Emma & Guy.

There's no photo of us laughing in a messy arty studio holding coffee and wearing whimsical headgear.

However we are very close mates, who talk every day. Sometime ago we both stopped drinking alcohol.

Thing is...we have never met. We've never even had a real life conversation.

"Our online paths first crossed in early 2023, We were complete strangers, new to alcohol-free life, separately looking for support in the Instagram sober community. We were white-knuckling it, looking for help, clues and answers.

A couple of ranty Instagram DM's about kicking the booze and all the crap that goes with it turned into WhatsApp Voice-Note ping-pong. Because let's just face it, IG messaging sucks.

We soon discovered we had both been through the proverbial mill, and shared the same need to reset and rebuild. Both navigating a new alcohol-free life, whilst simultaneously dealing with some proper Big Life Pain.

Guy lost his dad in 2021, and his big brother the year after. Following that, life threw a load of other stuff at his fan, and with frightening aim.

Emma had recently and tragically lost her 13-year-old son Frank to cancer.

So yes, we were both a bit broken, both a bit battered, but more than a little bit proud that we'd not reached back for the bottle.

Since then we’ve had hours and hours of Voice-Note back and forths about positivity, negativity, physical health, mental health, booze, grief, insufferable drunken bores and more. But after three years of almost daily banter, we have still not spoken to each other in real time. It's just become a 'thing', and we have no plans to change. This is some crazy modern communication malarkey and no mistake.

SoberShop was (unsurprisingly) conceived of a Voice-Note , delivered in a Tesco (flagship store) car park, and wailed its way into our lives very quickly, but with little mess and no real screaming.

"You want to do a side-hustle?" "Mmmkay... Sell sober shit?" "Yup, that'll do it."

In a new world of clarity, authenticity and empowerment, we believe that alcohol free living deserves to be celebrated, and we are getting noisy with our wall art.

SoberShop is the OG online sober art store - run with passion by two irreverent but harmless ex-Olympian drinkers. More Ass than Bad, we practice what we preach. We are untoxicated, unebriated, and sober as f***.

But we've still never had a proper chat."

- December 2025