Brand of the Year 2026
Shann Jones: Championing Gut Health with Chuckling Goat
The UK's leading gut health expert, Chuckling Goat, is supporting digestive wellness with
their expertly crafted farm-to-table products under Shann Jones’ guidance. Their product
portfolio includes goat milk kefir, Complete Prebiotic, collagen, mushroom powder,
tinctures, skincare, and herbal teas. Each product is handcrafted on the farm in small
batches, rigorously tested, and grounded in scientific evidence.
As a heart-led business, Chuckling Goat prioritizes people over profits, with a mission to
help people on their gut health journey. Born from a mother’s determination to heal her ill
son, the company has grown into a trusted brand, collaborating with universities to
advance their expertise.
With a team of 27 members, 15 barn cats, 50 goats, and a community of over 120,000
customers, Chuckling Goat operates under the principle of “family first.” Their holistic
approach combines nature, science, and service to provide practical tools for restoring
health and well-being.
Chuckling Goat’s Approach to Building Trust
At Chuckling Goat, trust is the foundation upon which their brand is built. For the leading
lady, trust is not just a buzzword—it is the essence of their business. “Without trust, you
don’t have a brand—you have a transaction,” she emphasizes.
So, how does Chuckling Goat build trust with customers and stakeholders? They do it
simply: by being consistent, honest, and always following through, even when nobody is
watching.
The team at Chuckling Goat stays close to their customers, answering emails personally
and explaining the science behind their products in a clear, concise way. Every batch of
kefir is batch-tested, every product is handmade, and all research is peer-reviewed. With
stakeholders, Chuckling Goat leads with transparency and integrity.
For Shann, trust is not something that can be claimed—it’s earned, quietly, through
thousands of small, correct decisions made over time.
From Necessity to Purpose: The Chuckling Goat Story
Shann Jones never set out to start a business. Her journey began with a mother’s
desperation to save her ill son when conventional medicine offered no solutions. Turning to
traditional fermentation, she made kefir from her own goats and witnessed her son’s health
transform before her eyes. This pivotal moment sparked a calling, and what started as a
personal quest to help one family heal evolved into a mission to help many. Shann’s vision
deepened, recognizing the potential to bridge ancient wisdom with rigorous science and
restore trust in natural healing.
Today, Chuckling Goat is a testament to the power of gentle, evidence-based solutions.
Shann’s vision is clear: to prove that natural healing can be a quiet, profound force for
change, one batch of kefir at a time. With a commitment to science-based products and
transparent practice, Chuckling Goat is supporting people worldwide to take control of
their health, naturally.
Staying Ahead of the Curve
Shann Jones believes in staying curious yet grounded in the ever-evolving landscape of gut
health and wellness. With a keen eye on the latest industry trends, Shann’s approach is
refreshingly simple: focus on the fundamentals, and let biology be the guide. So, how does
Chuckling Goat stay updated with the latest best practices?
Expert Insights: Shann works closely with a globally respected Scientific Advisory Board,
ensuring their thinking is challenged and their products are backed by evidence.
Research-driven: The team continually reviews the latest research, digging beyond
headlines to understand the science.
Customer-centric: By listening to their customers, Chuckling Goat gains valuable insights,
often ahead of the curve.
Traditional Wisdom: Shann Jones draws on time-tested traditional practices, blending
ancient wisdom with modern science.
For her, best practice is where rigorous science, lived experience, and timeless wisdom
converge. By staying grounded in these principles, Chuckling Goat remains a trusted leader
in the industry, committed to delivering effective, evidence-based solutions.
Unique Recipe for Maintaining Trust
When Chuckling Goat’s popularity skyrocketed after a national radio interview, the sudden
surge in demand presented a daunting challenge. With orders flooding in and a waiting list
stretching to eight weeks, many businesses would have taken shortcuts to keep up. Not
Chuckling Goat.
Shann Jones and her team chose a different path—one of transparency, integrity, and
honesty. They communicated with their customers, explaining the meticulous process
behind their kefir production and the importance of maintaining quality.
The Truth, Plain and Simple: They told their customers exactly why their kefir takes time
and why each batch is tested
No Compromises: They never compromise quality for speed. No corners were cut, and no
quality was sacrificed.
Keeping Customers Informed: Regular updates and open conversations kept customers
engaged and understanding.
Putting Customers First: Refunds were offered to those who did not want to wait, restoring
their trust in growth.
The results? Customers did not just wait—they stayed, appreciative of the brand’s
commitment to integrity. Chuckling Goat’s approach proved that trust, once earned, can
weather even the toughest storms. By choosing integrity over growth, Chuckling Goat
demonstrates that sometimes, slowing down is the fastest way to build lasting
relationships with your audience.
Mission and Values: A Recipe for Success
Chuckling Goat’s mission is to restore health naturally, with integrity, by supporting the
gut—the foundation of whole-body wellbeing—using nature, science, and care in equal
measure.
Their objective isn’t rapid growth, but depth, focusing on doing fewer things exceptionally
well, building trust, and creating products that genuinely work. The company’s core values
are honesty, evidence, craftsmanship, and service.
The team at Chuckling Goat stays aligned by living these values through constant
conversations about why we do things, not just what. This culture is built on small actions,
ensuring everyone is working towards the same goal: helping people heal naturally.
Evolution of the Gut Health Industry
The gut health industry has undergone a notable transformation, with kefir emerging from
the fringes to become a recognized powerhouse. Shann notes that when she started, gut
health was considered alternative, anecdotal, even indulgent, but today, the microbiome is
central to serious medical and scientific conversation.
This change is largely positive, as science catches up with nature’s wisdom. However,
greater attention has brought confusion, with overblown claims, shortcuts, and trend-
driven products hurting the industry’s integrity. Shann believes progress needs careful
judgment, as healing is relational, gradual, and complex. The industry’s growth is clear: the
digestive health products market is estimated to reach $270 billion by 2034, fueled by new
consumer preferences and rising healthcare costs.
A Turning Point in Purpose
For Shann, the pivotal moment came when her son’s health dramatically improved after
introducing traditionally fermented kefir. This was not just a food; it was medicine in its
oldest form. The experience was a clear indicator that their mission was bigger than just
building a business—it was about sharing something that genuinely worked, with integrity.
Later, when Google brought a 20-person team to film them for two days, the message
landed fully: this was bigger than them. Shann’s purpose never wavered—depth over
growth, truth over noise, and service over ego. This moment defined Chuckling Goat’s
direction, focusing on sharing effective, natural solutions with the world.
Nurturing a Thriving Culture
Shann cultivates work culture at Chuckling Goat like a garden, with care, attention, and
respect for natural rhythms. She believes people do their best work when they feel trusted,
seen, and safe to think. The company’s approach focuses on motivating through purpose,
clarity, and ownership, rather than pressure.
At Chuckling Goat, everyone understands the purpose of their work and the community it
benefits. The team supports working at a thoughtful pace, achieving real balance, and
consistently values quality over speed, recognizing that burnout hinders effectiveness.
Shann leads by example by maintaining close connections with the team and prioritizing
their well-being. This leadership style creates a workplace culture where productivity
arises naturally, as team members are aligned, valued, and empowered to use their full
capabilities.
Holistic Approach to Well-being and Sustainability
Chuckling Goat’s contribution to society and the environment is multifaceted. By focusing
on gut health, they support the foundation of physical and emotional well-being,
empowering people to take ownership of their health. Environmentally, the company
works with nature, caring for goats ethically, producing small-batch products, and
minimizing waste. Sustainability is a daily practice, not just a marketing claim. They
prioritize ethical goat care, use natural ingredients, and adopt sustainable packaging, while
supporting local communities and reducing their environmental footprint. By doing the
little things consistently, Chuckling Goat creates a positive impact on both people and the
planet.
The Future Outlook
Shann envisions Chuckling Goat as a steadying presence in a rapidly evolving gut health
industry, staying true to its values of integrity, science, and humanity. As the industry
grows, Shann and her team remain committed to translating complex science into practical,
trustworthy solutions. Their focus is on deepening their expertise, advancing microbiome
testing, refining formulations, and strengthening scientific partnerships rather than
pursuing expansion for its own sake.
The company’s plans include educating and innovating, without losing sight of its roots.
Chuckling Goat aims to contribute to a future where natural health is respected, rigorous,
and quietly transformative—and where businesses prioritize serving real people.
Community-Focused Approach
Chuckling Goat is deeply rooted in its local community, creating skilled rural employment
and supporting a sustainable farming economy. The company’s firm is a working
ecosystem where people are an integral part, not just a backdrop.
Chuckling Goat collaborated with universities, scientists, and healthcare professionals,
including Cambridge University and its Scientific Advisory Board, to advance
understanding of the microbiome.
The company also supports charitable initiatives, such as The DPJ Foundation, which
focuses on mental health support for rural communities, and shares knowledge freely
through educational content. Shann emphasizes that community is about relationships, not
visibility, and staying connected, contributing honestly, and sharing knowledge can have a
far-reaching impact.
Remarkable Accolades and Milestones
The visionary leader, Shann Jones, has garnered impressive recognition for her pioneering
work in natural health. She received an MBE for Services to Innovation and Charity,
acknowledging her dedication to evidence-led health solutions.
Chuckling Goat has been named ‘Innovation Health Solutions Brand of the Year,’ and its
kefir was crowned the ‘Best Kefir in the World in 2022. Shann has also been honored as the
‘Most Iconic Female Personality to Watch.’
Her books with Hay House have become bestsellers, contributing to the mainstream
conversation on gut health. However, Shann values the trust she has earned from
individuals and families above all else.
Guiding Principles for Success
Shann Jones offers timeless advice: start small, and start real. Don’t chase trends or try to
sound clever—solve a problem you actually understand. Learn the science properly,
respect tradition, and never overpromise.
Stay close to the people you serve, as they are your compass. Build slowly, test everything,
and prioritize quality over growth. Success isn’t about scale or visibility. It’s about trust. If
people trust you with their health, that’s a privilege. Protect it