New Addition to SAVVY Collective Portfolio

We’ve just invested in CHANCE Clean Cider, and if I’m honest, this didn’t come from a strategy meeting or a plan to go looking for a drinks brand… it just kind of happened naturally.

I’ve known John Logue for a few years now. He’s always been around what we’re doing, backing events, supporting awards, getting involved where he can. One of those people you see consistently showing up, which in this industry actually means a lot.

At the same time, I’ve always been a cider drinker… just not really an alcohol drinker.

So I’ve tried my fair share of alcohol-free options over the years, and most of them don’t quite hit it. They either feel too sweet or just a bit flat, like something’s missing.

Then I tried CHANCE.

And it wasn’t a case of “this is good for alcohol-free”… it was just good. Properly good. The kind of drink you’d choose anyway, not just because you’re avoiding alcohol.

From there, it just kept popping up more and more in our world. When we stepped in to save the Cheshire and North Wales Food and Drink Festival, John came straight in as headline sponsor and backed it properly. No hesitation, just got behind it and made it work.

Same with Deva Fest, CHANCE has been part of that too, and actually the only non-alcoholic cider on site, which says a lot in itself.

I think that’s where it all started to come together for me. It wasn’t just the product, it was how it fit into real hospitality environments. It worked in festivals, it worked in venues, it worked with customers. It didn’t feel like an add-on, it felt like it belonged.

There wasn’t a big moment where we sat down and decided to invest. It was more a case of already knowing the product, already trusting the person behind it, and then the opportunity came up at the right time.

Through SAVVY, everything we’re building, from The Townhouse Chester to Hotel Wrexham to Queen’s Square Social, plus festivals and everything in between, is all about experience. And drinks play a bigger part in that than people sometimes realise.

The alcohol-free space is growing quickly, but a lot of places still treat it like a secondary thought. One option, tucked away, just to say it’s there.

CHANCE feels like the opposite of that. It’s been built with hospitality in mind, not added on afterwards.

So when the conversation came up about taking things further and bringing in investment, it just felt like the right fit.

Nothing forced, nothing complicated.

Just something that made sense.

If you haven't tried CHANCE yet, I'd definitely recommend giving it a go. You can find out more here: CHANCE Clean Cider

If you're in Chester, head into your local and see if they've got it on the bar, they most likely do. And if you're not local, you'll find CHANCE being served in Prezzo and many other restaurants across the country.

I'm incredibly excited to be part of this journey. I genuinely believe there's a huge future for alcohol-free drinks that don't feel like a compromise, and I think CHANCE is leading that charge.

More importantly, it's being led by good people who care about hospitality, care about their customers and care about doing things properly.

That's the sort of business I want to back.

Here's to the next chapter.