Club Soda co-founder Laura Willoughby has advice for smaller stores to match the supermarkets Consumer demand for light, low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks is not going away. IWSR forecasts annual UK sales growth for alcohol-free of 10% from 2022-2026, with the market already worth an annual £255 million, according to figures from Mintel.  This is not a story of sudden sobriety: the trend…

It is clear that many consumers will happily pay more for a product if it is environmentally friendly. As a result, producers have tried to jump on the bandwagon and position themselves as sustainable when this is not always the case. Here’s how to spot a brewer that is genuinely doing the right thing:  1. Transparency and accountability: Look for brewers who openly…

As we leave behind a year of record-breaking environmental events, the trade-off between luxury and sustainability couldn’t be more important. To understand it we first have to determine what we really mean by luxury.  I spoke to a few of my team and clients when writing this and it was apparent that luxury is completely subjective. What’s luxurious to one person may not…

Jeff Evans is back with the first beer review of 2024 WYE VALLEY BUTTY BACH RESERVE, 5.8% To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Wye Valley’s popular best bitter Butty Bach, the Herefordshire brewery has produced this upscaled version for the bottle and very good it is too. Just like the regular 4.5% abv version, it’s a beer that slips down remarkably easy. …

Fine wine is a widely-used phrase. It fits nicely on signs and business cards, and it rhymes in a pleasing way. It’s also a phrase that is rather poorly defined, as became clear to me when a non-wine friend asked me to tell him what fine wine is.  Many wine merchants talk casually about selling fine wines, but the meaning of the term…

Here’s what markets and small business minister Kevin Hollinrake had to say about the government’s decision to allow wine to be sold in pint bottles in future: “Our exit from the EU was all about moments just like this, where we can seize new opportunities and provide a real boost to our great British wineries and further growing the economy.” Sounds great, doesn’t…

The latest beer review by Jeff Evans GRITCHIE RUBY ESB, 5.5% Film-maker Guy Ritchie’s farm brewery in Wiltshire offers a number of interesting beers, all lovingly packaged in striking cans depicting archangels in stained glass. I’m sure these must really stand out on the shelf. The latest releases include Three Hop NEIPA, Key Lime Pie Pastry Sour and an imperial…