Eat My Lunch founder opens NZ's first alcohol-free bottle shop

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by Samuel Pordengerg Nov 12, 2022 News
Eat My Lunch founder opens NZ

The country has never had an alcohol free bottle shop.

After strong consumer demand, the alternative spirits maker has decided to make a permanent store in Ponsonby.

The founder of Eat My Lunch, Lisa King, said sales of alcohol-free drinks have taken off since the business was founded almost two years ago.

She said that her own sales were up 1 70%.

It's a mild world and zero alcohol booze attracts the "sober curious".

Non- alcoholic drinks mimic the taste of spirits, wine and beer without the alcohol content. The global sales of Covid-19 have more than tripled over the past two years.

In places like London and New York, alcohol-free bottle shops have become mainstream as the global consumption of alcohol has fallen.

The United States is home to the number one non-alcoholic beer maker, Athletic Brewing.

Last year Pernod Ricard bought Ceder's, a non-alcoholic gin brand. Pals is a popular New Zealand brand.

Lisa King says non-alcoholic drinks are having a moment.
Lisa King says non-alcoholic drinks are having a moment.

Global alcohol companies are already moving to make their own non-alcoholic beverages.

King said that beverage companies were interested in taking a stake in the company. It was in the middle of a discussion.

It would be alcohol companies that would feel threatened, they are all looking at non-alc. If people didn't want to drink alcohol, they'd have a Coke or a Sprite.

About 30,000 liters of Curious AF are canned each month. She said that it was stocked in the Koru Lounge of Air New Zealand.

The Curious AF bottle shop plans to open in Ponsonby on Friday.
The Curious AF bottle shop plans to open in Ponsonby on Friday.

The Ponsonby bottle shop will sell its own range of gin and tonics, as well as global brands it deems best in the market.

The business was going to launch into California next year before moving into other American states.

Consumers and customers expectations are far ahead of the market. The restaurants and bars are just following this.

There weren't many available products, there wasn't a clear section for it in the supermarkets, and now we are seeing dedicated sections for non-alc products King said that there are more brands coming into the market that are meeting what consumers are looking for.

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In response to comments she would get from her peers when she turned down an alcoholic beverage, the entrepreneurial started a new company. She has a background in corporate marketing and has worked for some of the world's largest consumer goods brands.

About 4% of drinks were alcohol-free.

She said that those who wanted to moderate their alcohol intake were the most loyal customers.

It is an emerging category, but the trend has been there for a while, and it is at the point where it will explode and become normal.

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