Worthing craft beer shop finalist at SIBA Business Awards 2020

Married couple Gemma Clegg and Gareth Harries opened Beer No Evil, in Brighton Road, in October 2018, fulfilling a long-held dream.

Their business has now been named among the best and brightest bottle shops across the UK, as one of four finalists for best independent craft beer retailer in a single location.

Gemma said: “We’re extremely excited to be a finalist in the Society of Independent Brewers annual awards. Beer No Evil was a dream for over five years before we were finally able to open our shop and beer bar.

“We wanted to create somewhere to celebrate craft beer and in an environment we would like to spend time in, either to shop or to have a drink – together or individually. It’s a far cry from our previous careers working in marketing.”

The winners are due to be announced tomorrow, Wednesday, March 11, on the first evening of SIBA’s flagship event, BeerX UK, in Liverpool.

Gemma and Gareth take pride in running Beer No Evil on their own.

Gemma said: “We’ve got six constantly changing keg lines and three double fridges with more than 100 different craft beers, covering a broad selection of styles from around the globe.

“We’ve created a real craft beer community and have regular events, including meet the brewers, with the owners and head brewers of well-known UK craft beer breweries. We’ve also started a homebrew group, where locals can bring and discuss their brews on a bi-monthy basis.

“Being close to the beach, we take sustainability seriously and offer special glass bottle refills using a machine that keeps the beer fresh and is better for the environment. We promote the use of recycled steel cups when on the beach rather than polluting plastic and work with our suppliers to ensure all our waste is properly recycled and circular.

“We’ve met so many brilliant and supportive people since we’ve opened, both locally and in the beer and brewing community. We couldn’t have hoped for a better start in the town we are proud to call home.”