Ben Holdstock - Heaps Normal
b'This week on Beer is a Conversation, we meet Ben Holdstock, Co-founder and Head of Product with Heaps Normal.\\n\\nRegular listeners will know that we have a fascination with the alcohol-free beer category, trying to understand what it is, what its potential is and what it means for the broader beer world.\\n\\n2021 has been a year that has seen unprecedented media coverage of the alcohol-free sector, and Heaps Normal has been at the forefront of that attention. The brand has certainly won plenty of accolades for the quality of its beer, but as we know the liquid - as the marketers call it - is only one part of the equation. Heaps Normal has also certainly capitalised on the media\\u2019s interest, and the retailer rush to embrace the category.\\n\\nWith Heaps Normal successfully completing a Series A funding round and raising $8.5 million, on a valuation of more than $50 million, I wanted to catch up with Ben to find out a little more about where he saw the AF market going and whether the growth - and the hype - can continue, and also why they went with a traditional funding model rather than considering crowd-sourced, which is increasingly common for ventures of their scale.\\n\\nWe discuss who is drinking AF beer and why, will the emerging generation of adults who have not developed a taste for beer on any level embrace alcohol-free beer and just how big the market can grow to be, amongst a host of other topics.\\n\\nOur partners\\n\\nRadio Brews News is proudly presented by Cryer Malt, who we are thrilled to announce are back supporting us for another year of conversations. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt are dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner - and our premium podcasting partner - Cryer Malt is proud sponsor of this conversion and the Radio Brews News channel.\\n\\nEvery guest on Beer is a Conversation receives a new piece of exclusive merch - a branded Yeti Rambler mug, thanks to our good friends at Yeti.\\n\\nIf you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by:\\n\\n\\nSponsoring the show\\n\\n\\nReviewing us on iTunes or your favourite podcasting service\\n\\nEmailing us at producer@brewsnews.com.au to share your thoughts'