Anna Chalov, co-founder of London-based start-up drinks brand Bemuse, has been recognised in a scheme organised by The Telegraph and NatWest designed to showcase some of the most exciting, high potential women-owned businesses in the UK.

Chalov founded non-alcoholic mead brand, Bemuse, with long-time friend Nataliya Peretrutova during lockdown with all research, product and brand development, testing and launch conducted over zoom from different countries. The range of four 0.5%ABV craft meads are inspired by nature, made from natural ingredients, and created a unique drinks category on their launch in June 2021.

The Telegraph launched the search for entrepreneurial women business owners in association with NatWest to celebrate 100 women who are pushing boundaries, redefining success and – most importantly – inspiring others. Anna Chalov was named one of the top 10 ‘highly commended’ female entrepreneurs to watch by judges looking for creativity, innovation, perseverance and the potential for future business growth. Recognition in the scheme has opened access to a package of opportunities, resources and events to help build the business further.

Anna Chalov commented “Bemuse was inspired by nature and founded by a desire to help drive societal change by giving people more options to make positive lifestyle choices with a wider range of sophisticated low sugar, alcohol-free drinks. Bemuse has reimagined mead, one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in the world, for a modern audience whose choices are driven by taste, quality and ethical values.

“Our ambition was to produce a great tasting, full-flavoured, non-alcoholic drink that offered an alternative to the beer, wine, cider and spirit alternatives that were becoming more prevalent. Nataliya (Peretrutova) and I considered several options, conducted consumer research and developed the brand from different countries via conference calls when travel and personal contact was restricted because of lockdown. We have been thrilled by the enthusiastic reception the drinks have had and honoured that Bemuse has already achieved recognition through multiple award successes. To be named one of the Telegraph/NatWest top 10 female entrepreneurs to watch is the culmination of a challenging but rewarding 18 months since Bemuse was launched and I’m excited to grasp the opportunities that the scheme offers to help develop our business further.”

The Telegraph Media Group and NatWest launched the 100 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch list in response to the observation that more women than ever are starting new companies and the number of female-founded businesses is growing by a third every year, outstripping growth in male-led firms for the first time.

Alison Rose, NatWest CEO and a judge for the Highly Commended and Judges’ Choice awards noted that the consistent themes across the businesses that entered included a strong commitment to innovation, a social purpose and scaling up.

Rose said: “The ambition and resilience of the business owners came across strongly in the applications. Their successes are remarkable and how they explained they would benefit from being part of The 100 made an impression. I’m confident we have some of the most exciting high potential female-owned businesses included in The 100.”

The female entrepreneurs named the top ten highly commended in the Telegraph/NatWest list, including Anna, receive a package of expert advice and support to help them flourish. The benefits range from coaching and mentorship, an enterprise health check, a parliamentary reception with Caroline Nokes MP, support from the Adelpha Group, possible investment from the Astia Fund, dinner with senior Coutts and NatWest executives and a £10,000 investment from NatWest.

“Running your own business means more freedom and flexibility,” continued Chalov “and our vision for Bemuse is to be innovative, champion equal opportunities and support women in the workplace. We have created a company culture that empowers everyone, but with a particular focus on women, and explores creative solutions for the team to be more time efficient, with an enviable work/life balance. Our culture also raises awareness of the environment and social issues in a creative way, cooperating with Biomimicry designers, and we are thrilled to own our own beehive in Wales.

“Being recognised as one of the 10 highly commended female-led businesses is an incredible honour and I will be taking every opportunity that the accolade provides to strengthen our business proposition. The timing is perfect as we are preparing to launch a crowdfunding campaign to support our plans for growth and, having recently been given ‘Made in Britain’ accreditation, Bemuse is well placed to strengthen its position in the UK and pursue our ambitions to expand overseas sales.”

Bemuse sparkling low-alcohol meads are 0.5% ABV and available in 330ml fully recycled cans from https://www.bemusedrinks.com and other outlets. For stocking queries please contact [email protected].