An Interview with JOMO Club Founder - Gemma Mills
Next up in our interview series we have Gemma, the fabulous founder of JOMO Club, a company inspired by the quest to make sobriety or tee total evenings more exciting & enjoyable.
Now, I absolutely love the 'discovery' element of JOMO Club, Gemma, for those that haven’t discovered JOMO yet, please could you give an overview of what this amazing business is all about?
'I absolutely can. Very simply, JOMO Club is the UK’s alcohol-free spirit subscription box showcasing the best tasting, highest quality alternatives to alcohol. Our main aim is to bring joy to not drinking - no matter the reason or occasion, hence our name JOMO (The Joy Of Missing Out). We’ve found so many people are uninspired, bored and disappointed with the alternatives in the supermarkets. We partner with artisan brands to bring a sophisticated, exciting sipping experience. Along with these drinks, we also include snacks, garnishes and a printed members magazine for a treat every single month.'
It really is such a great concept, and one I'm glad I discovered. So, Sober October is upon us! Over 9 million people are thought to have taken part in Dry Jan, which is incredible given the extent by which alcohol features in our daily lives in the UK. However more & more people are taking on the challenge & adopting healthier relationships with alcohol beyond a month’s break. Why do you think this is?
'I think months like Sober October and Dry January are brilliant ways to give us some time and space without alcohol. It is also a great way to give a ’social excuse’ as in the UK, telling people we aren’t drinking can sometimes feel uncomfortable. As you say however, there are less spikes during these months now and people are moderating or abstaining from alcohol all year round which is a huge shift. There are a number of reasons I think that contribute to this change, with the main ones being:
- The pandemic. This is a whole topic of its own, but the pandemic put a huge spotlight on our health. Two years of our lives were focused almost entirely on our health including our conversations, the news, our thoughts. This time also took us away from social situations and therefore removed the social pressures associated with drinking. We had time to think about when we drink, why and how it makes us feel. Many people started drinking heavily during the first pandemic and just as many then realised it was too much and started their moderation or abstaining journey from then.
- Quality alternatives. 7 years ago there was just one alcohol-free spirit available, there are now over 500 non-alc spirits available focusing on quality and flavour. Being able to enjoy not just a sophisticated drink to replicate that ‘moment’, but a different sophisticated drink for different occasions is huge in being able to change mindsets and feeling included and not a second thought.
- Normalisation. With all these things combined, it means more people are not drinking and that makes it more normalised. People have more options when out or at home, they are feeling more comfortable to say they aren’t drinking and more people are then following in their footsteps.'
I remember, when I stopped drinking in 2019 the options were awful like you say, and it made going out, or relaxing at home feel empty without the bucket of wine. It’s so different now & there are so many options, and a lot of them really hitting the spot. What would you say the most popular AF category is, AF beers/ spirits? CBD drinks? RTD mocktails or functional drinks with benefits?
Every non-alc category is growing significantly and is growing much faster than alcohol. To cover all of the above briefly, the largest category at the moment is AF beer and I think that is due to the fact it was the first category that was created so people often opted for this if they weren’t drinking. There has also been significant work that has been put into this category including Lucky Saint opening their London pub and offering their beer on draught in many pubs across the country. Also many large beer brands have launched their alcohol-free versions such as Corona Cero, Heineken and Guinness which have just had a record breaking month - this all impacts overall awareness. Consumers are starting to experiment more with spirits which is great to see. I think there was a lack of trust to start with, but the options are becoming so much better, people are excited to try them all out now. RTD’s have soared due to the convenience of having a great cocktail already made, but also with not drinking becoming more socially accepted, the ability to bring these RTD’s to BBQs, picnics and dinner parties. Finally, functional drinks have been something we have showcased since our launch 3 years ago - we even created a Limited Edition Functional Box! With health at the forefront of conversation and many taking a closer look at what they are consuming, people love being able to not only drink a drink without the booze, but to also benefit from what they are consuming. It’s also amazing to be able to have a different drink for different occasions. For example, if you are looking to relax, if you are wanting a pick me up, if you want an immune boost or if you want a glow.
We're finding that with Catalyse too, meeting the 4 biggest shopper needs (Relaxation, Immunity, Energy & Beauty) instead of just emulating an alcohol brand. The great thing about JOMO is discovery, it really opens up the exciting world of great tasting products. What’s the most bizarre or unique product you’ve found so far?
Ooooo, this is a good one because I love finding unique products as typically they are absolutely not stocked in supermarkets so they are often a first seen for our members! You see these a lot across alcohol-free as brands are trying not to replicate alcohol but actually create something different. It also sparks super interesting conversation which is ultimately what we are trying to do. It’s not about everyone loving every single drink all the time - we are all different, and being able to discover, try and find what we do and don’t like is fab. We recently showcased a pretty unique one which was called Jin Jin. It is an enzyme drinks made using 35 fermented natural ingredients including mushrooms, vegetables, cultures and fruits. You are left with a super unique flavour, but is such a great way of bringing fermented foods into your diet in an easy way! Things like Kefir and Kombucha was unique a few years back and now its pretty mainstream so it is exciting to see products like this.
Wow, I haven't heard of that, but that's the great thing about the JOMO Club. For some (like I remember it was for me), going into Sober October might be quite daunting, you're flooded with worries like ‘What if people think I’ve stopped drinking because I’ve got a drink problem’, “Will I still be fun to be around’, ‘Will I be stuck drinking coke all night’, ‘What if I can’t fall asleep without a drink’, and the hardest question is, ‘What if I can’t even manage a month without alcohol’. What would be your best advice to anyone preparing for a month off alcohol?
To start i’d say it can be a process, and your relationship with alcohol might take some time to work out or shift. For me personally, my relationship with alcohol is drastically different to three years ago. The main difference now is I now feel happy and comfortable not drinking, whereas before I felt as though I was doing it because I should or felt like I was missing out on something, not I feel I am gaining something. Above all, just don’t be too hard on yourself - you don’t want it to feel like those rubbish diets where you immediately want to rip into the chocolate buttons. Here are my top tips if you are taking on a month off alcohol:
- Instead of focusing on missing out, try and stay super present, mindful and in tune with the whole experience. For example, how are you feeling physically and mentally. How are you sleeping (remember to think about this each morning as it will change from night one to the last night). It can be helpful to document this with one sentence each day so you can reflect at the end of the month.
- Think of the why. Do you want to do it just because or do you want to get something out of it? If it is the second, you are more likely to enjoy it and also perhaps get more out of it.
- If you feel uncomfortable telling people you aren’t drinking, try and tell them beforehand so it feels less awkward and you set the scene nice and early.
- Use the month to do things that are best with a clear head, no hangovers and better sleep ! Go out of your comfort zone.
- Stock up on great alternatives to alcohol and use the month to experiment with what is out there. Being able to start a new habit is far easier if you are keeping the habit but making it better, for example, still having your evening drink in the same glass, just without the booze.
Some really great advice there, It’s great to do a month off, but do you have any tips for people about what happens after the month off, and how to keep the AF vibes going beyond the month?
If you take the above steps on board, I think it will definitely help to enjoy the month, feel quite excited about not drinking and also be able to reflect on the benefits the month brought to you as everyone is different and a relationship with alcohol can be more complex than some of us know. Enjoying something and seeing benefits can be all thats needed to continue with something. Many JOMO members start with one month of sobriety and email us 6-12 months later saying they carried on and trying different non-alc drinks in their JOMO boxes helped with this. My tips are; focus on the why always and keep stocked up with your favourite non-alc drinks. Good luck - if nothing else, it is always fun to try something new and to surprise ourselves with what we can achieve!
Thank you Gemma, that’s really insightful, where’s the best way for readers to find out more about the subscription boxes & the wonderful world of JOMO?
You can follow our socials which is always updated with heaps of non-alc inspiration @jomoclubofficial and of course if you want to try a JOMO box out, you can subscribe or get a one off box today at jomoclub.co.uk - I think you will just love them and hope to welcome you to the club.
I know I certainly have, and hope you too find the Joy of Missing Out!