Show Notes
In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, I’m joined by founder Bethan Higson and Alice Gallsworthy of Mother Root. Get this: Mother Root is already the UK’s number one non-alcoholic spirit brand in terms of revenue driven per product. Whoah. So what's the deal? This ginger-based non-alcoholic aperitif is different to most playing in food and beverage, as it only has one core SKU, but an incredibly powerful DTC growth engine. Even though it's the UK's No1 non-alc spirit, it still only has around 6–7% distribution - talk about headroom for growth! As you might imagine, Bethan and Alice are incredibly clear on the choices that created their growth. We talk about why they stopped trying to do everything, how they went all-in on DTC, how customer interviews and jobs-to-be-done thinking shaped their marketing, and why the product itself delivers something so many non-alcoholic drinks miss: flavour, ritual, heat, length and a real adult drinking moment. We also get into team building, finding the right second-in-command, launching into the US, and why operations has to scale at the same rate as marketing if you don’t want the business to break. What You’ll Learn How Mother Root grew from around £1.5M to £15–16M run rate. Why focus on one channel helped build a repeatable and scalable growth model. How jobs-to-be-done customer interviews shaped Mother Root’s digital marketing. Why the non-alcoholic drinks consumer is not necessarily the Gen Z sober-curious stereotype. How Bethan and Alice think about hiring, operations, US expansion and scaling without breaking the business. Why AI is part of EVERY part of the working day at Mother Root Key Topics Discussed Mother Root’s growth from early-stage brand to £15–16M run rate Building a challenger brand with one core SKU The evening drink ritual and the role of non-alcoholic drinks Ginger, apple cider vinegar, slow burn and flavour architecture Choosing where to play and walking away from distracting channels Building a DTC growth engine Paid social, customer interviews and jobs-to-be-done insight Word of mouth and repeat purchase Nielsen performance and retail headroom Hiring a brilliant number two Scaling operations alongside marketing Launching Mother Root in the US Why the non-alcoholic category is not just about Gen Z Useful Links https://motherroot.com/ https://www.instagram.com/motherroot/ Like this episode? PLEASE share the love by sharing this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague or a mate who loves brilliant non-alcoholic drinks, or anyone trying to work out how to build a sharper, more focused growth model. Don't forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and even LEAVE A REVIEW - both of these actions make a MASSIVE difference to our mission to help more founders just like you. Join our community on Instagram, LinkedIn and Youtube, and find out more about the programmes and courses Fiona runs, as well as the NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning in to the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours. Follow Brand Growth Heroes on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
*****Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm *****
If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers. But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property. That’s why we’re proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands. Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, and advised the innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them
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