40 1GM Saturday September 5 2020 | the times
News
In all the gin joints in all the towns in all
the world, customers are increasingly
asking for a non-alcoholic spirit to go in
their cocktail.
While alcohol-free drinks would
have been alien to patrons of Rick’s bar
in the film Casablanca, visitors to British
supermarkets have spent £5.4 million
this year on 171,000 litres of the stuff.
Nielsen, which tracks sales data, said
that the rise was partly driven by a gen-
eral increase in off-licence purchases
during lockdown. Alcohol sales rose by
£2.3 billion, or 31 per cent, between
mid-March and mid-August.
However, the jump in “no or low”
sales indicates a change of behaviour.
Gemma Cooper, senior commercial
business partner at Nielsen, said there
was a good reason for non-alcoholicJack Malvern
RUSSELL SACHLow-alcohol cocktail trend shakes up shopping habits
A 30 per cent increase in sales of no
or low-alcohol spirits in 2020 com-
pared with the same period last year
follows the arrival of about a dozen
brands that make the UK the world’s
most prolific producer and consumer.
Seedlip, Everleaf, and Caleno are
among the leading alternatives to gin,
while tequila drinkers are being offered
Mockingbird, a non-alcoholic version
derived from the same agave plant.figures to drop during lockdown. “The
number one reason people choose no/
low is because they’re a driver, but sales
have continued to grow in lockdown
when you would expect to see fewer
people driving, so there is evidence that
people are moderating their alcohol in-
take,”she said.
Brewers produce about 60 non-alco-
holic offerings while there are about ten
for spirits.LED street
lights ‘like
living next
to Wembley’
Residents who complained that new
LED street lights were “like living next
to Wembley Stadium” have been told
that the council does not have the
software needed to turn them down.
Swindon borough council is replac-
ing 28,000 lights in a £6.9 million
scheme over 18 months in an effort to
help the environment. But people living
near the lights said they were too bright
and stopping them sleeping.
Helena Bowie lives with her husband
John in Penhill Drive, where the lamps
were replaced last month. She said:
“We’re right in the middle of all of it. It’s
like living next to Wembley Stadium.
“We’ve got three of those ones on the
roundabout shining right at us, plus one
over there to the left of our house. I’m
not against the LED bulbs because of
what they’re for, they’re there to be bet-
ter for the environment.”
She added: “You’d think they could
dim them a little bit at midnight. What’s
the point of putting them up if they
don’t have that software yet?”
Other residents complained on
social media. David Oakley posted on a
community page: “These are bright
white and at least four times brighter
than the original. They fitted a cover on
the old light as that kept me awake. This
is much worse.” Jane Toomer added:
“We have had them for a while. They
were just changed one day with no
warning. Nothing keeps the light out of
our bedroom and I haven’t slept proper-
ly since.”
A council spokesman said: “Once in-
stalled the new lights will consume less
energy, reduce light pollution and will
save the council hundreds of thousands
of pounds a year.
“Unfortunately, the new lanterns
cannot be dimmed as soon as they are
installed because this needs to be ap-
plied via special software. We would
like to reassure residents that we are
working with the contractor to imple-
ment the dimming function as quickly
as possible.”That’ll do, pig A life-size model of a 48kg sow by the artist Jon Barrett-Danes is polished before Potfest in the Park ceramics festival in Penrith, Cumbria, this weekend
back into Downing Street to discuss
testing again. Apparently people are
getting a bit worried.
First the PM says he’s just read that
people are having to drive up to 100
miles to get tested, which is bad
because no sick person could ever
drive that far. Then he looks at
Dominic for support, and Dominic
doesn’t say anything, and then the
PM asks how far away Durham is.
Then Dominic leaves, slamming
the door. Then the new guy says he
hopes he doesn’t flee to Canada.
“Relax,” I say. “You’re forgetting
about Operation Moon Shot.”
The PM says that driving to the
moon might be pushing it, even for
Dominic.
Although I remind him that
Operation Moon Shot is actually our
plan for new, better, quicker tests that
will work in 20 minutes.
“Honestly,” I say. “They’re world
beating.”
“It’s not so bad?” says Boris.
“It’s not so bad,” I agree.
“Oh don’t start that again,” says
Dido, and then she storms off, too.
*according to Hugo RifkindThursday
Tricky morning. I’ve just been on TV
talking about all the usual stuff when
Kay Burley suddenly asked me about
Tony Abbott, who the PM wants
to make a trade adviser.
“He’s a homophobe,”
said Burley, “and he’s
a misogynist.”
“Well he’s also
an expert in
trade,” I retorted.
Afterwards,
Abbott calls me.
“Also?” he
says, testily.
“Um,” I say.
“There’s just
no evidence for
it,” he says. “I
mean, it’s not true at
all.”
“If you say so,” I say.
“I swear,” he says.
“So how come you’re even up for
the trade job, then?” I say.
“Wait, not that bit,” he says.Friday
Dido and I have been summonedthat the PM has poached from Prince
William.
“Shall we begin?” he says,
nervously.
Rishi says people need to eat
more sandwiches, because
of the economy.
“But also fewer
sandwiches,” says
Boris, “because
of obesity.”
“Go to work,”
insists Rishi,
“so we can
pay for the
NHS.”
“But also
stay at home,” I
say, “so you
don’t have to use
it.”
The new guy says
it all sounds like a bit of
a mess. So Rishi asks him
what he’d do about this sort of
situation in his last job, and
he says he’d normally just put the
Duchess of Cambridge in a
nice dress and send her to a
youth centre.Everybody laughs.
“You do realise,” says Dido, “that
I’m not actually that Dido?”
Dominic Raab admits that he
hadn’t previously understood the full
extent of this.
Then I use the words “ramping up”
and “world-beating” a few times, and
explain that we’re working on a new
system which will allow us to trace
precisely where people’s phones are,
even if they don’t answer. Which will
be a powerful weapon in ensuring
compliance with quarantine.
“Although at the moment,” says
Dido, “it only works with landlines.”
Everybody stares at us.
“Including portable ones,” I say,
defensively.Wednesday
Boris, Rishi and I are meeting up to
clarify our messaging on work-from-
home. Dominic Cummings is also
here. He’s wearing a completely
normal suit.
“You’re not sick again, are you?” I
say, in alarm.
He’s not, but he is sulking. Because
also here is the new cabinet secretaryMonday
I’m spending the day promoting our
world-beating track and trace system,
but first I need to find my phone.
“Isn’t there an app for that?” asks
my wife, as I tear apart the kitchen.
Yes, I say, over my shoulder. I paid
for it ages ago. But I haven’t set it up
yet.
My wife says there doesn’t seem to
be much point in paying for an app
that doesn’t actually work.
“Maybe I should just pay more?” I
ponder.
My wife says she bets that the
health secretaries of other European
nations don’t lose half their morning
hunting for their phone.
“I’m not sure what that’s got to do
with anything,” I say, irritably.
Tuesday
I’ve brought in Dido Harding, who is
in charge of our test and trace
programme, to brief cabinet. And she
says there are teething problems, but
we’re not giving up.
“There will be no white flag,” says
the prime minister, solemnly, “above
your door.”
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