Healthy Buzz: Scheckter's OrganicEnergy

I know it's chronically bad and will probably be doing all manner of awful things to my heart, sense of zen etc, but I MUST HAVE CAFFEINE at all times.

If I'm hungover, then a sugar-free Red Bull will do the trick. If I'm a bit bored, or it's a time of the day, then it's a medium black Americano. And regardless of the time or my plans for sleep, any trip to a restaurant after 7pm requires a double espresso.

(I'm probably going to die quite young. Of stress.)

So I wasn't terribly convinced at the prospect of an all-natural energy drink. How do you know if it's working if you can't feel it coating your every brain cell with e-numbers and inciting a slight sense of peril? THE GOOD STUFF.

But Toby Scheckter does know his stuff. He used to be a racing driver for God's sake - look! Look at him there! - and spent more time driving around corners and necking sugary energy drinks than I've had arguments about why coffee with milk is just disgusting.

He grew up on an organic farm, so for his energy drink (the first natural one ever. Worrying, that...) he's made is buttoned up to the neck with ethics. It's Soil Association and Vegetarian Society approved, and the label says that it's minimum 75% Fair Trade "excluding water." And I bet that if they could make Fair Trade water, they probably would have done by now.

The kick comes from guarana and raw green coffee bean extract, with a boat load of pomegranate, ginseng, gingko biloba and other organic goodies to stroke your stressy head while you get hepped up on caffeine. It tastes like a more cerebral Ribena. Half an hour in, and I was quite happily buzzed.


The Scheckters website features lots of people leaping in the air in the manner of excitable A-level students, which I don't particularly understand, but then again I don't jump anywhere due to my ridiculous fear of falling.

On the bright side, at £1.49 this costs the same as most energy drinks and it's all natural and good for you. Banging.