The Game of Thrones star is the first celebrity investor in Pollen Projects, the ambitious new chapter from the man who created Seedlip
Kit Harington, best known for brooding across Westeros as Jon Snow, has quietly placed his money behind one of Britain’s most intriguing drinks ventures: Sylva, a non-alcoholic distillery and maturation lab operating out of Essex’s Colne Valley. But this isn’t just a celebrity endorsement deal. Harington, 39, is a genuine early backer of Pollen Projects, the independent drinks studio behind Sylva, and he doesn’t drink alcohol himself.
“He is our first investor,” BevNET said Ben Branson, 42, the founder who previously built Seedlip into the world’s leading non-alcoholic spirit before selling a majority stake to Diageo in 2019. “He’s a big fan of Seedlip, we are kind of the same age, we both have young kids.”
“He doesn’t drink alcohol, he is a big foodie. He wants to drink nice-tasting things. He’s a good bloke.” — Ben Branson, founder, Pollen Projects
The two men met through proximity as much as passion, Harington lives in Suffolk, roughly 40 miles from Sylva’s base. What has since grown from a friendship into a financial partnership reflects something bigger happening across the premium drinks world.
A Sober Bet on a Growing Market
Sylva claims to be the world’s first distillery and maturation lab creating aged non-alcoholic spirits from grain and wood. Since launching in December 2024, the brand has sold more than 8,000 bottles across two releases, supplying the likes of Selfridges, Berry Bros & Rudd, and three-star Michelin restaurants The Fat Duck, The Ledbury, and Core. The Grocer
Harington’s investment sits within a broader £2 million crowdfunding campaign Pollen Projects has launched on Republic Europe. The campaign had already secured £1.2 million privately from investors including exited drinks founders, the former Chairman of Gozney, and distributors. BevNET Funds will be used to scale both Sylva and sister brand SEASN, a 0.0% cocktail bitters range, and to establish a second Sylva distillery in upstate New York.
“71% of Europeans are cutting back on alcohol and US consumption is at record lows , but people still want to get together and still deserve delicious drinks.” — Ben Branson
Celebrities Are Going Sober-Curious, Too
Harington is part of a small but growing wave of high-profile names backing the no-and-low category. Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page serves as an ambassador for Seedlip in the US, while Lewis Hamilton has launched his own alcohol-free agave brand, Almave, with Pernod Ricard acquiring a minority stake. The Drinks Business
Branson believes the tide is turning. “We are at the beginning of a tipping point towards more celebrities backing the category with investment,” The Drinks Business he said, adding that agents are now actively approaching non-alcoholic brands on behalf of their clients.
What sets Harington apart, according to Branson, is authenticity. The actor is not on social media, rarely courts publicity, and came to the investment not through an agent but through a genuine love of the product. He has never needed a reason to drink non-alcoholic, it’s simply how he lives.
From Kitchen Table to Colne Valley
Branson’s own journey is equally unconventional. He built Seedlip from scratch in 2014, scaling it to over 35 countries within three and a half years before Diageo came knocking. Now, with Pollen Projects, he is attempting something more ambitious still — not just one brand, but an entire studio of premium non-alcoholic concepts. The business has turned over more than £300,000 since launching, though it is not yet profitable. Just Drinks
For a company still finding its feet, having Jon Snow in the corner, quietly, privately, and genuinely, is not the worst start.
