Harrods coffee backed by Deborah Meaden and Sara Davies that 'helps with brain fog'
When not one but two business names from Dragons' Den are interested in a product, it must be worth investigating. In 2022, the founders of London Nootropics - makers of adaptogenic coffee blends, designed to 'enhance cognitive performance and improve brain health" - secured offers from Deborah Meaden and Sara Davies, and have since launched their coffees in Harrods, Selfridges and Meta.
The brand is currently collaborating with Netflix documentary Fantastic Fungi, which celebrates the magic of mushrooms, and together they've created a limited edition adaptogenic coffee blend, called Mush Love, which is £12 for 12 sachets. It's packed with Hifas da Terra lion's mane (a powerful medicinal mushroom powder), cordyceps, and chaga mushroom extracts, to fight fatigue and improve mental clarity.
'At London Nootropics, we're passionate about creating functional coffee blends that help people feel and perform their best,' said co-founder Zain Peer. 'Collaborating with Fantastic Fungi was a natural fit, aligning our love for adaptogens with their mission to inspire a deeper connection to mushrooms and nature.'
'We are thrilled to partner with London Nootropics on this exciting collaboration," said Louie Schwartzberg, founder of Fantastic Fungi. "Mushrooms have always been a source of wonder and inspiration for me, and this partnership allows us to share their incredible benefits in a tasty cup of coffee.'
Beyond Mush Love, London Nootropics has a range of bundles, including the Starter Bundle, which costs £40 and contains 12 sachet boxes of the brand's Flow Coffee (for focus), Mojo Coffee (for feeling strong) and Zen Coffee (for feeling calm) - which can all be bought in individual bundles too, costing £15 for 12 sachets. Meanwhile, the Selection Box has 12 sachets of the three coffees, for those just wanting to try them without too much outlay upfront.
Handily, Reach readers can get 20% off London Nootropics with the code REACH20, which expires on 31/05/2025 at 11:59pm (BST). The code can be used once per customer and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers.
For an alternative, try DIRTEA Mushroom Coffee with Lion's Mane (60 Servings) for £37.99 from Amazon. The 4.3 starred product contains Organic Lion's Mane, Vitamin B and maca and ashwagandha root powders, all blended with arabica coffee to boost energy levels.
At Holland & Barrett the Cheerful Buddha Lion's Mane Mushroom Coffee Blend 150g is £11.24. Caffeine free, it's infused with Lion's mane mushrooms, coconut oil, ashwagandha and cacao - all there to support wellbeing.
One customer said of the London Nootropics Starter Bundle: 'I had a few free samples from my nutritionist and after one cup I was hooked. I tried flow and mojo on separate days, they both helped with my brain fog and most of all stopped the panicky sensation I get in my chest if I'm trying to enjoy a coffee and feel guilty I should be up and doing things. Zen is now my favourite for mornings where there is no rush (my weekend coffee), the others are brilliant for when I either need to get moving to walk somewhere or go to my Pilates class or just need the focus without the fog!'
Another said: 'Absolutely love this coffee, it tastes fantastic with oat milk and honey. Mojo gives me a great boost but without the crash of other coffee products. Love all these coffee definitely my favourite brand.'
A third said: 'I don't drink coffee as I am a die hard tea consumer BUT after trying these at my sister's insistence I am now hooked. The coffees are absolutely delicious and they really work for me. My favourite is zen but they all deliver amazing benefits without the punch and bitterness of regular coffee. Would highly recommend these. . Will definitely be a regular buyer.'
However, one flagged the price: 'I absolutely love these coffees, they smell so good, are delicious and convenient The packaging is also beautiful and they make nice gifts but I wonder if they could be cheaper if you could buy a refill pack or something, I just can't afford to have them all the time.'
Another said: 'I am enjoying delicious taste of this coffee, not sure if I can see effects of adaptogens yet but perhaps I need to pay more attention as wasn't really. I did not get ingredients descriptions cards in my boxes and I can see from other reviews that people got them and also personal messages, nice gesture, nothing in my boxes.'
For a morning alternative, this could be the perfect companion drink to start the day.
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