The Next Round: What happens after you change your drinking?
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The Next Round: What happens after you change your drinking?
Aaron is a specialist intellectual property solicitor and partner in J A Kemp’s Trade Marks & Designs Group. He has a very international outlook being qualified to practice law in the UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia. His practice involves all things related to trade marks and brand protection, as well as dealing with domain name and other internet-related issues, and both domestic and international IP disputes. Aaron has spearheaded worldwide trade mark clearance projects for both brand owners and creative agencies, helping with risk-management and positioning brands for growth from early stages, managing legal budgets big and small. He will be available for one-to-one discussions on IP strategy.
Alix Blease is a Technical Sales Representative for Lallemand Brewing UK, with a strong background in brewing and a passion for innovation. Holding a Master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Warwick and a Master’s degree in Brewing and Distilling from Heriot-Watt University, Alix combines academic expertise with practical industry experience to provide technical support and guidance to brewers across the UK.
Throughout their career, Alix has helped develop an extensive range of beers, demonstrating both technical versatility and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of brewing. Their experience spans product development, fermentation science and brewing operations, giving them a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing today’s brewers.
Amy Lupton is the MD of PB Creative, an independent brand and strategy agency that creates brands with soul. Known for bold thinking and strategic creative, PB Creative helps brands – whether global icons or challengers – stand out, connect, and stay relevant and ultimately deliver impact.
With deep expertise in branding and consumer trends, Amy understands how design shapes perception and drives behaviour. As the no/lo category continues to evolve, she brings a sharp, no-nonsense perspective on how brands can carve out a meaningful space and win over consumers.
Founder of The Blue Dolphin Store, alcohol-free drinks retailer & distributor based in Barcelona (Spain)
An experienced social researcher with a record of applying behavioural science to policy problems, and running and designing robust randomised controlled trials.
Annabelle joined Drinkaware in 2020 and leads our research team.
She is an experienced social researcher with a track record of applying behavioural science to policy problems; and of running and designing robust randomised controlled trials.
She joins Drinkaware from Ofgem, where she led ground breaking trials to uncover what works in increasing engagement in the domestic energy market, and was part of a team awarded the 2019 Behavioural Exchange Award for Outstanding Research.
Before then, she worked in the Department of Health’s Behavioural Insight Team, focussing on robust evaluations of innovative ways to improve health outcomes, including increasing attendance at NHS Health Checks, which won the UK Government’s annual Social Research Award in 2014.
Anthony Wilson has been at the forefront of drinks innovation for over 14 years, creating world-class liquids across gin, vodka, whisky, tequila, bourbon, rum, liqueurs, RTDs, flavoured malt beverages, creams and, most notably, alcohol-free and mid-strength drinks. With a BSc in Food Science and Technology and a career spanning Diageo’s Innovation R&D team, Anthony has developed a unique expertise in turning bold ideas into commercially viable products.
During his time leading R&D for Diageo’s Futures Team, including Distill Ventures, he worked directly with entrepreneurs to bring new spirits brands to market. He also spent more than three years with Diageo’s Global Licensing team, extending household names such as Guinness, Baileys, and Captain Morgan into new food and beverage categories.
As Founder and Technical Director of Alkemista, Anthony has been instrumental in the development of a huge number of the alcohol-free and mid-strength spirits now seen in the UK, Europe and the US. Widely regarded as a creative “liquid wizard,” Anthony is one of the quiet forces behind the sector’s most successful and pioneering brands.
Passionate about innovation, he thrives on making ideas tangible through prototyping, bridging the gap between science, creativity, and commercial success to shape the future of the drinks industry.
Beth is Product Development Manager for Wine at Tesco. A Master of Wine with more than 20 years’ experience across wine buying, retail and education, Beth has held senior roles at Tesco, Majestic Wine and Marks & Spencer. She is a respected wine judge and brings extensive expertise in consumer trends, product development and the evolving role of wine in modern retail.
Bill is Co-Founder and CEO of Athletic Brewing Company, the world’s largest dedicated alcohol-free brewery and one of the most influential businesses in the no and low alcohol sector. Since launching Athletic Brewing in 2017, Bill has helped transform alcohol-free beer from a niche category into a mainstream consumer choice, leading the company’s rapid growth across retail, hospitality and e-commerce.
Alongside his role at Athletic Brewing, Bill serves as Chair of the Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association (ANBA), the leading trade body representing the alcohol-free drinks sector in the United States. Through both his business leadership and advocacy work, he has become a key voice shaping the future of alcohol-free drinks, championing innovation, consumer choice and category growth.
Founder of the mindful drinking brand and creative consultancy La Maison Wellness, Camille has spent her career as a consultant and global brand ambassador most notably for St- Germain and the Bacardi family of brands.
Chris brings an extensive background in the off-trade, with years of experience working closely with wine shops, restaurants, and hospitality businesses across London. At Vintage Roots, he specialises in developing sustainable growth for small and independent businesses, helping them refine their ranges and drive customer engagement. Passionate about innovation and market trends, Chris is particularly interested in how the No & Low sector can support retailers and hospitality venues in meeting changing consumer demands.
Chris has been a writer, journalist, author and magazine editor in the world of drinks for over 25 years. Two years ago, he teamed up with AF expert Chrissie Parkinson to set up the World Alcohol-Free Awards – the only competition dedicated to drinks at 0.5% abv or below.
Previously the multi-award-winning Group Head of Wine for Hakkasan, Chrissie is one half of the No/Low consultancy Brimful Drinks, and in 2022 co-founded the World Alcohol-Free Awards. Pioneering work with No & Low drinks since 2016 and known as a committed educator and thoughtful communicator. Awards include Imbibe Industry Legend, IWSC Lifetime Achievement, WSET Educator of the Year.
Dan Gasper, Managing Partner of Nex Drinks Partners and Co-Founder of Distill Ventures
Daniel I’Anson is the Commercial Director of Everleaf, a range of non-alcoholic aperitifs inspired by, and produced with flavours from the natural world. Everleaf makes non-alcoholic drinks taste great, and sell better! He has worked in the drinks industry for over twenty-five years in a range of sales, marketing and brand building roles.
His experience covers both large multi-national companies such as LVMH and Pernod Ricard as well as start-up businesses. He is passionate about brand experience, liquid excellence and the stories which sit behind every drink and bottle.
Daniel Stiller is the Chief Executive Officer of Better Rhodes, a company focused on mindful drinking and non-alcoholic beverage innovation. He leads strategy, operations, and growth with a goal of expanding choice and sparking new thinking in the consumer market.
He began his career in automotive. He held leadership roles at Ford, Hyundai, and Honda. He later became Director of North American Sales at ZENN Motor Company, where he led expansion of emerging technologies in new markets.
He has also shared his experience in academia as a professor at Concordia University Chicago, teaching leadership, strategy, and business practice. In the classroom, he connects real-world challenges with academic frameworks to prepare future leaders.
Hockey player, golfer and skier. Outside work, Daniel plays when he can and uses sports to stay grounded to his Canadian roots.
The Founder of Drink Dry, the GCC’s first and only premium non-alcoholic drinks marketplace, Erika is a well-known and revered figure in the beverage industry.
Frederik is the founder of Lowlander, the pioneering brewery crafting no & low-alcohol beers infused with botanicals. With a passion for flavor and innovation, he has redefined beer by blending brewing traditions with natural ingredients. Frederik leads Lowlander in shaping the future of mindful drinking with bold, botanical brews.
Katie worked in the UK retail industry for over 15 years, with her expertise covering everything from customer & consumer research and in-store experience, through to people development, customer service and marketing. Her focus on customer experience and insight is second to none and she is obsessively focused on understanding the needs of our clients and their customers.
Katie joined the business in 2019 to oversee the brand marketing and communication strategy for KAM which marked her entry into the hospitality industry. Katie is now on the advisory board for Gamechangers, a judge for the Licensee of the Year awards and the NITA’s, and is a seasoned conference presenter
Helen Bass is Vice President, Global Head of Marketing, Insights and Digital at Tate & Lyle. A specialist in consumer behaviour, innovation and brand strategy, she helps food and drink businesses understand emerging trends and turn insight into commercial growth. Helen brings deep expertise in how changing consumer expectations are shaping the future of beverages and wellness-focused products.
Ian has 40 years experience in the food and drink sector, most recently as the CEO of Fentimans and before that as the Managing Director at Fullers Brewery. Ian has worked with family /Founder led businesses for many years and has a passion for helping them grow and realise their potential
Karen is Drinkaware’s Chief Executive Officer and joined the organisation in October 2022.
Karen brings over 20 years of experience across health and social care, most recently in the national alcohol and drug treatment charity Humankind where she was Executive Director of Strategy, Culture and External Affairs.
Prior to Humankind Karen worked at Addaction (now called With You), a charity that gives free confidential support to people with drugs, alcohol and mental health issues.
Karen is also Vice Chair of Trustees at the Avalon Group, a social care charity.
Karen is a collaborative leader, with expertise in strategy and communications. She has spent time working in business development and started her career as a volunteer.
Kate is the Founder of Nudge PR, a drinks and hospitality-focused PR agency. She has over 20 years’ experience working with both established and emerging brands, helping them to tell their stories, build their reputations, and connect with consumers and trade audiences alike.
Laura Willoughby is the founder of Club Soda, the Mindful Drinking Movement. She is a serial social entrepreneur and campaigner with a background in politics and marketing. Laura was awarded an MBE for services to charity in 2012 and is a regular speaker and commentator on mindful drinking and the alcohol-free drinks industry.
Louise Fitzpatrick is Strategic Growth Manager for HEINEKEN Globally, with a focus on growth opportunities in LoNo and Beyond Beer. She has worked for HEINEKEN for over 12 years, across various roles and functions, in both Dublin and Amsterdam. In previous roles, she was responsible for fuelling consumer centricity by adopting future proof tools and capabilities. She also led the roll out of the organisation’s Global Demand Space framework, and was a key instigator of the company’s expansion into Low and No Alcohol beverages. Prior to HEINEKEN, Louise held a number of roles in innovation and media agencies, as well as a stint as Insights Manager for Tourism Ireland. Louise is passionate about the Low and No alochol beer and how the category is meeting the evolving needs of consumers.
Matthias Lataille is the founder of No & Flow Brands (NO+(F)LOW), a sales and distribution agency dedicated to premium no- and low-alcohol drinks. Originally from France, he built his career in London’s hospitality scene, working at venues like the Connaught Hotel before becoming UK Brand Ambassador for Olmeca Altos Tequila with Pernod Ricard. His own journey with sobriety inspired him to focus on reframing alcohol-free drinking as a positive choice.
Through No & Flow, Matthias helps innovative brands grow and gain visibility in the fast-expanding no/low sector. A mentor and advocate for wellbeing in hospitality, he also co-founded the Healthy Hospo Chess Club and continues to champion mindful drinking as part of modern culture.
Nick Bodkins is the founder of A Route West and the former CEO of Boisson, a category-defining marketplace for non-alcoholic wines and spirits. At Boisson, Nick raised $22 million in venture funding and built a national footprint across New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and e-commerce.
He led the brand through explosive growth—and a difficult restructuring—earning recognition in The New York Times, Forbes, Business Insider, and BevNet. These experiences, from scaling to course-correcting, now shape the work he does at A Route West: helping founders and operators grow smarter and adapt faster.
Before launching Boisson, Nick spent more than a decade in enterprise marketing and technology, leading digital strategy and GTM execution for both consumer brands and SaaS companies. His approach combines startup urgency with enterprise structure.
Nick is a two-time judge at the World Alcohol-Free Awards in London and was recently named a no/low alcohol judge for the IWSC.
Paul is a conservation biologist-turned bar owner who is obsessed with combining his passions for plants and drinks. He launched Everleaf non-alcoholic aperitifs in January 2019 to meet the demand for better non-alcoholic drink options. Made from the world’s most wonderful plants, sustainability is a core part of Everleaf – ensuring our plants thrive forever.
NYC-based Robert Novick has spent the last twenty-five years deeply involved in the business and culture of adult beverages in New York City. From helping to run natural wine importers to helping lead one of the largest purveyors of premium non-alcoholic beverages, he’s been able to sit down across from sommeliers, bartenders, and beverage directors and had meaningful conversations about everything from grand cru burgundy to alcohol-free wines.
With 14+ years in wine, spirits, and low/no drinks, including roles at leading RTMs and the IWSC, I co-founded Kore Drinks in 2023—a specialist agency/distributor championing innovative, boundary-breaking drinks and supporting brands, venues, and distributors across the UK and beyond.
Serena is Head of Category – On trade at HEINEKEN UK, specialising in on-trade beer & cider strategy. She focuses on turning insight into simple, actionable solutions for publicans—particularly within the fast‑growing no and low category. Serena is passionate about making category growth easy to execute at the bar, bridging insight, activation and commercial impact.
Silvia received a degree in Agricultural engineering from the University of Zaragoza, Spain and a second degree from La Rioja University in Winemaking. She then traveled around the world learning various methods of international winemaking, including four years as Production Manager in a wine cooperative in D.O. Calatayud, working in Germany in the Mosel area, and working at About Wine and Style Consult in Neustadt Weinstrasse. Silvia has been apart of the BevZero team since 2015.
It was 20 years ago that Austrian-born Stefan set out to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a Master Sommelier. Over the years he has worked in several senior positions in the hospitality industry, including the Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston with his trademark enthusiasm, curiosity, and dedication. He joined Fells in 2021 as its Wine Consultant where he now combines his passion for matching the characters of wine with the emotions that they evoke.
Steve is the wine buyer for Tesco.
Tasha is the graduate buyer for Tesco.
With his wife and business partner, Mary, Tim Bird operates seven boutique pubs in rural Cheshire and North Staffordshire. They are committed to being renowned for having one of the best drinks acts in the UK and whilst space is at a premium on our bars, they will make space for the right drinks that capture the imagination of their guests and their teams.
Tom Surgey is one of the UK’s leading voices in wine, drinks, and hospitality. A broadcaster, writer, and presenter, he is best known a regular drinks expert on ITV’s Love Your Weekend. With a career spanning sommelier work at leading restaurants through to global brand consultancy, Tom has a rare ability to bridge deep industry knowledge with engaging storytelling. He now works with a wide range of drinks businesses, from alcohol-free pioneers to established international brands, bringing insight, wit, and accessibility to every conversation.
Tom is the founder of Wise Bartender, one of the UK’s largest online retailers for no and low-alcohol drinks. He has built a comprehensive range of products for consumers, events, and hospitality venues, championing choice and accessibility in the mindful drinking sector.
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