The founders of Heaps Normal, Andy Miller, Ben Holdstock and Peter Brennan, each had their own reasons for wanting to start an alcohol-free beer company. But they all agreed on one core thing: if they were struggling to find a craft beer that was non-alcoholic and tasted great, it was likely other people were too.
With 20 years of experience in the beer industry between them, Andy, Ben and Peter – together with friend and professional surfer Jordy Smith (who performs the role of global brand ambassador) – all launched Heaps Normal in July 2020, and have since become one of Australia’s small business success stories: their products are now available in more than 2000 different bottle shops, bars and restaurants across the country.
Here, the trio share their reflections on starting up, what success means to them and tips for small business owners launching their own brand.
The Start of a New Normal
Andy: We all realised early on that the best ideas are the ones not everybody believes in yet. I’d worked in the beer industry for a few years. I got talking with Benny and Pete, and [we all] wanted to cut down our alcohol consumption.
I didn’t see myself as having a problem with alcohol, but I wanted to cut back while also keeping up the social aspects of drinking: being able to catch up with mates and enjoy the taste of beer. We all had reasons for wanting to cut back, [and we realised] it was probably the same for many other people in the community.
Ben: Andy introduced me to the idea back in 2018. The more I thought about it, the more I realised it would be awesome to reduce your alcohol intake, but not stop drinking entirely. I thought it was a great idea and something that was really needed in the industry: being able to drink a craft beer that was alcohol-free, but actually tasted great.
Peter: Firstly, I'd grown up with alcoholism in the family. My dad was an alcoholic, and a pretty abusive one at that. Subsequently in my 20s, and even into my 30s, I never had a good relationship with alcohol. As a father of two young children, I wanted to break that cycle and avoid my kids having to go through what my brother and I did when we were younger.
Secondly, I'm a brand-builder – I've built countless brands for clients through my branding studio. I wanted to see if we could build our own brand, without the limitations of a client telling us what they thought we needed to do; just build it the way we wanted to build it. Safe to say, we're thrilled with the outcome.
Be Confident in What You’re Doing
Ben: We were pretty scared about doing the first production run of beer and having to sell all this alcohol-free beer. There’s a lot of stigma around non-alcoholic beer; most people expect it to taste terrible and that was a big challenge for us from day one.
It’s still the biggest challenge we face. We always get the question, “What’s the point?” For me, I think I like the taste of beer more than the effect. There are so many occasions where alcohol-free beer could be enjoyed. It’s so diverse.
Andy: One of the great wins was sharing the beer. We shared the first trial batch with brewers, sommeliers and food critics and didn’t tell them it was a non-alcoholic beer. And they really enjoyed it – they thought it was a mid-strength! That was mind-blowing. It gave us the confidence to keep going and to get it out there into more venues.
On reflection, and something I've noticed through speaking [to other] young founders, is that confidence is underrated. [It’s important] to believe in yourself and have that confidence to shoot for the stars. When it came to getting our beer into places, it wasn't until we got some of that confidence that we started targeting our favourite bars and the best restaurants we could think of. Up until then, we were a bit scared of rejection.
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You Don’t Have to Have a Niche or a Plan
Ben: I don’t think we analysed the market and noticed there was a gap. The business was started more through our own motivation to drink less, and the hope that might resonate with a bunch of other people. It just so happened that we launched during the coronavirus pandemic when people were reassessing their alcohol intake.
Don’t Wait for Perfection
Andy: One of the things we've learned is the power of just doing the work: writing things down and creating things, as opposed to building things in your head. Nobody can help you when something is in your head. It’s sort of summarised in the phrase ‘done is better than perfect’. By getting something out into the world that isn't necessarily perfect, you’re able to improve on it. That's paid dividends for us: taking the leap, getting it out there and responding to the feedback.
Resilience Is Key
Peter: [In small business] there are really high highs and really low lows, and I don't think that ever goes away. It's all a part of the process; [you need to be] resilient enough to not over-celebrate the highs and not get too down on the lows, because it really is a roller-coaster.
Never Be Afraid to Ask for Help
Peter: There might be something you think is impossible because you've never done it before, but it’s likely there’s someone who has and can help you.
Ben: Don’t be afraid to ask for help from people. That’s been a really cool experience we've had. We're not experts at everything but we have had really great feedback and advice.
SEE ALSO: How Your Small Business Can Reap the Benefits of Outsourcing
Care About Why You Are Creating a Business
Andy: Start a business because you want to solve a problem that you care deeply about. That’s some of the best advice I’d been given; that’s why we started this business. Even on the tough days, if it's something you care deeply about, it’s much easier to see the bigger picture.
Peter: We’ve all got a different reason for wanting to do this, but when it's 1am and you’re typing out emails with one eye, having a personal connection and a ‘why’ is really important.
Ben: I’d encourage anyone to pursue what they believe in; it's so rewarding and so much fun.
Define Your Own Measure of Success
Andy: The brand is something people find fun and interesting, and can relate to. Having a great product is the reason people come back and keep buying it. [For us], success is not wanting to be anywhere else. It doesn't matter if we sell one million cases of beer or just create a fun business with a few mates and a great team which sustains us for a while. It's more important to judge success in that way rather than by the numbers.
If you or someone you know is affected by alcohol or drugs there is information and services available to help. Or talk to your GP.
