Low&no alcohol: a conversation with Ben Branson, founder of Seedlip

Could you introduce yourself and the brand in a few words ?

Ben Branson, Seedlip founder

My name is Ben Branson and I’m the founder of Seedlip. Seedlip is a nature company on a mission to solve the dilemma of ‘what to drink when you’re not drinking’ with our range of the world’s first & world’s best-selling distilled non-alcoholic spirits. We currently have three expressions in our range; Seedlip Garden 108, Seedlip Spice 94 & Seedlip Grove 42. Seedlip is available in 40+ countries and the best bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers.

What inspired you to launch Seedlip ?

The idea for Seedlip came as a combination of wanting to continue my family’s 300 year old legacy of working with the land, my love of old books and natural history and my disappointment at what was offered on the market in terms of non-alcoholic drinks.

Back in 2013, whilst researching interesting herbs I could grow at home, I came across a book written in 1651 called ‘The Art of Distillation’ that documented distilled herbal remedies – both alcoholic & non-alcoholic. Out of curiosity, I bought a copper still and began experimenting in my kitchen.

Three months later I was out for dinner at a nice restaurant in London, not drinking, and got offered this pink, fruity, sweet, childish mocktail. I felt like an idiot. It didn’t pair well with the food, and it wasn’t a great experience. Surely there must be a better way! The dots began to join and I spent the next two years working with my still, my mother on the ingredients, my father on the design and slowly began to believe that maybe we could solve the ‘what to drink when you’re not drinking ‘dilemma with a different approach to non-alcoholic drinks.

Seedlip range

Did you notice any evolution regarding the low/no market ? What is your vision regarding this segment in the upcoming years?

There has been an explosion of growth and the no&lo category in ten key markets is now worth $10bn [IWSR 2022]. That is a huge difference from when I started Seedlip in 2015, and there were no brands, no menus, no conferences, books, recipes, podcasts, shops, bars or events on the topic.

The non-alcoholic category is still in its infancy but with over 250+ non-alcoholic spirit brands now available and moderation being growing consumer & customer wish, all the signs indicate that the demand will only continue to grow as people drink better which is very exciting! We are very proud to be at the forefront of showing what’s possible when both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are treated with the same level of care and attention!