Ten years ago, Laura Willoughby MBE stopped drinking. She realised that a career fuelled by “cheap white wine” and every-other-day drinking was becoming problematic. In 2014, after two years of sobriety, Willoughby created Club Soda; a venture that turned her life around.
Laura describes Club Soda as a “mindful drinking” community which helps people tackle their drinking habits. What started as a Facebook group is now a globally-recognised business that runs masterclasses, online courses and alcohol-free events. Its popularity is ever-growing. Earlier this year, the business made an important milestone in setting up the first alcohol-free off-licence in London, close to Oxford Circus. From December 2021 into March 2022, the pop-up shop – which held over 300 beverages – invited the public to try, buy and learn from in-house experts about non-alcoholic drinks.
Willoughby, 48, is proud of Club Soda’s work with the pop-up shop. “It was successful because people were able to come in and try every drink. They all went away with something that made them excited,” she says. “Now those people have something to drink on the days they don’t want alcohol. That, to me, is success.”
A company like Club Soda was not around when Willoughby stopped drinking. “You can go into a shop and pick up a magazine about dieting, but there wasn’t anything helping you change your drinking,” she explains. “That’s where Club Soda came from. We don’t need to tell you that alcohol is bad for you – we want to tell you about the positives of change and the way that life could be if you do that, whether that was to cut down or quit.”
Last month, Willoughby was listed 66th in Drink Retailing’s top 100 most influential people in drink. You can hear her smile through the phone as we discuss this, yet much of her pride is for what it symbolises for Club Soda. “This shows that there’s been a real step change. For me, it isn’t about whether I feel like I’m implementing the drinks industry, it’s that the drinks industry thinks this is a message worth hearing – that’s really exciting.
“We’ve been saying for years that we want pubs and bars to treat everybody equally, that everybody’s experience should be important,” she explains. “Whether you’re drinking alcohol or not, people want lovely drinks and to have a nice time. They don’t want to feel excluded.”
Willoughby, originally from Somerset, moved to London aged 21. She first made a name for herself doing community work, working with the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall and the YMCA. Later, she landed in politics. For 12 years, Willoughby was a Liberal Democrats councillor for Islington Council; a role that she was awarded an MBE for services to the community for, aged 30.
Despite what she achieved in politics, Willoughby feels her career was influenced by alcohol. Speaking on Club Soda’s podcast, she described politics as a “career completely fuelled by cheap white wine”, where drink was consumed at events, campaign meetings and frequent pub visits. The all-too-often hangovers, she says, made her want to change. However, the skills and values from her previous career are relevant to Club Soda.
“We’re a social change business; everything I know about campaigning I do use when it comes to Club Soda, which is why it’s a movement and not about just getting people to buy courses and going away,” she says. “There are people who have stayed members in the seven years that we’ve been going – anyone can be a part of the movement. Lots of that comes from my political background.”
In ten years of sobriety and seven years with Club Soda, what has her biggest challenge been? Willoughby pauses for thought as the sound of a car indicator fills the silence. “Setting up a business is really hard,” she says. “You fall in and out of love with it every day. It’s hard to keep going, particularly when you’re trying to create social change. It takes perseverance.” Before her journey with sobriety, Willoughby could not have anticipated her current accomplishments. “I never realised I’d become an expert in drinks – that’s been a real big surprise to me. The most influential thing I can do now to help people with changing their drinking is to get more pubs and bars to have lo & no drink. I’m now in a very unique position which makes that possible.”
Opening a permanent shop is Club Soda’s next step, Willoughby says, given the success of their pop-up earlier this year. Along with this, she adds that their Mindful Drinking Festival will be taking place this July in Brighton – a two-day event where people can buy and try from a range of alcohol-free drinks, learn from a panel of experts, and attend cocktail masterclasses.
Willoughby wishes she had found support to change her drinking habits earlier in her life. “I drank heavily all the way through my university years all the way up to 38, when I gave up drinking. I really wish that I found some support to change my drinking earlier. It would have made a huge impact on my career, my life and my relationships.” She is keen to stress that her message is not for everyone to go alcohol-free. “I’m suggesting that maybe you should give yourself a three-month break and see how it feels. You might be able to work out how to have a healthier relationship with alcohol.”
Featured picture: Club Soda, Picture editor: Charlotte Doyle