Heaps Normal launched in the thick of the pandemic — Andy says "we were shitting ourselves." One journalist summed it up as launching a summer beer style in the middle of winter, with an unknown brand, and it's non alcoholic. But it worked in their favour as people reconsidered their drinking habits during lockdowns.
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Andy launched Heaps Normal during the thick of the pandemic. Asked whether he was scared or excited, he said "we were shitting ourselves." One of the journalists they spoke to summed it up well: "you're launching a summer beer style in the middle of winter / with an unknown brand and it's non alcoholic."
It ended up working in their favour. In the first round of lockdowns, a lot of people were excited by the freedom to do whatever they wanted and "every day was a drinking day for some." By lockdown two, people realised there was a limit to that and started looking for options to still enjoy the end of their day. Being locked up at home in the same four walls every day, a lot of people couldn't consume as much alcohol as they could when out socialising, and it wasn't great for mental health — so many reconsidered their drinking habits. Andy describes it as being in the right place at the right time. On logistics, they didn't have too many challenges because brewing was considered an essential service.