Name
Freddie Ugo
Age
25
Job title
Co-founder and head of brand
Company and location
Beyond Belief Brewing Co, Borehamwood
Education
I studied Geophysics at Imperial College London and am currently studying for an MSc in Conservation Science at Imperial College London.
Favourite food/drink
Sticky Tofu
What inspired you to enter F&B?
I come from a long line of foodies, being the fourth generation of the family behind Ugo Foods and Dell’Ugo, so some may say it runs in the blood however my parents and grandparents have always been a great inspiration of mine. This initially sparked my interest in the industry and following my own passion in the environment and FMCG decarbonisation, we’ve built a fantastic team to launch Beyond Belied Brewing Co, a challenger beer brand turning surplus fresh pasta and bakery food waste into sustainable craft beer.
Tell us about your role
As co-founder, my role bridges two of our core pillars: brand strategy and environmental impact. I lead on shaping how we communicate our story, ensuring our brand not only resonates with today’s conscious drinker but also stands out in a crowded market through creativity and authenticity.
At the same time, I oversee our sustainability framework, working closely with our brewing, packaging, and supply chain teams to set and meet ambitious environmental targets and drive a circular economy in beer brewing.
For me, brand and sustainability aren’t separate tracks, they inform each other. Today’s consumer wants transparency and action, not greenwashing, and it’s my job to make sure we walk the talk while building a brand that inspires trust, loyalty and optimism for what beer and business can be. We’re proud that this is being recognised more widely having just been awarded The Grocer’s Waste Not Want Not Award for the breadth of opportunity our patented brewing process creates to utilise surplus across industries.
What does a typical day look like?
No two days are the same, which is part of what I love about the role. My time is often split between creative and strategic thinking, hands-on collaboration, and making sure our sustainability commitments are on track. I try to keep one foot in the now and one in the future, constantly asking how we can do things better, both as a brand and as a business with purpose.
How did you get to where you are today?
It’s been a journey. From what sparked during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, we began experimenting in transforming surplus fresh pasta waste into craft beer. After a lot of testing and refining, we finally got to a point where we’ve been able to replace 50% of base malt with surplus pasta, reducing food waste and environmental impact through our now patented brewing process, the first to be created within the industry in 43 years. Now, we’ve cracked flapjacks, and other baked goods - and are always looking for where else we can help reduce surplus.
When you’re having a bad day, what cheers you up?
Honestly, nothing beats going home and whipping up a simple but tasty meal - it’s my secret recipe for hitting the reset button!
What’s your favourite part about the food sector?
It has to be the sense of connection - between people, place, and purpose. Food and drink are such fundamental parts of culture and community, and working in this space gives you an insight into how habits and tastes evolve. There’s something incredibly rewarding about creating a product that brings people together, sparks conversation, or shifts perception – it’s not just about what’s delicious, but about what’s possible. It’s also incredibly rewarding when you see something you created on the shelf and people picking it up – our Zenith Pasta IPA just launched nationwide into Sainsbury’s and it’s a major milestone in our journey so far.
If you could change one thing about the F&B sector what would it be?
I’d shift the focus from short-term gains to long-term impact. Too often, decisions in food and drink are driven by cost and convenience at the expense of people and the planet. Whether it’s the true environmental cost of ingredients, the working conditions across supply chains, or the sheer volume of packaging waste. It’s clear the current system isn’t sustainable.
What I’d love to see is a sector-wide mindset shift: where sustainability isn’t a bolt-on or a marketing angle, but a core business principle. That means embracing transparency and investing in innovation that supports circularity, biodiversity, and fairer systems.
There is brilliant progress happening, especially among smaller, values-led brands - but we need wider industry alignment, and more accountability from the top down. Food and drink have an enormous role to play in shaping a more resilient future - and the potential for change is huge if we’re willing to challenge business as usual.
What’s next for you/what’s the dream?
I’d love to keep challenging and testing ourselves and our brewing process to be able to use surplus across many more industries and turn this into delicious beers. We already have multiple never-before-seen products in the pipeline for the next 6 months, using surplus most people would never have thought possible. The dream has to be collaborating with some of the big industry players, I want to bring the whole industry on our journey to save food waste.
