Despite appearances on Celebrity Masterchef and The Jump, Spencer Matthews is perhaps best known as one of the cast members of structured reality show Made in Chelsea. In 2019 he founded Clean Co, selling a range of low calorie, no alcohol drinks inspired by some of our favourite spirits.
Why did you decide to launch a non-alc spirit brand?
For CleanCo, it was never about preaching about my sobriety or going clean (which personally worked for me) but more about providing a non-alcoholic alternative for those who did not wish to drink all of the time or to moderate their relationship with alcohol. I realised that there was a gap in the market as I couldn’t find a quality replacement for full-strength alcohol and even then, some of the non-alcoholic drinks had certain negative connotations. I love socialising, so wanted to be able to provide an alternative where people can mix their favourite drink without compromising on taste or social experience.
You mention the mouthfeel of alcohol on your website, I’ve only heard this in reference to chocolate. How would you sum up the mouthfeel of alcohol, and how do you replicate it?
So, I can’t say too much about this otherwise I might get in trouble with my product development team. What I can say is we want to get to a place with CleanCo where there is no distinguishable taste difference between our drinks and full-strength spirits. We use natural ingredients and apply those to our liquid which help create that feeling of a thicker, smoother drink - but that’s all I’m able to say.
Which is your favourite drink, and how do you personally take it?
I really enjoy a Clean Picante, which is our take on the famous Soho House picante. I love the mix of the spiciness of the chilli mixed with the sweetness of the agave nectar. I use the CleanCo Clean T to make these non-alcoholic. Personally, I take it with a lot of ice – and always make sure I remove the seeds from the chilli. It can be a bit of a surprise if you don’t.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m always thinking of new ideas of what we could possibly do with the brand and I’m sure that some of these might come to light in the future, but for now I’m really focused on making CleanCo and the products we have available the best they can be. I want to build upon the global expansion of CleanCo, continuing our journey in UK, the US and beyond.
Finally, we must commend you on your recent documentary Finding Michael. It sounds like an incredibly brave journey to undertake.
Back in 1999, my brother, Michael Matthews became the youngest Brit to summit Mount Everest but was lost shortly thereafter and was never seen again. He was just 22 years old, I was 10. Over 20 years later and with one of the best teams in the world, I retrace his steps and head to Everest in an attempt to recover his body and bring him home. It has been a difficult journey to document, both physically and emotionally but I’m hoping that it will give my brave brother the legacy that he deserves.
Finding Michael is available to stream globally on Disney+
