UP JUS: Bringing better health to peoples lives through raw juice

Vancouver like the rest of the world has become obsessed with cold-pressed juices, so much so there are a proliferation of juice bars popping up all over the city. While some of these juice bars are in plain sight, some are situated slightly off the beaten track, like UP JUS, the the latest addition to Vancouver’s ever-expanding juice bar scene.

Located in a shopping arcade off Mainland Street in Yaletown, UP JUS is a little hidden gem specializing in cold-pressed raw juice (the ‘UP’ actually stands for unpasteurized). Apart from a small sign out the front you wouldn’t necessarily know it’s there. But you will want to. The storefront is modern, inviting, and run by some truly friendly proprietors, who are more than happy to have chat about their products.

With a passion for clean-living and a focus on locally-sourced, organic ingredients, Co-founders Anthony Lewis, Lam Luong and Alvin Lim, have not only created a space that is warm and welcoming, but also a vibrant range of grab-and-go drinkable cold-pressed blends that are simply brimming with essential nutrients.

Photo courtesy of UP JUS

Working out of the UP JUS kitchen, Chef Lam (who was trained at the Vietnamese Cookery Centre in Saigon and previously worked with Glowbal Group here in Vancouver), uses his culinary background to formulate recipes that are nutrient-rich, retaining as many enzymes and minerals as possible.

Waking up at the crack of dawn to start blending, Lam ensures that the UP JUS fridge is stocked with a tempting array of raw juices, which include cold-pressed beauties like Strawberry Apple Lime, and the Minty Green, a gun-powder green beverage made from kale, cucumber, romaine, mint, cilantro, parsley, and lime.

In addition to their juices, UP JUS also offers nut mylks, cleansers and tonics, like the popular Charcoal Lemonade. This slate-coloured concoction is comprised of alkaline water, lemon, raw honey, chia seeds, and activated charcoal, and helps with general detoxification, digestion issues, bloating, heart health, and anti-aging. Loyal customers swear by this drink and pre-order it by the bulk.

Photo courtesy of UP JUS

Served in re-usable jars with a simple logo sleeve, UP JUS customers can either opt to re-use their juice jars at home or bring them back to the store and recycle at the designated recycle station. While some may raise their eyebrows at the $10 price point, it is worth noting that it takes an incredible amount of veggies to make a cold-pressed juice, and that tax and a bottle deposit are both included.

Taking the pursuit for optimal health and wellness one step further, UP JUS have collaborated with skin and naturopathy experts to ensure that the juices truly deliver on their brand promise of “where health begins.” In fact, UP JUS has recently launched a skin program with a fellow Yaletown company SKN.

Consulting with Amanda Beisel from SKN Clinic, who has a background in Chinese herbs and Acupuncture, and their Naturopathic Doctor for fruit and vegetables that help in skin treatments, UP JUS has begun crafting juices to help fight specific skin problems, like acne.

Photo courtesy of UP JUS

Chef Lam creates the juices based on Beisel’s and Doctor Tasnim Adatya’s input and knowledge, combined with his culinary skill to blend flavours. Lewis remarks that it is because of this partnership that their clients “get the benefits of a researched juice blend and flavouring of a chef.” Lam is dedicated to his craft and “looks at each juice like a dish and wants to highlight each ingredient to hit your palette.”

Aside from the drinkables, UP JUS also offers customers the chance to peruse the storefront’s shelves, which display an assortment of local produce. Branded as a local market place UP JUS sells locally-made honey, The Lemon Square, To Die For loaves, salted caramel pecan popcorn from Batch Sweet Kitchen, and more.

With fall just around the corner, the team at UP JUS are busy creating new seasonal flavour combinations, like Pumpkin Spice, and Apple Pie. UP JUS will also be adding two new green juices (one root juice and one citrus), and continuing their SKN collaboration with a new juice to benefit skin each month, for September their focus is anti-aging.

For more information and future collaborations check UP JUS’ website and social media pages.

UPJUS

Address: 108 – 1058 Mainland Street
Phone: 604-762-0729
Twitter: @upjus108