Innovative low and no alcohol ‘one stop shop’ launched in Northern Ireland

DrinkNo/Low, an innovative business launched by entrepreneurial couple David and Jill Crawford, will help consumers and traders here access drinks with no or low alcohol from global manufacturers.

The couple, based at Portaferry in county Down, aim to become the specialist ‘go to’ online retailer – the website (www.drinknolow.co.uk an www.drinknolow.ie ) has just been launched – and a trade distributor of premium and craft alcohol free and low drinks in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

David and Jill bring vast experience in international markets to the new business as the innovators behind Just Live a Little, a producer of granolas and other healthy snacks for major retailers worldwide.

Influenced by the launches of alcohol-free Guinness and Gordon’s Gin options, they decided to focus on developing an extensive portfolio of craft beers and other beverages produced without alcohol that can be accessed both digitally and by conventional distribution services. The new business initiative has also been influenced by their efforts to reduce alcohol consumption.

Jill, the commercial director, explains: “We spotted a new business opportunity from the development of the No/Low drinks sector as one of the fastest growing and most interesting categories in food and drink. While there are a lot of fantastic new products available in a market which has really taken off in Europe, the US and Australia, the availability of these beverages has been inhibited here due to issues over trade and transport, especially post-Brexit. We saw significant scope in particular to help accelerate the growth of the category on the island of Ireland. Many producers either don’t ship their product here – or the shipping costs make the price prohibitive,” Jill adds.

 Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol enables the new company to operate a B2C operation in Northern Ireland on an All-Ireland basis – without trade barriers. Post Brexit UK/Republic of Ireland trade was made more difficult for companies based in the Republic to import product from the UK.

Jill continues: “We couldn’t believe what we discovered from our research and how the market has changed in recent years – from sophisticated spirit alternatives, wine with health benefits, through to delicious cocktails to superb beers – all tasting as good as, if not much better than their alcoholic alternatives.”

Drink No/Low was created as “a one stop shop for all drinks non-alcoholic”. “We are all about bringing people the very best the category has to offer – at an affordable price across Ireland, North and South.”

The Northern Ireland company has already tied up with many of the world’s leading producers of no/low beverages in craft beers, beer and cider, spirits, cocktails and wine including UNLTD Beer, Pentire Spirits, NLL New London Light, Wild Life Botanicals, Loah Beer, Highball Cocktails and Thomson & Scott Noughty wines.