London Defender

The Daily Mirror of the Great Britain

The alcohol-free ‘off-licence’ helping with Dry January

Laura Willoughby MBE gave up drinking 10 years ago because she felt it would take her to a dangerous place and it was affecting her mental health.

The 47-year-old from Newham, east London, founded mindful drinking community Club Soda and opened an alcohol-free ‘off-licence’.

The volume of no and low alcohol products in 2021 grew by almost 17% across the UK, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, and one in seven adults planned to have a month off alcohol in January.

Laura said: “You shouldn’t focus on what it is that you’re losing, but what you want to gain in your life.”

Video by Jamie Moreland