A kombucha business that began in a humble Papamoa shed found new life in Paeroa, guided by whakapapa, community connection, and a shared passion for wellbeing.
For Roa Kombucha founder Chaad Lawrence, the move wasn’t just about a change in location, it was a homecoming of sorts, one that helped him reconnect with the kaupapa behind the drink he describes as “a tool for healing”.
But to understand the heart of Roa is to understand the heart of the man behind it.
For Chaad, kombucha was never just about creating a healthier alternative – after discovering the drink in 2016, it quickly became a vessel for legacy, healing, and whakapapa.
The name itself, roa, speaks to longevity – mauri roa.
“To be vulnerable for a moment… I was adopted at birth,” he tells The Profile, “along with my brother Ra, as our mum wasn’t able to have children. We were brought into an LDS Church whānau, and that upbringing, surrounded by love, values, and community, is something I will be forever grateful for and eternally blessed by.”
Chaad’s mum died in 2015, but she remains a guiding force behind much of what he does.
“She was a huge part of my life and played a big role in shaping me into the person I am today,” he says.
His dad – whose whakapapa is Ngāti Maru, also “deserves a lot of credit”.
“He instilled in me a strong work ethic and taught me to keep my mind sharp and focused. I still remember him saying: ‘trick the mind’ whenever things got hard, and that mentality has stuck with me and continues to push me forward.”
That imprint now lives on in what Chaad calls his legacy brew – an electrolyte drink made with mānuka honey, kawakawa, and native botanicals.
“So even though this drink is a tribute to my mum, my dad is a big part of that legacy too,” he says. “This next phase of Roa is about honouring where I come from, staying true to our values, and sharing that with Aotearoa and eventually, the world.”
The desire to honour his roots became even more tangible when Roa moved into its first true home: a leased space at AgriSea in Paeroa.
He says it felt like the perfect opportunity to shift Roa out of the shed and into something more aligned with his kaupapa.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Tane [Bradley] and his wife Claire for believing in the long-term vision of Roa Kombucha and always having my back, even through the tough times.”
Being around AgriSea’s kaupapa also inspired Chaad to start experimenting with seaweed, which led to the development of his legacy electrolyte drink.
And while the brewery was based in Paeroa, he picked up some youth work in Hamilton, mentoring rangatahi who had come from tough backgrounds – many dealing with family violence, abuse, and abandonment.
He brought the rangatahi through the brewery, calling it “one of the most rewarding things” he’s done.
“It gave them a hands-on experience where they could express themselves creatively, feel safe to wānanga, share ideas, and be inspired. I wanted them to see that if a Māori boy from Hastings could build something from scratch, then so could they.”
Chaad has recently moved the brewery back to Papamoa, but says his time in Paeroa helped him reconnect with his purpose for Roa.
“It reminded me why I started in the first place,” he says. “The brewery became more than just a production space, it was a place of healing, vision, and legacy. A spark of hope that we can all break cycles and create a new path for our whānau.
“I know in my heart that this journey is bigger than me. I believe I’m fulfilling a deeper purpose, walking a path that’s been laid down by my tīpuna, guided by spirit, and driven by love for whānau. For me,” he says, “whānau is everything, and I hold true to that in all that I do.”
BY KELLEY TANTAU
