and so on. This is what has always set us apart. 

2. Family values at our core

Optibac has always been, and remains, a family-run business at heart. Our father, a community pharmacist with a deep belief in both allopathic and naturopathic medicine, inspired and encouraged us to embark on this journey. We owe everything to our dad - he supported us financially and with advice, helping to lay the foundations for the business we are today. We also had a dear family friend, Rishi, on board in the early days. Rishi brought many qualities to the table before moving with his family to East Africa; firstly his business and marketing expertise, along with a deep-rooted passion for wellbeing, and not forgetting warmth, optimism and a good sense of humour. Our dad still attends our Board meetings, offering his welcome insights and wisdom. 

Jalal, Farah and I are well aware that not all founders benefit from such support, and we are so grateful to have had the backing and belief behind us that we did. 

Beyond our literal family, we’re really proud to have held onto our family values. We hire people smarter than us! This has always been one of our mantras – and we’ve built an incredible team who we’re grateful for every day. But the team aren’t just bright and hardworking. The culture here is something special; new team members often remark how genuinely caring and welcoming everyone is. We have a company wide meeting every single day, and we share and celebrate each other’s personal news like birthdays, engagements, and coo over new Optibac babies! In our latest employee engagement survey, 100% of our team said they’d recommend Optibac as a great place to work! I am deeply proud of that. 

3. Caring for our planet

The environment is close to all of our hearts, and Jalal in particular has always championed sustainability at the core of what we do. We’ve worked hard to reduce our plastic use, eliminating the vast majority from our packaging, and we’re constantly innovating – our new compostable solutions for our gummies are just one example. We’ve made conscious decisions to ensure that our impact on the planet is as gentle as possible.

The vast majority of friendly bacteria supplements or drinks available today still use plastic tubs, especially for gummies, but we’re proud to be prioritising sustainability without compromising on quality. 

4. Giving back: Local and global impact

When we first started the business we all agreed we wanted to do good and ‘give back’, beyond the power of our incredible supplements. Thanks to the support of our wonderful customers, to date we’ve donated over £2 million to some fantastic organisations. Here are just a few examples: 

• Womankind Worldwide strengthens women’s rights organisations and movements and changes the lives of women and girls around the world. We donate for every pack sold of our amazing For Women supplement.
• The AKUH’s Patient Welfare Programme in East Africa provides crucial healthcare support to people who would otherwise be unable to afford it, regardless of gender, faith or ethnic origin.
• The Gecko Community in Somerset provides teaching and mentoring to neurodivergent young people, many of whom have been excluded from formal education.
• Kids on Track, a charity based right here at home in Andover, supports local children and families, helping them to lead healthier, happier lives.

We’ve always donated a minimum of 1% of our turnover, and whilst these charities are close to our hearts as founders, I know that the wider team are really proud of this element of the business too. We often invite the charities to come and speak to us all about their incredibly important and inspiring work – and following some of these talks, there are not too many dry eyes in the room! 

5. Backed by credible science

At the end of the day what truly sets Optibac apart is the scientific research behind our strains. We’ve always believed that friendly bacteria supplements should be grounded in solid research, which is why our range features the world’s most researched strains of friendly bacteria, supported by over 800 human studies. This rigorous focus on science ensures that each product is effective and reliable, and it’s a key reason why healthcare professionals trust us too.

These include:   
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1®and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14® in For Women

Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12® in Bifido & Fibre 

Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM® in Every Day EXTRA and Every Day MAX 

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in Babies & Children

We know that what we’re doing here is something special. But it’s been really validating to have the business recognised externally too – and not just by any external body, but by the most prestigious business awards in the UK!  We have been very proud recipients of the King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade this year, following our Queen’s Award in 2019.  We gathered together earlier this week to receive the award from the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, who attended in his official capacity representing His Majesty King Charles, and we took the opportunity to celebrate 20 years in business, all together as a team!

As we look to the future, Jalal, Farah, and I are more passionate than ever about continuing to improve lives through the best friendly bacteria supplements. We’ll keep innovating, expanding our range, and staying true to the values that have guided us for the past 20 years.

A huge thank you to all those who recommend and take Optibac, and for being part of this incredible journey with us. Here’s to many more years of making products we believe in, with a business that does good in this world!