Microbrewers' Handbook

Ted Bruning

Description

The Microbrewing scene has changed beyond recognition since this book was first published in 2007. The number of small independent breweries throughout the UK is now at over 2,000, with more opening every month.This handbook guides you through the practicalities of starting your own microbrewery; from how to brew, through to finding a place of your own.

Sujets

• Beers
• Beer

Informations

• Publié par: Paragraph Publishing
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781999840853
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

First published in Great Britain in 2007 by Navigator Guides Eighth edition published in 2021 by Paragraph Publishing Ltd, 6 Woolgate Court, St Benedicts Street, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 4AP Previous editions: 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019
www.paragraph.co.uk
Copyright © Paragraph Publishing 2021 ISBN 978-1-9998-4084-6-0 eISBN 978-1-9998-4085-3
A catalogue record for this book is available on request from the British Library. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system except as may be expressly permitted by the UK 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act and the USA 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Paragraph Publishing, 6 Woolgate Court, St Benedicts Street, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 4AP.
The publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of information in the book at the time of going to press. However, they cannot accept responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience resulting from the use of information contained in this guide.
Acknowledgements The publishers would like to thank all those microbreweries and suppliers who provided information for their case studies, Ted Bruning for his original work, and Tim Hampson for updating this eighth edition.
Editorial: Bethany Whymark Design: Tim A’Court Photography: Mandy Chettleburgh Production manager: Anita Johnson Audience director: Richard Drake Commercial manager: Joanne Robertson Head of content: Christopher Coates Managing director: Damian Riley-Smith Printed in Great Britain by Page Bros, Norwich
Cover images, front: © Adrian Tierney-Jones back: © elevatebeer.com | © adam wilson | © helena lopes
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Chapter One: How to Brew
Chapter Two: Where to Brew
Chapter Three: Planning Your Business
Chapter Four: Equipping Your Brewery
Chapter Five: What to Brew
Chapter Six: Selling Draught Beer
Chapter Seven: Selling Packaged Beer
Chapter Eight: A Place of Your Own
Appendix: Customs and Duty
Directory of Services and Supplies
Index
CASE STUDIES
Abbeydale Brewery
Brewing Services Ltd: Diversification
Brewing Services Ltd: Training
Fulton Boilers
Harbour Brewing
Hook Norton
Lacons
OPM Group Ltd
PBC
Pillars Brewery
Premier Systems
Redwell Brewery
Thomas Fawcett & Sons
Thornbridge Brewery
Warminster Maltings
Wildbeer Brewery
Windsor & Eton Brewery
Foreword
O ver the last decade, the craft beer revolution has done much to raise the profile of beer and brewing, bringing innovation and premiumisation to the sector. The high reliance of these artisanal producers on pubs and bars has, however, made them particularly susceptible to the impacts of Brexit and Covid-19.
In its 2021 report “Why will beer prove resilient in the aftermath of Covid-19?”, drinks research company IWSR asserted, “Many of them may not survive in the coming months. However, the consumer’s appetite to explore and experiment is unlikely to diminish post Covid-19, and when the green shoots of recovery do emerge, we can expect a new generation of craft players to appear as well, replacing those that did not make it through.”
IWSR is confident that beer will show resilience, believing the category will rebound better than wine and spirits post pandemic. “Globally, beer grew 0.3 per cent in volume and +2.2 per cent in value in 2019, led particularly by increases in non-alcoholic beer (+15.2 per cent in volume, vs 2018). Though the beer category has taken a hit in 2020, in total, beer is expected to reach 2019 volumes by 2024, rebounding better than wine and spirits.”
The company cites a number of factors which will drive growth, including growing demand for low-alcohol beers: “Until relatively recently, no-alcohol beer was often seen as a distress purchase, but improving taste, innovation, substantial marketing support and widening availability helped sales to jump by 15 per cent globally last year. The segment is a good fit with the contemporary consumer, and is predicted to expand by nearly 50 per cent over the next five years.”
The firm’s researchers also believe e-commerce will grow, as Covid-19 lockdowns led online shopping to become the norm for large swathes of consumers. IWSR’s head of beer Richard Corbett said: “As an antidote to the pandemic, players in the industry are revamping their online capabilities, upgrading their online shops and partnering with digital sales platforms. This will help to offset any sluggish recovery of the on-trade channel and allow the sector to reach out to increasingly more drinkers.”
As brewers look to refine their online presence, it is important to remember that strategies will differ based on the channel of distribution. IWSR said: “One size does not fit all, and brewers need to deploy brands in their portfolio in different ways.”
A notable bias towards men continues to exist among beer drinkers. However, in recent times, helped in part by the craft movement, the sector has become a broad church of tastes, styles and flavours. IWSR claims that, as a result, beer’s appeal has increased to a wider, and often more female, audience: “Added to this, the lower ABV level of beer could resonate with women looking to migrate from stronger alternatives like wine and spirits. Marketing and glassware should help to facilitate this as well.”
One of the main revenue generators for growth in craft beer has been taprooms. They enable the brewer to have a closer relationship with their consumers. The beers are sold with an added margin enabling brewers to invest in their business and look to new markets such as exports.
According to the small brewers’ trade association SIBA, good planning is key to surviving and prospering in the post-Brexit world. A spokesman for SIBA said: “Brewers will need to make sure they get an EORI number, consider appointing a customs intermediary or make sure you have all the skills and requirements to do customs declarations yourself.”
There are also changes to labelling and new glassware requirements. Brewers that employ EU nationals or intend to do so should also be aware of the new immigration changes. The government has produced a series of videos and guides, and you can also create a personalised tracker to help you prepare. There are also several grants available for training.
The UK government’s international trade secretary Liz Truss says in the last 12 months she has seen a number of brewers which have made a significant investment in new products and equipment. In particular, brewers are investing in canning lines – much needed as consumers look to cans as a greener form of packaging and worldwide the demand to drink beers at home continues to grow. She said: “British brewing is renowned for its quality across the globe, and our industry serves some of the biggest international brands in the business.”
Tim Hampson 2021
Preface
T he boom and interest in locally made beers continues to be unsatiated. But there is more to running a brewery than understanding how to brew beer using the basic ingredients of malted barley, hops, water and yeast. Today, brewers have to understand sustainability, the environment, taxation, consumer law and marketing. A brewery is more than just a place where beer is brewed. To do so effectively means having access to a wide range of expertise.
We are experiencing a growing consumer interest in craft and local beers. Many of these beers will be drunk in a brewery tap or a pub. However, more people will drink at home. Today’s drinkers demand quality, choice, innovation, provenance and a range of styles and formats. This environment together with a favourable regime of tax relief via Small Brewers Relief introduced in 2002 has led to a growing number of people realising there is a business opportunity for them to set up a brewery.
Sadly, too many still embark on this endeavour with their eyes wide shut. It is a tough world and one in which the larger brewers are squeezing prices and routes to market to maintain market share. Add to this the effect on some established businesses of the months of lockdown due to the pandemic.
History tells us that the strongest willed and most flexible will survive. Today’s aspirant microbrewers need a clear business plan, a willingness to be flexible and set the highest standards if they are to prosper. Consumers are becoming more demanding in what they buy, and tend to want something different every time.
All the evidence points to a shift in drinking habits towards quality, and away from the volume drinking of years gone by. This should be welcome news for independent brewers who produce interesting craft beers. There is also a need to create an experience around beer. Today this has to include the whole lifecycle: where and how were the ingredients grown? Does the brewery support diversity and inclusion? What is the brewer’s policy on recycling and sustainability?
On one level making beer is easy, and many people have joined in the craft beer revolution. They gave up their day job, bought some brewing equipment and are brewing batches of foaming beer which their friends are more than happy to drink pints of, for free. But such largesse is not a business model.
Too often after launching their breweries, many find the initial wave of optimism and enthusiasm wanes, sales start to slip and there is no money to fund new products or much-needed equipment. Others have leapt head-long into their own brewery business without realising how hard it is. Many don’t realise how tight margins are. Growing competition also means the bar is constantly being raised on quality. The brewing of boring, bland beer is no passport to success. Some have made the mistake of growing too fast and end up o