SIBA Independent Brewer- Summer 2020

Issue 2 Summer 2020

Nick - Hop Forward Ann

Rebecca - SIBA Finance Ann

Richard - Milton Brewery Ann

Anthony - Lincoln Green Ann

Victoria - Beer Enthusiast Ann

Matt - Premier Systems Ann

John - SIBA Exec Ann

Annabel - Guild of Beer Writers Director Ann

Mark - Supersonic Inc Ann

Darren - Palmers Brewery Ann

Ian - SIBA Chairman Ann

Jenny & Ken - Serious Brew Ann

Stronger together

Caroline - Indie Brewer Mag Ann

John - North Brewing Co Ann

Neil - SIBA Comms Ann

Jaega - Wild Card Brewery Ann

Sara - SIBA Company Sec. Ann

Siobhan - Brewers Select Ann

Tom - Signature Brew Ann

Katy Moses - KAM Media Ann

Dan & Claire - ma Ann

Paul - Cask Marque Executive Director Ann

Claire - Beer Writer Ann

Rachel - SIBA Operations Ann

Pete - Guild of Beer Writers Chair Ann

Barry - SIBA Public Affairs Ann

Dave - Hop Studio Ann

Jacopo - Guild of Beer Writers Director Ann

Frances - Guild of Beer Writers Director Ann

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Editor’s comment

Welcome to this special digital-only edition of SIBA’s Independent Brewer Magazine.

As I sit down to write this column, I can’t believe it has only been two months since we launched the first issue of our newly renamed Independent Brewer magazine at BeerX UK in Liverpool in March.

Caroline Nodder Editor SIBA Independent Brewer Magazine

In just those few short weeks our sector has changed beyond recognition as a result of the pandemic, with small brewers adapting their businesses rapidly and radically in order to reflect changes in consumer behaviour that might well prove, to some extent, to be permanent.

The situation has evolved daily, sometimes hourly, which puts enormous pressure on you as leaders to make quick and often painful decisions about the future of your business and the teams you lead. In a part of the market driven largely by cask and keg, on-trade sales and direct retail through shops and taprooms, the lockdown and closure of pubs and restaurants has hit small independent brewers harder and faster than most.

The thoughts of the whole SIBA team are with you, our members, as you face these enormous challenges head on. Our Chief Executive James Calder outlines some of the ways SIBA is working to support and represent small brewers through the current crisis in his column on page 7 in this issue and also in more detail in a Q&A on pages 30-35. And we have also produced a summary of the key support and guidance that is available for small brewers in our special Coronavirus Support feature on pages 20-29.

Society of Independent Brewers PO Box 136, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 5WW Tel: 01765 640 441 www.siba.co.uk Email: office@siba.co.uk

We feature two SIBA members who are tackling the effects of the crisis in very different ways in our special in-depth Business Profiles for this issue, featuring interviews with Tom Bott from Signature Brew in London (see pages 52-59) and John Gyngell from North Brewing Co in Leeds (see pages 42-49) who tell us how they are not only adapting their businesses but also supporting their staff and local communities.

Elsewhere in this issue, three of the UK’s top beer writers and industry commentators offer their take on what the crisis might mean for independent brewing in the medium to long term. Claire Bullen, the Editor-in-Chief at Good Beer Hunting, looks at what brewers are doing to adapt their business models on pages 18-19, the Craft Beer Channel’s Jonny Garrett examines how the crisis may impact the whole structure of the beer sector on page 51 and on page 41, award-winning beer writer and author Pete Brown looks at how consumer behaviour is being affected.

Finally, please keep sending your press releases, updates, news and views to me at caroline.nodder@siba.co.uk so that we can share your experiences, thoughts and successes in future magazines – the deadline for submissions to our Autumn edition will be August 3rd.

Best wishes to you all in these challenging times.

Happy reading!

Editor: Caroline Nodder (caroline.nodder@siba.co.uk) Published by: Media Alive Limited Produced on behalf of SIBA by: Media Alive Limited, 2nd Floor, The Red House, 119 Fore Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1AX. T: 01992 505 810 Creative Director: Darren Kefford (darren@wearema.co.uk) Studio Manager: Jon Hardy (jon@wearema.co.uk) Advertising Manager: Claire Rooney (claire@wearema.co.uk) Managing Director: Dan Rooney (dan@wearema.co.uk)

Printed by: Printwize, 9 Stepfield, Witham, Essex CM8 3BN

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or be any other means, electronic or mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of SIBA and/or Media Alive Limited.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information in this publication is accurate and up-to-date, neither SIBA nor Media Alive Limited take any responsibility for errors or omissions.

Opinions expressed in editorial contributions to this publication are those of their respective authors and not necessarily shared either by SIBA or Media Alive Limited.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Contents

News

42-49

9-13 60-63

64-71

82-91

96-102

SIBA news All the news from SIBA HQ SIBA Business Awards 2020 Coverage of the winners from SIBA’s annual business awards SIBA National Independent Beer Awards Coverage of the winners from this year’s BeerX UK competition Brewery news The latest from our Brewing Members around the UK Supplier news News and views from SIBA’s Supplier Associate Members

Comment

36-39 Issue 2 Summer 2020

Ann Nick - Hop Forward

Ann Rebecca - SIBA Finance

Ann Richard - Milton Brewery

Ann Anthony - Lincoln Green

Ann Victoria - Beer Fan

Ann Matt - Premier Systems

Ann John - SIBA Exec

Ann Annabel - Brit Beer Writers

Ann Mark - Supersonic Inc

Ann Darren - Palmers Brewery

Ann Ian - SIBA Chairman

Ann Jenny & Ken - Serious Brew

Stronger together Ann Caroline - Indie Brewer Mag

Ann John - North Brewing Co

Ann Neil - SIBA Comms

Ann Jaega - Wild Card Brewery

Ann Sara - SIBA Company Sec.

Ann Siobhan - Brewers Select

Ann Tom - Signature Brew

Ann Katy Moses - KAM Media

Ann Dan & Claire - ma

Ann Paul - Cask Marque Executive Director

Ann Claire - Beer Writer

Ann Rachel - SIBA Operations

Ann Pete - Brit Beer Writers Chair

Ann Dave - Hop Studio

Ann Jacopo - Brit Beer Writers

Ann Frances - Brit Beer Writers

Ann Barry - SIBA Public Affairs

Online

Onffline

Cover

7 8

16-17

18-19

41

51

81

CEO’s update James Calder outlines SIBA’s plans Chairman’s comment Ian Fozard on the challenges ahead The view from Westminster Our regular political update How to pivot Claire Bullen looks at changing business models Is there life after lockdown? Pete Brown ponders the future Survival of the quickest Jonny Garrett examines the changing face of brewing Technical focus Brewlab’s Dr Keith Thomas sees parallels in the world of microbiology

Features 14-15

20-29

30-35

36-39

42-49

52-59

73-79

92-95 104 106

Communications and Coronavirus Adapting to help all independent craft breweries survive Coronavirus support A guide for small independent brewers The big interview James Calder gives an overview of the current crisis The post-covid consumer Katy Moses from KAM Media offers insight into a post-Covid world Business profile We meet North Brewing Co, SIBA’s Brewery Business of the Year 2020 Business profile Signature Brew founder Tom Bott on his strategy during the pandemic Business advice Marketing, legal, financial and brewing guidance Gold Members Murphys and Charles Faram Gold & Silver Members Listing of our key sponsors Contacts Key SIBA contacts

On our cover you can see the ‘new normal’, as the beer industry and SIBA adapts to using video calls to continue delivering for brewers.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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CEO’s update

Ensuring your voice is heard At the beginning of this crisis it became clear very quickly to me what our mission was: 1. Lobby harder and smarter than we ever have done to give every brewer in the UK a fighting chance of survival. To make sure your voice is heard.

2. Listen to brewers on the ground more than we ever have done. What issues are you facing? How can we help?

3. Communicate effectively with every brewery and supplier in the UK (not just SIBA members) to ensure everyone has the best, most up to date information.

4. Act as a focal point for our industry, bringing together stories of positivity, adaptation, advice and support.

We are quite lucky as a trade association in that politicians ‘get us’ and get what we are about. But we have worked incredibly hard over the past few years to nurture and cultivate relationships with politicians so they trust us and listen to us. It is now, in this crisis that we have called on these people to help. I will admit we haven’t secured everything we set out to.

We couldn’t convince Government to cancel beer duty and instead we worked with them to improve the ‘Time to Pay’ arrangements. When ‘Time to Pay’ was announced, the Government didn’t want to include Beer Duty as a tax at all. But we convinced the Treasury that they should, otherwise it would mean ruin for businesses like yours in every constituency in the UK. I am very proud of the specific guidance (that mentioned breweries and brewery shops) we secured that has allowed you to continue to sell direct to the consumer. That has been a

lifeline for many and may end up being one of the biggest structural changes in the way we access the market; more people buying direct.

At the beginning of this crisis there was a real possibility that you would all be banned from opening and selling at all. I’m also particularly pleased with what we did on this one because without decent beer from you I don’t think I would have been able to get through this!

As I write this, we are finalising what our ‘asks’ of Government going forward are; covering beer duty, the future of SBR, business rates, continuing direct support and access to market.

It would be premature of me to list these here without having them signed off properly first.

Please keep an eye out on social media and in the emails we are sending for our next steps and the next phase of the campaign.

We (to date) haven’t been successful in expanding the definition of Retail, Hospitality and Leisure businesses to cover breweries as primary suppliers. The Government thinks it will cost too much money. But we have been instrumental in convincing the Government to issue discretionary grant funding to Councils, to cover businesses like yours. That, I think, is the best method of getting cash into your business right now and everyone should be speaking to their council as soon as possible.

As is mentioned in these pages by our Editor Caroline and our Chairman Ian, the situation is often changing day by day, hour by hour. Keeping on top of the volume of detail and strategising what we need to say to Government and other businesses has been a huge personal challenge for me and my team.

It has stretched us in ways we didn’t know it could.

We have worked incredibly hard over the past few years to nurture and cultivate relationships with politicians so they trust us and listen to us.

We were also at the heart of conversations with Government around the failures of CBILS – and their replacement with Bounce Back loans. Right now we are working with industry partners on the protocol for how pubs will re-open and the implications of how ‘flexible furlough’ will help your business get back on its feet. Beer destruction and duty credit has been a huge issue and we continue to work through these. Insurance companies failing to pull their weight on business interruption policies is an ongoing campaign. Getting companies to pay up for beer that was delivered and consumed in March has been a big fight and one which I think we are winning.

But what keeps us all going at team SIBA is the knowledge that many of you out there rely on us as a trade association to ensure your voice is being heard. It’s a privilege to work for SIBA and I hope you think we are making a difference and can continue to make a difference.

I do want to thank the team of people in SIBA that makes all this happen. You know who you are!

For now, pour yourself a beer, relax with your iPad or tablet and enjoy the always amazing content in these pages.

Cheers

James Calder Chief Executive SIBA

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Chairman’s comment

6. It follows from all of the above that, unfortunately, some independent brewers will not survive during the next couple of years.

So where does this leave our sector and what do we need to do to survive? Every brewer who is able to come out of lockdown needs to take a long hard look at their business model and ask themselves a few questions: 1. If you were starting off from scratch now, what markets would you target and which would you not because they are not profitable for you?

2. In order to answer this one big first question can you honestly say that you know your true costs of production and your true operating costs? SIBA has a costing tool available on the Toolbox which might assist you but if you’re unsure I would suggest that you seek some professional assistance.

What do we need to do to survive?

I write this column in mid-May with still no clear idea as to when pubs will re-open and a growing comprehension that things will not return to the version of “normality” with which we were all previously familiar.

A few things have become clear in recent weeks as we have all contemplated the state of our brewing businesses, wondering how we will fare in the future and grateful that, in many cases, we still have a business, although one that has had to speedily adapt to the new situation.

What is becoming clear to me is that: 1.Big beer is determined to be the major winner from this crisis and probably will be. Most of the major suppliers to the UK beer market are multinational companies, able to be fleet of foot and better able to weather the storm than smaller independents. You only have to look at their behaviour so far - promising free of charge comprehensive re-stocks to pubs - to realise that they are determined to seize the opportunity to further dominate the market.

2.The overall pub market will shrink because public behaviour in the next 12-18 months will be different - more cautious people will be scared off visiting pubs altogether and many will have adapted to drinking at home with online pub quizzes for entertainment, meaning smaller footfall. Also, some marginal pubs

8

will not re-open as they will not be viable with social distancing and those that can re-open will be able to service fewer customers and hence have lower sales for the same reason.

3. The pub market will also polarise between the major players at one end (who will almost certainly use the crisis as an excuse to extract even more value from smaller brewers or eschew them completely) and a, hopefully, robust and growing independent sector of freehouses and micro-pubs who will further embrace independent suppliers.

Generally, I am an optimist and I’m sure that there will be some winners in the new environment but I am also fearful that many will struggle.

4. The tenanted pub model, already faltering, will gradually die. It will become more unsustainable – in the new world of fewer pub visits, tenants will not be able to afford the high rents and sky high beer prices. Pub owning companies, needing to raise cash, will sell off the bottom end of their estates – some will be snapped up by pub entrepreneurs but others may find alternative uses. Some of those that they don’t sell off will probably become part of an in-house managed estate.

5. Cask beer will, sadly, become more of a rarity as larger pub chains limit choice and many brewers realise that the current “broken” market for cask (i.e. unsustainably low prices) makes it unprofitable for them to supply.

Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

3. What are my customers likely to want in future? Will they be willing to pay a fair price for this?

4. What product innovation can I carry out to ensure that I can meet the demands of my customers in the new environment?

5. What size of business do I want to have in say 5 years’ time and is this an achievable aim in the new reality?

I hope that the above assessment is not too gloomy? Generally, I am an optimist and I’m sure that there will be some winners in the new environment but I am also fearful that many will struggle.

Finally, what is SIBA doing to help independent brewing businesses going forwards? Firstly, I’m proud of SIBA’s response to the Covid-19 crisis – the daily briefings to members have been invaluable and it is clear that we have a great team led by James Calder which has been keeping on top of the situation.

James, in his column, outlines the big asks we are making of Government. Without some radical measures independent brewing businesses, already battered by lockdown and a changed market will struggle. For me, beer duty reform is a must as is significant reform (I would prefer complete abolition) of business rates. This cancer of a tax cannot be allowed to survive in the 21st century – it is simply licensed extortion by Government, unrelated to profitability and for which no value is delivered!

I live in hope!

Cheers

Ian Fozard Chairman SIBA

SIBA news

SIBA launches online Coronavirus Support Hub As well as regular email updates for brewers from SIBA CEO James Calder, SIBA has also launched a dedicated hub on its website which brings together all the current advice and information available during the crisis.

To access the hub click here

If you are not a SIBA Member you can still sign up for updates

Not a member of SIBA but want to receive email updates from us regarding the Covid-19 pandemic and the options, advice and support open to brewers? Sign up to our daily Covid-19 Industry Alerts by clicking here

#PullingTogether: SIBA, CAMRA & Crowdfunder join forces

Following Government advice to avoid pubs and other social venues during the Coronavirus outbreak, SIBA has partnered with CAMRA and Crowdfunder to help

pubs, clubs, breweries, taprooms and cider producers during these difficult times.

The #PullingTogether campaign aims to publicise innovative ways that pubs, breweries, cider makers and taprooms are staying afloat, such as by launching a new online shop, offering beer or cider takeaways or providing redeemable gift vouchers for locals. It also hopes to put the public in touch with local initiatives in their community.

Independent breweries and taprooms can find out more via the siba website here, or by clicking the direct link to the CAMRA website where you can submit your business for inclusion. The page also features an interactive map where the public can search for businesses near them.

Sign your brewery up for the 'Brew2You' app

This app, developed by CAMRA and supported by SIBA, builds on the success of the Pulling Together website to deliver an 'Uber Eats' for beer. The platform allows customers to search for beer, cider or even food easily on a single platform.

By becoming a partner and creating your very own store on the Brew2You platform, you will be increasing your visibility to customers who download the Brew2You app, giving you more opportunity to sell your products to customers locally or even further afield – it’s up to you!

Find out more here

Coronavirus Support: Bottling & Canning Services

Over the last few weeks a number of SIBA Members have made efforts to open up their bottling and canning services to assist independent breweries who don't have in-house bottling/canning lines get their beers into small pack and out into the market.

There has been a real pulling together across the industry which is excellent to see and we wanted to make all breweries aware of these important services, many of which are waiving their usual charges in order to help other brewers out.

To find out more click here

Correction In the Spring 2020 edition of SIBA Independent Brewer we wrongly stated on page 29 that Mike Benner was the first Chief Executive of SIBA. In fact Julian Grocock was SIBA’s first Chief Executive.

We are happy to correct the error.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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SIBA news

SIBA BeerX UK 2020 It may seem like a lifetime ago now, and huge challenges have arisen since then as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak, but SIBA would like to thank all of the brewers and suppliers who came along to BeerX UK in March, just before this crisis began, and to congratulate the winners and finalists in this year’s national competitions.

In many cases, this was the last time we saw our industry colleagues face-toface before we went into lockdown and the event really highlighted for us at SIBA the camaraderie, collaboration and community that sit at the centre of our part of the beer world. It is those qualities that have really shone through during the first weeks of the outbreak.

North Brewing Co named 'Brewery Business of the Year 2020' at the SIBA Business Awards The Winners in the prestigious SIBA Business Awards 2020 were unveiled in March at BeerX UK in Liverpool, with North Brewing Co in Leeds taking the top gong, winning the ‘Brewery Business of the Year 2020’ Award.

The awards name the best and brightest brewing businesses, retailers, bars, restaurants and bottle shops across the UK, as well as a new Best Brewery Taproom category - which was added this year after new statistics revealed that 30% of independent breweries now have a Taproom on-site.

Thank you to all of the sponsors, brewers, exhibitors, speakers and guests who made BeerX UK such an inspiring event, and please join us in raising a glass of independently brewed British craft beer to all of you out there facing today’s challenges together.

North Brewing Co were named ‘Brewery Business of the Year’ by judges after winning the Business Innovation category and impressing across a wide range of areas.

North founders John Gyngell and Christian Townsley accepted the award on behalf of their team.

This year, 2020, marks 40 years of SIBA representing and championing independent beer in the UK, something we celebrated at BeerX UK in March, and something that in the current climate has never been more important.

John said: “We’re gobsmacked! As a brewery we are only four years old and to build it from nothing to win this is amazing. Over the last 12 months we have set ourselves

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

some really ambitious goals and feel like we have conquered all of them, so to win this really means a lot.”

The company was praised for efforts across the business and won an award for their ‘Champions’ initiative, which empowers staff to take on responsibility for key business areas such as charitable causes and mental health.

“We have an annual charity which we work with, but we saw a gap in what we were doing to make a member of staff a ‘Champion’ of our charity work – once we did this we thought how can we extend this across the business to areas that matter to us, like mental health. We want to empower our staff to do something extra, they learn skills and develop and we get to run an even more rewarding, empowering business. We want to look after our people and support our team and the wider industry,” said Christian.

The winners were announced at the SIBA Business Awards 2020 which took place at BeerX UK in Liverpool in March 2020.

The awards were this year hosted by Jonny Garrett and Brad Evans of ‘The Craft Beer Channel’.

Find out more about North Brewing Co, and how the team there is coping with the current crisis, in our Business Profile on pages 42-49.

SIBA news

SIBA Business Awards 2020 – The Winners Marketing Implementation Boss Brewing vs Hugo Boss Green Business Purity Brewing Co (Stroud Brewery were also ‘Highly Commended’) Best Individual Design West Berkshire ‘Detour Pale Ale’ Best Total Concept Design Brick Brewery ‘Winter Berry Sours’ Business Innovation North Brewing Co. ‘Champions Scheme’ Commercial Achievement Farr Brew UK’s Best Independent Craft Beer Retailer - Multiple Tesco UK’s Best Independent Craft Beer Retailer - Single Beer no Evil, Worthing UK’s Best Independent Craft Beer Bar / Pub - City Assembly Underground, Leeds UK’s Best Independent Craft Beer Bar / Pub - Rural Bailey Head, Oswestry Best Independent Craft Brewery Taproom Salt Beer Factory (Cold Town House were also ‘Highly Commended’) UK’s Best Independent Craft Beer Restaurant Curry Leaf cafe, Brighton UK’s Best Independent Craft Beer Promotion Nottingham Craft Beer Week Supplier Associate of the Year Beer Box Shop Brewery Business of the Year 2020 North Brewing Co.

Quantock, Wye Valley, and Eight Arch Brewing earn ‘Best beer in the UK’ awards Quantock Brewery and Wye Valley Brewery took home Overall Champion Gold in the Cask and Keg Awards at the SIBA Independent Beer Awards 2020, with Eight Arch Brewing Co being named the best bottled or canned beer - making their three beers the official best in the UK. Judged by brewers and industry experts and organised by SIBA at the BeerX UK event in Liverpool, the awards run across a huge range of beer style categories in cask, craft keg, bottle and can.

The Overall Champion Cask beer is Quantock Brewery’s 5.1% ABV ‘Titanium’ – an aromatic ‘West Coast’ style American IPA with citrus, pine and tropical fruit notes.

James Higgins accepted the cask award alongside the rest of the Quantock team at BeerX UK and gave us his reaction: “It’s a phenomenal achievement, we’ve picked up a few awards with this beer but this is the big one and it means so much. Titanium uses Ekuanot and Citra hops and we think it's tasting better than ever, but we’re absolutely speechless to win against the calibre of beers in the competition."

In the craft keg competition it was Wye Valley brewery who took home the Overall Gold with their 4.5% ‘1985’ lager, which combines British and European hops in a German Kolsch-style beer. Jack Morris was collecting the award for Wye Valley: “To win the overall

keg with a clean, crisp lager against such in your face and super hoppy beers is massive for us. It’s a great beer that manages to do everything you want a lager to do but have a little extra hop bite, with some nice orange and clementine aromas and flavour. We are really proud of it.”

In the can and bottle competition it was Eighth Arch Brewing Co’s 4.2% ‘Square Logic’ pale ale which combines ‘fruit-filled’ hops and huge drinkability, the award was accepted by Steve Farrell, Founder of Eight Arch Brewing Co: “We never expected to win and it's great to see a lower ABV beer winning against such huge rival beers of an amazing calibre. We’ve only been going for 4 years and canning our beers for 2, so to take the top award with a canned beer is massive.

The beer has got loads of Citra hops which give it a tropical flavour, but it’s still dry and has a crispness too.”

The SIBA Independent Beer Awards at BeerX UK are the National finals and in order to earn a place at the competition brewers must first win at their regional competition – making these overall Champions very much the ‘best of the best’ when it comes to British independent craft beer.

SIBA Competitions Chair Guy Sheppard, a brewer himself at Exe Valley in the South West, congratulated the winners on their huge achievement: “The SIBA Independent Beer Awards 2020 were our biggest ever, and with an incredibly high standard of beer across the board. These three beers are the very best of the best in the UK and the brewers should be hugely proud of their achievement. Huge congratulations to them and the rest of the winners across the competition!”

For a full list of all the winners in the SIBA National Beer Competition and photos from both the business awards and beer awards events see pages 60-71 in this issue.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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SIBA news Obituary

As this magazine went to press, the SIBA team was devastated to learn of the death of St Austell Brewing Director Roger Ryman following a brave battle with cancer.

Roger was an iconic figure within the brewing sector, and was responsible for creating the world-renowned portfolio of beers that really put St Austell on the map. He was a great friend to many in the trade, and hugely respected for his creative skills in the brewhouse as well as his innovative strategic outlook when it came to driving the St Austell business forward through initiatives such as building the new brewery at Bath Ales.

A Tribute to St Austell Brewing Director Roger Ryman

Among his many achievements since joining St Austell in 1999 was the creation of the brewery’s three award-winning core beers, Tribute, Proper Job and Korev.

SIBA’s Chief Executive James Calder said: “Roger was a titan of the UK brewing industry who many, including myself, looked up to and admired. He will be greatly missed by everyone in the brewing community who knew him. My condolences to his family, friends and his colleagues at St Austell. Like many, I will be raising a glass of Tribute, in tribute to one of the greats of British brewing.”

SIBA calls on consumers to ‘Support small breweries, buy independent craft beer’ with new social media campaign Building on the success of the independent craft brewer seal, SIBA has launched a brand new consumer-focussed campaign that asks people to support the future of small breweries by opting for independent craft beer.

It’s the first consumer-focussed advertising campaign undertaken by the trade association, and comes as online beer sales and local delivery services from breweries and pubs continue to increase in popularity.

James Calder, SIBA’s Chief Executive, says the campaign will drive customers towards a dedicated page on the SIBA website which highlights all members, as well as to the Brew2You beer buying app and website, which was launched in partnership with CAMRA last month.

“We are putting our money where our mouth is and encouraging thousands of beer lovers

across the UK to engage with the Brew2You app and ultimately to support small breweries at this difficult time by buying independent craft beer. As well as a full advertising campaign we will be encouraging breweries themselves to get involved on social media too,” he said.

about the importance of independence, but we also want consumers to be able to tag their posts which feature independent craft beer, which is why we developed the social stickers and a Facebook profile photo frame which they can use.”

Breweries, publicans and representatives from across the beer and brewing industry are being encouraged to use the hashtag #Here4IndieBeer and will even be able to tag their Instagram and Facebook stories with digital stickers, including SIBA’s Independent Craft Brewer seal, simply by searching ‘SIBA’ or ‘Here4IndieBeer’.

The campaign is set to launch today and will run for an initial period of three months in an effort to further boost beer sales for independent breweries who have been left high and dry by lockdown. Earlier research from SIBA showed that despite impressive growth in online beer sales (on average 55% across independent breweries) beer sales are still down a massive 82% overall.

James added: “We’re making a range of social media content and graphics available to independent breweries to help spread the word

For more information go to www.siba.co.uk/IndependentCraftBeer

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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SIBA communications and competitions update

Communications and Coronavirus: Adapting to help all independent craft breweries survive

By SIBA Head of Comms & Marketing Neil Walker Being a part of SIBA should of course have many benefits for breweries, and we know that one of the key benefits has always been representing the interests of small independent breweries with Government and communicating this process clearly with members.

As the true scale of what the Coronavirus pandemic was going to do to the country became clear in mid March we took the decision to open up all of our communications to non-members and members alike. If any guidance or advice we could share would help an independent brewery survive then SIBA should openly and freely communicate it as soon as possible, regardless of whether they have joined the organisation or not. We have developed a number of new communication initiatives and campaigns which we hope have been of help to all breweries, some of which I’d like to highlight here.

SIBA Daily Coronavirus update emails When we launched the Daily Coronavirus email alerts we shared them with our non-member database as well as a new dedicated membership database, that’s around 3,000 people in total – we also shared a sign-up form via social media meaning anyone in the industry who wanted to receive the emails was able to do so free of charge.

Coronavirus has really kept us all on our toes as an industry, with a constantly evolving message from Government and a range of support measures which have not always been as clear as they could be.

This daily email quickly became a digest of the latest news but also, crucially, a means for our Senior Management Team to clarify crucial information from Government and explain how it applies to the brewing industry and what elements breweries should focus on.

The opening comments direct from James allow us to introduce the day’s most important news in an easily digestible way, but it also allows us to have a direct dialogue with brewers – something which we have found extremely refreshing and necessary at a time when we can all feel a little isolated.

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Concise, Adaptive & Mobile friendly Being a ‘digest’ of everything that is going on is important – you need to be able to quickly get the main points and access what you need to. The items are arranged in such a way that you can scroll easily through them one by one, with content optimised to automatically adapt for the 40% of readers who read on a mobile.

• Open rates of 37% on member emails and 36% on non-member emails is way above the industry standard, with most email campaigns aiming for 15-20% open rates.

• Following big Government announcements the emails have hit 54% open rate across 3,000 email addresses.

SIBA communications and competitions update

Changing the narrative: Covid-19 Brewing Industry survey There was a worrying trend emerging in the press to assume that all breweries were doing well during the Coronavirus lockdown, as they could make up for pub closures with a huge uptick in off-trade sales. We of course now know that this is not the case and the survey of brewers we launched played a key role in changing that narrative, with excellent coverage in the Telegraph and Evening Standard plus live coverage on LBC Radio, BBC, and Sky News – plus trade and regional media too.

Online sales are of course up, but it is a big increase in a small area and can only be capitalised on by breweries who are geared up for it – with a web shop and delivery logistics already in place.

As part of our open approach the Covid-19 industry survey was able to be completed by all independent breweries across the UK, achieving 282 unique independent brewery responses - an excellent response on a short 5 day time limit, allowing some high quality analysis of the current state of brewing in the UK. We will be launching an update of the survey in coming weeks to see how the situation has now changed.

Negative impact on the industry • 82% drop in beer sales amongst independent breweries • 65% of breweries have stopped brewing altogether, a further 31% saying it has slowed, 3% saying it has stayed the same, and just 1% saying it has increased • 81% of breweries believe the Government is not doing enough to support independent breweries • 54% breweries have not been able to access any of the existing Government assistance • 64% of brewery staff furloughed • 29% of breweries considering redundancies HMRC ‘time to pay’ arrangements are not working for breweries • 61% of breweries who tried have been successful in accessing the Government’s ‘time to pay’ service • 1 in 10 brewers had money deducted from their accounts in error by HMRC last month Independent breweries adapting to survive • 70% of breweries offering new delivery or takeaway services • 61% of breweries now offering free local delivery to their communities • 55% increase in online beer sales

Driving independent beer sales via social media

#PullingTogether & Brew2You – linking beer drinkers with local breweries We worked with CAMRA to launch Pulling Together, an initiative which aims to link beer lovers with the local breweries near them offering local beer delivery or takeaway services. SIBA also cofunded a social media advertising campaign to promote the service.

More recently the ads switched to pushing the next phase of this project, the ‘Brew2You’ app, which allows people to search for beer near them and make sales directly through the app, with all of the sales revenue going direct to breweries.

Crucially the app highlights SIBA independent breweries using the ‘Assured Independent British Craft Brewer’ seal and has a handy button allowing users to filter the list to show independent brewers near them.

‘Support small brewers, buy independent craft beer’ As we go to press we are about to launch a new social media advertising campaign of our own which promotes the ‘Assured Independent British Craft Brewer’ seal and drives sales for breweries, via the Brew2You app.

This campaign will run across Facebook and Instagram as well as some third party apps via the Facebook Audience Network. For more info checkout www.siba.co.uk/independentcraftbeer As we went to press orders received for SIBA member breweries via the Brew2You app were reaching £10k after the first two weeks of being live, and around 8,000 beer lovers had now downloaded the app.

A continued social media push is one way SIBA are looking to drive beer sales for brewers during lockdown, particularly as the app allows breweries without a webshop to capitalise on the market for online beer sales happening right now.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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The view from Westminster

A country turned upside down It was only one week after BeerX UK in Liverpool that our country, and our industry, were turned upside down by the Covid-19 outbreak. No longer could we venture out to the pub or taproom or socialise with our friends and families. Because of these restrictions, small breweries are now facing an unprecedented threat and a highly uncertain future.

During these difficult and challenging times, SIBA has been at the forefront of industry lobbying efforts for support from the Government, taking up issues on your behalf and keeping breweries informed. As ever, if you have any particular issues or views, please do get in touch with me and let’s see how SIBA can help.

Please also visit the SIBA Covid-19 site www.siba.co.uk/Coronavirus for the latest updates.

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The view from Westminster Covid-19

Beer disposal

With the announcement that the Government was closing pubs, bars and restaurants on 20 March, we intervened to ensure that breweries were allowed to remain open to sell beer through takeaways and deliveries – a lifeline for those breweries able and willing to do so.

One significant issue in preparing pubs to reopen is dealing with the millions of pints left in pub cellars and brewery stores. HMRC has introduced some flexibility on the destruction of beer so that an Authorised Company Representative from the brewery does not have to necessarily be present to oversee it. This means that, with the agreement of the brewer, designated publicans can destroy spoilt beer in the pub cellar. But they must make sure they keep the right records and evidence so that brewers can reclaim the duty from HMRC. We’ve been working with HMRC on the guidance and there’s some great guides on the SIBA website on what to do.

But it was clear that these small pack sales would never make up for the 80% loss of trade caused by the closure of pubs. This is why we continue to push for the Government to suspend beer duty payments, for the package of financial measures to be extended to cover breweries and for licensing laws to be relaxed to allow breweries without an off-licence to sell beer directly to the public.

Sadly, as of yet the Chancellor has not suspended beer duty but left brewers at the mercy of Time to Pay arrangements. I’ve heard from brewers who, having agreed such an arrangement, had the money taken away.

Others have had the wrong amounts debited.

One brewer even had ten times the amount taken two months in a row! In each case we’ve raised it with HMRC to get it corrected and called for Time to Pay to be improved.

Equally, the Government has been unwilling so far to extend the financial support to brewers, despite our high level meetings with Ministers and officials in Number 10, the Business Department and the Treasury. While pubs have rightly benefited from a series of measures including grants and business rate freezes, the same level of support has not been given to breweries.

As it's down to local authorities to distribute these grants and they have some leeway, I would encourage you to give it a go and apply anyway. If they turn you down, then why not contact your local MP or councillor to raise it on your behalf. And in recent weeks the Government has introduced top up grants which may be another avenue for some breweries.

There’s about 1 in 4 breweries that don’t have the means to sell directly to the public and we’ve been making the case for the temporary relaxation of licensing rules to allow breweries to do takeaways and deliveries. It’s essential that any brewery serving the public follows the important Covid-19 safety guidelines but also ensures they have the correct licence and check whether there are any conditions which might restrict what you can do.

While no one knows what the future will look like, in recent weeks there’s been more discussions about starting up the economy.

We’ve been speaking to brewers and suppliers across the industry and feeding these views into the Government on the process, timing and support that will be needed to get breweries and pubs open again and to keep them open.

There’s many questions about when this will happen and how pubs will adopt to any new requirements such as social distancing.

When destroying beer, pubs and breweries need to consider the environmental impact and its good practice to contact the water retailer to understand any restrictions that might exist.

Some of the companies have started producing their own guidance (called Regulatory Position Statements) providing details on disposing of beer via the public sewer system.

Small Breweries’ Relief Review With Covid-19 dominating our way of life, it’s easy to forget that the Government is still reviewing Small Breweries’ Relief. In the Budget back in March, the Chancellor announced that they would announce the outcome of this review in the Spring. With the Government focused on Covid-19, they have now said they will provide more detail in due course – so watch this space!

Deposit Return Schemes Despite the current crisis, the Scottish Government decided to press on with its Deposit Return Scheme and it has now passed through the Scottish Parliament. They did make two changes which will benefit small breweries – the scheme will now be introduced in 2022 (one year later than planned) and an exemption from the £360 registration fee for those with a turnover of £85,000 or less. SIBA is now working to make sure that whoever emerges as the Scheme Administrator will take account of small breweries in developing the scheme.

Westminster is currently planning to introduce its own separate scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2023 (although with Covid-19 this timescale is likely to change) and we’re making representations with Government officials, Ministers and MPs for safeguards for small breweries.

If there’s anything I or the SIBA team can do to help you, do not hesitate to contact me on the details below.

Barry Watts is Head of Public Affairs and Policy at SIBA. He covers political relations and policy for SIBA members.

He can be contacted at barry.watts@siba.co.uk or 07977837804.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Comment: Claire Bullen

How to pivot Being small and nimble can have its advantages in a crisis, especially one that is rapidly evolving and requires constant small adjustments to survive. Award-winning beer writer Claire Bullen spoke to a number of small brewers to find out how they have changed their business model during the pandemic and what they have found most important in preparing them for the challenges ahead‌

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Comment: Claire Bullen

It has become clear that the question is not if the Coronavirus pandemic will deal lasting damage to the craft beer industry, but just how much destruction and loss will be wrought. Covid-19 has moved like a forest fire through vast swaths of public life, and the hospitality sector has suffered gravely.

Despite various government initiatives, gaps in support and already-disrupted cash flows mean a great many beer businesses will never reopen.

At Good Beer Hunting, our Sightlines news vertical has followed in the virus’ scorchedearth wake on both sides of the Atlantic.

Though lockdown measures are easing in some places, fears of a second wave of Covid-19, cancelled festivals and events, and enforced low-occupancy measures in bars and restaurants mean 2020 is shaping up to be a write-off for many businesses.

While most breweries have limited power to fight back against events of this magnitude, the picture isn’t entirely bleak - and there are still paths available to small and independent breweries as they attempt to mitigate losses.

Protect Your Staff, Customers, and Business The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, Small Business Grant, and various loan schemes are keeping many businesses alive. For breweries that have the ability, it can also be worth going back to investors to renegotiate terms.

“I approached our key stakeholders early [...] With big kit repayments to make, even on negotiated deferment plans, buying some time to not being revenue-dependent gave us headspace,” says Miranda Hudson, Duration Brewing’s co-founder. “We formed a contingency plan and managed to pull together a modest 'war chest' to weather the storm for a few months.”

As the situation continues to progress, supporting staff, following necessary hygiene and social distancing measures, and enforcing no-contact retail and delivery remain essential baselines. And if your business has been shuttered for a longer period, remember the hazards of Legionnaires disease, which is caused by Legionella bacteria in stagnant water and can lead to deadly lung infections.

Clean and flush systems at least once monthly, and keep them active even during periods of closure, to offset any risks.

Find New Direct-to-Consumer Avenues Never has it been more essential that breweries pivot to small pack, and carve out new direct-to-consumer sales channels, than right now. For many businesses, that means operating from hastily put-together webshops.

The Kernel Brewery is one to have seen recent webshop success, despite past reservations about operating online. “The webshop went mental immediately, and that has not changed two months in. It went from nothing to perhaps 36% of our previous usual turnover in an instant,” says founder Evin O’Riordain.

Some breweries have also found success in joining forces with other local businesses.

Donzoko Brewing Company launched its post-lockdown Donzoko and Friends webshop with products from Block & Bottle butcher, Rounton Coffee, and more.

“I got the idea for ‘Donzoko and Friends’ out there as soon as I could,” says founder Reece Hugill. “The idea was obvious really, to add value to my offering without aggressive pricing cuts, selling other local luxury goods like charcuterie, coffee, etc., from my friends' businesses. It all has a knock-on effect, from the bloke who prints the T-shirts to the local butchers.”

While most breweries have limited power to fight back against events of this magnitude, the picture isn’t entirely bleak One additional advantage is clarity of consumer demands. “We've never sold directly to the consumer before, other than at festivals and tap takeovers. It's really opened my eyes to what drinkers themselves want. [...] It's easy to lose sight of [that] when you're not trading direct and having those conversations,” Hugill says. O’Riordain echoes those sentiments.

“Despite the stress it provokes in me, it is good to have such a direct line to customers, most all of whom are volubly happy to be able to get our beer delivered.”

That said, while DTC channels have never been more necessary, breweries shouldn’t forget the wider craft beer ecosystem in the coming months. Maintaining relationships with key accounts will help ensure that bottle shops, distributors, and other outlets also survive into the future.

“We have chosen not to [sell all our stock directly] as we want to support the wider industry,” says North Brewing Co and North Bar co-founder Christian Townsley. “We want indie bottle shops to survive this pandemic.

We want our distributor in Italy to survive this pandemic. We want online retailers to survive this pandemic.”

Cultivate Community (Online and Off) There is one distinct positive in all this: craft beer drinkers haven't lost their thirst during

the pandemic, and if anything, they're eager to support their local breweries in every way they can.

Andy Parker, founder of Berkshire’s Elusive Brewing, remarks that connecting with his local community has been crucial in staying afloat. “We've found Facebook to be the best platform for local engagement and have joined groups covering the communities nearest to the brewery. The reception has been fantastic and this is what's keeping us ticking over.” Alex Troncoso and Annie Clements at Bristol’s Lost and Grounded also underline the importance of maintaining good relationships: “Just be proactive as possible in terms of exploring sales opportunities, and focus highly on quality and customer service go the extra mile.”

The advantage of a beer scene that has almost entirely transposed itself to the internet is that it’s easier than ever to reach beer drinkers all across the country. Duration has hosted digital brewery tours and live taste-along events, while North is weighing up remote collaborations and recommends participating in events like Beer 52’s Cyber Fest, billed as “the world’s first online beer festival.” “[It] was a great example of the industry thinking on its feet,” says Townsley. “It provided a sizeable order for us (which was paid for within days) and was a well-put-together, fun event.”

Don’t forget that support also extends laterally. Taking part in global initiatives like All Together - led by Other Half Brewing in New York and created to provide financial relief to local hospitality workers - has been a way for international brewers to join forces, while engaging in lobbying and activism efforts - like the #NoPubNoRen campaign, and the National Hospitality Lobby’s #NationalTimeOut campaign - is another way to share support.

It’s clear the craft beer industry as we know it will not exist in the same way going forward.

But we’re also left with the clarity of the ensuing revelation: that quick-thinking, nimbleness, and calling on community members and peer networks for support can still add up to a vital lifeline.

Claire Bullen is an award-winning beer writer, editor, and author. She is the Editor-in-Chief at Good Beer Hunting and a beer columnist at Imbibe Magazine and for London bottle shop Hop Burns & Black. Her first cookbook, The Beer Lover's Table: Seasonal Recipes and Modern Beer Pairings, was published in 2019.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Coronavirus: SIBA support

In this special section of the magazine we offer a summary of the most current advice, guidance and links to further help and support for the UK’s small brewing community. SIBA also sends its brewing members a daily email update on the situation as regards Coronavirus which you can sign up for even if you are not a member by clicking here.

The information provided in this guide was correct at the time of going to print in late May but is subject to change, so please do regularly check SIBA’s Coronavirus information hub on our website at www.siba.co.uk/Coronavirus for the latest updates.

The SIBA team is also keen to hear from you about your challenges, concerns and successes during the crisis so please email membership@siba.co.uk and let us know how you are doing, and also drop us a line if you need SIBA’s support on a specific issue or have any questions.

SIBA

Coronovirus LIVE update log

The SIBA Exec have created a very useful FAQs document on Covid-19 which you can access via Google Docs here. This is a live file which will be updated if and when things change. The Google doc link will always be the most up to date 'live' version and contains an updates log.

SIBA Members' Forum Facebook Group now LIVE! The SIBA Members' Forum Facebook group is now live and open to employees from any SIBA Brewing, Not Yet Brewing, or Supplier Associate Member business.

This group replaces the now defunct SIBA website forum and should be much more user friendly for members, including being fully optimised for mobile and tablet, as well as being much simpler for SIBA staff and Regional Directors to moderate. This has been on the agenda for a while but given the current situation with Coronavirus we decided the time was now to get this launched!

Join via : https://www.facebook.com/ groups/SIBAMembersForum/ Write to your MP Writing to your MP really can make a huge difference. Not just directly for your business, but in supporting the lobbying efforts of SIBA on-behalf of all independent breweries. By encouraging your MP to ask tough questions of the PM, Treasury and Ministers you help to put pressure on the right people and help us make a more powerful argument when we are in front of the right people.

With this in mind we've updated our template letter to MPs and launched a new one for brewers who don't currently have an off-sales license. See below.

• General letter (updated) for you to use when contacting your MP with regards to support for independent breweries during the Covid-19 pandemic (here) • Specific letter on licensing for those brewers who don’t have an off-licence (here)

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Coronavirus: financial support Coronavirus financial support

Government schemes to assist small businesses

The Government has announced a series of measures to assist small businesses. This includes:

Government launches new coronavirus business support finder tool A new ‘support finder' tool will help businesses and self-employed people across the UK to quickly and easily determine what financial support is available to them during the coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) Small businesses are able to borrow up to £5 million with no interest due in the first 12 months. CBILS support a wide range of products including term loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance facilities.

Further information is available here.

VAT deferral

There is a FAQ for Small Businesses here.

If you’re a UK VAT registered business and have a VAT payment due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020, you have the option to: • defer the payment until a later date

https://www.british-business-bank. co.uk/ourpartners/coronavirusbusiness-interruption-loan-scheme-cbils

• pay the VAT due as normal HMRC will not charge interest or penalties on any amount deferred as a result of the Chancellor’s announcement.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme All UK employers are able to access support to continue paying part of their employees’ salary for those who would otherwise have been laid off.

The finder tool on GOV.UK will ask business owners to fill out a simple online questionnaire, which can take minutes to complete, and they will then be directed to a list of all the financial support they may be eligible for. More info via https://www.gov. uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder

Time to Pay service All businesses in financial distress and with outstanding tax liabilities (including for Beer Duty) may be eligible to receive support through HMRC’s Time to Pay service which can be contacted on 0800 0159 559. More information can be found here: https:// www.gov.uk/government/news/taxhelpline-to-support-businesses-affectedby-coronavirus-covid-19 HMRC are also giving out a direct number to phone for Beer Duty: 0300 058 3920, 0300 322 9483 or 0300 322 7821.

The Chancellor decided not to cancel Beer Duty payments due in March and April.

Therefore breweries are strongly encouraged to phone the HMRC helpline above.

HMRC will reimburse 80% of furloughed workers’ wage costs, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. It covers wages backdated to 1 March and the scheme went live for claims on Monday 20 April. Once a claim is submitted, businesses can expect payment for furloughed workers within 4-6 working days.

Further details are here and there is a step by step guide. We have also produced our advice here.

Bounce Back Loans Businesses can borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 under a Bounce Back Loan and access the cash within days. These are interest free for the first 12 months and 100% guaranteed by the Government. Loan terms are up to 6 years.

You cannot apply if you’ve already claimed under the CBILS. However, if you’ve already received a loan of up to £50,000 you can arrange with your lender to transfer it into the Bounce Back Loan Scheme until 4 November 2020.

For more information, visit: https:// www.british-business-bank.co.uk/ ourpartners/coronavirus-businessinterruption-loan-schemes/bounceback-loans/

The cut off date for employees has been extended to 19 March which will mean that more workers can be included within the scheme.

In May, the Chancellor announced that the scheme will be extended to October and that from August furloughed workers can return part time with employers asked to pay a percentage towards their salaries.

Find out more via this link

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Coronavirus: financial support Coronavirus financial support Business Support in England • All retail, leisure and hospitality businesses will now be exempt from business rates for a whole year. The Government has advised the relief will be for occupied hereditaments that are wholly or mainly being used: as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues.

• Businesses in retail, leisure and hospitality with a rateable value of less than £51,000 will be given a cash grant of £25,000.

• To support pubs, the Business Rates discount for pubs with a rateable value below £100,000 in England was also increased from £1,000 to £5,000 for one year.

• Businesses in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief and Rural Rates Relief will receive a £10,000 one off grant to help meet their ongoing costs.

Top up to local business grants (Local Authority Discretionary Fund) The Government announced a top up to business grant funds scheme to accommodate certain small businesses outside the scope of the existing schemes.

This is aimed at those in shared spaces, market traders and small charity properties.

But councils can choose to make payments to others as well based on local economic need.

Businesses must be small, under 50 employees, and able to demonstrate they have seen a significant drop in income.

The guidance for local authorities is here – https://assets.publishing.service. gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/file/885011/ local-authority-discretionary-grantsfund-guidance-local-government.pdf

• Businesses struggling to pay their taxes can arrange a time to pay arrangement with HMRC. SIBA lobbied Government following the Budget and Treasury has confirmed to us that time to pay arrangements can also be made on Beer Duty.

Although the exemption for business rates and the £25,000 cash grant are only for retail, leisure and hospitality businesses, we have heard reports in the industry that some local authorities have extended this to the brewing sector. We would encourage you to apply via your local authority, especially if you have a brewery with a taproom or shop (find yours here – https://www.gov. uk/contact-your-local-council-aboutbusiness-rates). If they cannot assist, your local MP or councillor maybe able to raise the issue on your behalf (contact yours here – https://www.writetothem.com/) If you are successful in securing support from your local authority, please let us know political@siba.co.uk The Government has issued guidance for local authorities and for businesses.

The Business Support Helpline number in England has changed to FREEPHONE 0800 998 1098. The helpline provides free, impartial business support and signposting services to businesses in England – which currently includes business advice on Covid-19.

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• £120m to extend the Small Business Grant scheme to ensure that, in addition to a 100% grant on the first property, small business rate payers will be eligible to a 75% grant on all subsequent properties.

• extending the go live date for the deposit return scheme to July 2022.

• halting the introduction of the Visitor Levy Bill.

The Scottish Government has also set up a business helpline (open Monday – Friday, 8.30am-5.30pm) – 0300 303 0660

Business Support in Wales The Guide for businesses in Wales – link The Welsh Government has launched a support eligibility checker.

• Shops, leisure and hospitality businesses will receive 100% business rate relief.

Business Support in Scotland The guide to support for businesses in Scotland is here and details of all the support is here – https:// findbusinesssupport.gov.scot/ • a full year’s 100% non-domestic rates relief for retail, hospitality and tourism.

• £10,000 grants for small businesses in receipt of the Small Business Bonus Scheme or Rural Relief. This was extended to include those that hold one or more properties.

• Shops, leisure and hospitality businesses with a rateable value of £12,001-£51,000 will get a £25,000 grant.

• £10,000 grant to all businesses eligible for Small Business Rates Relief with a rateable value of £12,000 or less.

• Pubs with a rateable value of between £51,000 and £100,000 will receive a £5,000 reduction on their Business Rates bill.

• A further £100m will be available for a new grant scheme for small businesses which are not eligible for this new business rate relief.

For further support or business advice call: 0330 060 300.

• £25,000 grants for hospitality, leisure and retail properties with a rateable value between £18,000 and £51,000.

17/4 – applications are now open for the second stage of support from the Economic Resilience Fund. Further details here.

• 1.6% relief for all properties, effectively freezing the poundage rate next year.

Business Support in Northern Ireland • All businesses will pay zero rates for the next three months.

• £145m to protect self-employed people and viable micro and SME businesses in distress due to COVID. This consists of £34m for the Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund, £20m for Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund and £90m for Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund and £1m for Creative Scotland’s Bridging Bursaries.

Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

• The issuing of rates bills is deferred from April until June.

• Proposed reductions in the regional business rate.

Businesses can receive help by calling the Invest NI Helpline: 0800 181 4422

Coronavirus: financial support

• landlords and investors asked to work collaboratively with high street businesses unable to pay their bills during COVID-19 pandemic.

their accounts. This joint initiative between the Government and Companies House will mean businesses can prioritise managing the impact of Coronavirus. More info.

Insurance

Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) Those who are eligible can claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their average trading profits up to a maximum of £7,500 (equivalent to three months’ profits), paid in a single instalment.

HMRC is inviting customers, or their agents, to go online and check their eligibility for SEISS. In order to receive quick confirmation from the eligibility checker, individuals should: • have their Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) and their National Insurance Number to hand.

• make sure their details are up-to-date in their Government Gateway account.

Individuals who are eligible have been invited to claim their SEISS grant on a specified date, from 13 – 18 May but can make a claim after that day.

People can check their date using HMRC’s online checker at any time. https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/selfemployment-support/enter-uniquetaxpayer-reference For further information, please read HMRC’s guidance or speak to your tax agent. If you need further support, please use HMRC’s webchat service or call the Covid-19 Helpline on 0800 024 1222.

Commercial Rents High street shops and other companies under strain will be protected from aggressive rent collection and asked to pay what they can during the coronavirus pandemic • Government to introduce temporary new measures to safeguard the UK high street against aggressive debt recovery actions during the coronavirus pandemic.

• statutory demands and winding up petitions issued to commercial tenants to be temporarily voided and changes to be made to the use of Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery, building on measures already introduced in the Coronavirus Act.

For businesses that have an insurance policy that covers pandemics, the Government’s has said its announcement will be sufficient to allow businesses to make a claim against their policy.

Due to continuing and widespread concerns about the lack of clarity and certainty for some customers making business interruption claims, the FCA has announced that it intends to obtain a court declaration to resolve contractual uncertainty in business interruption (BI) insurance cover. The FCA’s full statement is available here.

SIBA sent a joint letter to raise concerns about insurance, which can be found here.

Pension guidance New guidance setting out how employers can meet their automatic enrolment (AE) duties as they navigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic has been published by the Pensions Regulator.

Trade Credit insurance guarantee Business with supply chains which rely on Trade Credit Insurance and are experiencing difficulties in maintaining cover can get support from the Government. More information here – https://www.gov. uk/government/news/government-tosupport-businesses-through-trade-creditinsurance-guarantee Holiday entitlement The Government has released guidance outlining how holiday entitlement and pay operate during the coronavirus pandemic.

It is designed to help employers understand their legal obligations, in terms of workers who: • continue to work.

• have been placed on furlough as part of the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) More info here: https://www.gov.uk/ guidance/holiday-entitlement-and-payduring-coronavirus-covid-19 Extra 3 months to file accounts to Companies House Businesses will be given an additional 3 months to file accounts with Companies House to help companies avoid penalties as they deal with the impact of COVID-19.

Companies House has also temporarily paused the strike off process to prevent companies being dissolved. Those issued with a late filing penalty due to COVID-19 will also have appeals treated sympathetically.

From 25 March 2020, businesses will be able to apply for a 3-month extension for filing

Beer duty changes Due to measures put in place to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) HMRC has temporarily changed the way they deal with Beer Duty. You must pay Beer Duty electronically using Faster Payment, Bacs or CHAPS If you have made a payment by cheque after 6 April 2020 and wish to check if your payment has been received please telephone: 03000 583920 The guidance will be updated when the measures end. More info here: https:// www.gov.uk/guidance/pay-beer-wineand-cider-duty

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Coronavirus: industry support Coronavirus industry support NHS help for looking after mental wellbeing during Covid-19 "Now more than ever, every mind matters"

Licensed Trade Charity: How they can help The Licensed Trade Charity's free helpline is open 24/7/365 on 0808 801 0550 for professional advice on any issues you may have, health, money or otherwise.

Message from LTC: "We understand that the hospitality sector has already been impacted and will be further hit hard in the coming months, especially as the Government has increased social distancing and self-isolation measures. The Licensed Trade Charity stands strong in this sea of uncertainty offering support to licensed trade people and the good news is that a lot of these issues are not new to us, we have been supporting licensed trade people for many years."

Some of the support they can offer: • Short term hardship grants* for those in extreme financial hardship are available to licensed trade people.

• Financial support* with rent or mortgage interest arrears and if you are at threat of losing your accommodation we can give practical help.

• Emotional support for any worries that you and your family are experiencing in the current economic climate.

• Practical advice provided by trained CAB specialists giving guidance on varied issues • Mental (or emotional) Well-being.

Helpline is 24/7/365 - 0808 801 0550 Website has some useful links https://www.licensedtradecharity.org.uk/ coronavirus-advice/ The benefits calculator is really useful https://www.licensedtradecharity.org.uk/ benefits-calculator/

In light of the challenging times we all face with the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, the NHS has released new tips and advice on looking after your mental wellbeing while at home, including advice on dealing with stress, low mood, anxiety and bereavement.

Tips such as maintaining contact with friends and family; keeping a regular routine and sleeping pattern; looking after your body; talking about your worries; staying on top of difficult feelings and managing unhelpful thoughts are some of the new NHS expert tips featured on the Every Mind Matters platform. Also included on the website is advice for working from home and for parents worried about children during this time.

On the website, people can also get their own free personal ‘Mind Plan’. The online tool asks a short number of questions and provides the user with tailored mental well-being advice.

Over 1.8 million people have already received personalised mind plans to date since October 2019.

To help get the vital message out there that support is available during this time - and that we are in this together - a new short film has been created which is narrated by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The film features a range of people whose lives have been affected by COVID-19, aiming to inspire and encourage everyone to take care of their mental wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak, and seek support as needed.

Visit https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/everymind-matters/ to get your own Mind Plan.

Crowdfunder offering 100% free fund-raising for your business Crowdfunder is offering 100% free fundraising for your business along with support from Enterprise Nation. If you're concerned about the survival of your business and think that you could benefit from road funding from your customers or other beerlovers then click the link below.

Message from Crowdfunder: We are offering this service 100% free, so every penny you raise will go to you. This has been set-up very quickly in response to this growing crisis, so please bear with us and forgive us if you see any references to fees throughout the set-up process. Any fees do not apply, that's our guarantee. crowdfunder.co.uk/pay-it-forward

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

One Hour Free Legal Advice via Napthens + New HR Service SIBA provides a legal & business helpline for its members, provided by Silver Supplier Associate member, Napthens.

The helpline can deal with any legal or commercial query from employment or HR through to raising finance and is manned by a specialist team of solicitors with a great deal of experience in dealing with breweries whether they are micro, local or regional. The team can be contacted on 0845 671 0277 or on sibalegal@napthens.co.uk SIBA Legal Help Line (1 Hour free) EMAIL: sibalegal@napthens.co.uk CALL: 0845 671 0277 New HR Service for Breweries A large proportion of the queries received through the helpline relate to HR and employment law issues, so Napthens has created a be-spoke package tailored to the brewing industry. HR3 gives you everything you need to deal with the HR side of the business. You also get protection and peace of mind if a claim is brought against you in the Employment Tribunal.

This is a paid-for service, but Napthens offer all SIBA members a 10% discount. For more info click here.

Coronavirus: industry support

The Ben: The Scottish Drinks Industry Charity To find out what support you may be eligible for, please contact The Ben by completing a short online form (via button below) and one of the team will be touch to discuss your circumstances. Alternatively, you can contact Chris Gardner directly by email or by calling 0141 353 3596.

You can also call the charity’s FREE Mental Health Support Line on 0800 915 4610. bensoc.org.uk/apply-for-help/

The Drinks Trust (Formerly The Benevolent) In light of recent events regarding Coronavirus, The Drinks Trust is receiving unprecedented demand for its services. At this time, The Drinks Trust will continue to welcome applications, although grants are currently frozen for the coming weeks in order to assess where the most vital need is.

Beer is Here: A new dedicated online directory to support the independent beer industry in Europe 'Beer is Here' is a new online directory for independent beer businesses which will span the whole of Europe and is being facilitated by Simply Hops with the support of Simpson’s Malt, Brewers Select, Lallemand, and Wethatcan, and is intended for the businesses that are most at risk from the current challenge posed by the social distancing and isolation measures taken by governments around Europe.

If you are a small independent business that wants to continue providing the best beers to those that love them, please list your delivery or takeout service here. Breweries, bottleshops and independent bars and pubs are all welcome. The service is completely free to use as the website is being funded by industry supporters. The customer facing website will launch on Monday however you can submit your business and be part of the launch using the link below. http://eepurl.com/gWRbyf

If you require urgent support please contact the Drinks Trust helpline: 0800 915 4610 drinkstrust.org.uk/get-support List your brewery on the Craft Beer Hour website As brewery, direct sales to pubs have been dramatically impacted by the Government measures and many breweries are putting their efforts into online sales. SIBA is lobbying Government to relax the licensing laws to make it easier for small independent breweries to sell beer direct to the public and we will advise on this further once we have more information.

In the meantime for those breweries who can sell direct to the public one quick and easy way to get the word out is to list it here on the Craft Beer Hour website for free simply click 'Submit your Business'. You can also apply to be a 'Featured Brewery', for more info on promoting your brewery click here. craftbeerhour.com/where-to-buy-beerremotely

Brewers Association (US) Coronavirus Resource Centre The American Brewers Association has made its Coronavirus Resource Centre open to all who need it and there is a wealth of information available for brewers to access. brewersassociation.org/brewingindustry-updates/coronavirus-resourcecenter/ Cask Marque Guide to bar and cellar closures process (Cask & Keg) An excellent guide created by the expert Cask Marque assessor team and Avanti Solutions. If you are closing down your taproom, pub or bar then this guide tells you how to do it safely and hygienically so that when you do need to use it again it will still be in perfect condition.

Click here to download

Checklist for dealing with beer left in pub cellars during Covid-19 In light of the Covid-19 outbreak, HMRC has issued new guidance on reclaiming duty on beer destroyed in pub-cellars, which applies to wholesalers and bars as well as pubs.

Where they have permission from a brewery, appointed pub staff may carry out the destruction of spoilt beer onsite without the presence of a representative from a brewery.

The BBPA has also produced a best practice guide.

Click here to read SIBA's step by step guide for breweries and pubs.

Association of Convenience Stores: Resources for retailers including delivery guidance The Association of Convenience Stores has published resources for retailers which we would recommend any breweries selling to the public please read.

The page contains various useful resources including posters, template letters, and guidance for retailers with regard to the developing situation on COVID-19 (Coronavirus). https://www.acs.org.uk/advice/covid19-coronavirus

Safety & crime prevention guidance for empty commercial premises Safer Business Network: Advice to closed businesses Click here to read Met Police: Crime Prevention advice for empty commercial premises Click here to read Plus further useful safety resources can be found here: https://www.saferbusiness. org.uk/covid-19-portal

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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For all enquiries: Nick Crossley, UK agent for Rastal GmbH & Co. KG nick.crossley@rastal.com Telephone: 07768 648660 www.rastal.com | Follow us!

Coronavirus: industry support Coronavirus industry support Government advice on Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) This guidance is to help employers, employees and the self-employed understand how to work safely during the coronavirus pandemic, and has been developed by the government, in consultation with industry, to help ensure workplaces are as safe as possible.

These 8 guides cover a range of different types of work. Many businesses operate more than one type of workplace, such as an office, factory and fleet of vehicles. You may need to use more than one of these guides as you think through what you need to do to keep people safe. For more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/workingsafely-during-coronavirus-covid-19

Access Hospitality publishes guide for hospitality operators making their businesses ready for reopening Access Hospitality has curated a guide to help hospitality operators plan through the period covering lockdown, preparing to reopen, opening week and beyond. The information is designed to offer guidance across all sectors of the hospitality industry and, despite the absence of any clear timelines for reopening, be a helpful guide to aid the planning process.

The guide is available for free by clicking here COVID-19 Risk Assessment Template for Breweries This excellent Risk Assessment template was produced by Mark Salmon at Bays Brewery, who has said he is happy for us to share it with fellow brewers.

This document is just a starting point for breweries to conduct their own assessments to ensure that they operate their business safely during the current pandemic.

It is important that it is made specific to individual breweries to ensure that their specific workplace controls are implemented.

To download the template click here

Food Standards Agency (FSA) collated guidance The FSA has collated guidance for food businesses operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The guidance pulls together information for food manufacturers, restaurants and takeaways and the farming and agriculture sectors.

It covers a range of areas, including social distancing, cleaning and staff training, and outlines the hygiene processes and requirements food businesses must follow as they develop new ways of working.

support measures with the type of straightforward practical cash flow advice we normally give to businesses experiencing a cash crisis.

PKF Geoffrey Martin & Co have also produced a further guide aimed at improving your business’s resilience post lockdown by assisting members address the many available options now, rather than later. This guide may be accessed via this link.

A direct confidential email helpline is available at the end the guide.

Preparing your business for lockdown being lifted The hospitality industry is unlikely to go 'back to normal' for some time yet, and when restrictions are lifted there will almost certainly be strict rules in place over venue capacity, customer interaction and other such measures which keep contact between people minimised.

If you run pubs or bars, have a taproom, or even a brewery shop, then it is worth starting to think now about how ready you would be to trade under such measures. With this in mind we wanted to share this really useful guide: 'Social distancing requirements: How technology can help you manage your business in unprecedented times'

Survival Guide by PKF Geoffrey Martin & Co - download • This is the first of a short series of survival guides they are publishing, primarily about cash and how to make it last until revenue is back to more normal levels.

• The guide sets out in simple steps what you can do to survive over the next few weeks, the second instalment will cover the slightly longer term. The guide combines advice about (and links to) the government’s

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Coronavirus: professional development Coronavirus professional development

Professional development during lockdown

CAMRA launches new Learn & Discover online resource Learn more about your favourite drinks with CAMRA. Supporting your lifelong learning about beer, cider, perry and pubs with high quality learning content carefully curated from trusted industry voices and CAMRA’s volunteer community.

The IBD are going to be issuing a range of brewing learning materials over coming weeks and we are delighted to be able to share them with you here.

Launching the service, Jerry Avis Chief Exec of the IBD said: “Despite the difficulties that we may face today, we can all share in the certainty that there will be an end to this. Once we are on the other side, stronger, more resilient and inspired by a fresh perspective, it will be vital that we support the industry to recover as quickly as possible. Education and training will continue to play a key role in assuring the quality and consistency of the products that bring friendship and enjoyment to many around the world. The IBD will do what we can to support this recovery and to bring our members and wider community together in this aim. This bi-weekly publication from the IBD is just one small part of that and is available to all, whether to enjoy as a brief respite or to learn something new. We also appreciate joining with SIBA and other communities throughout the brewing and distilling world to assist where we can.”

Read the first in the series here: The search for the perfect alcohol-free beer

Choose your own journey of discovery: ‘The Basics’ for beginners, ‘Learn More’ for enthusiasts and ‘Discover’ for connoisseurs. https://camra.org.uk/learn-discover/

New free online learning platform to boost workplace skills A new online learning platform to help boost the nation’s skills while people are staying at home, has been launched by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.

Free courses are available through a new online platform hosted on the gov.uk website, called The Skills Toolkit. The new platform gives people access to free, highquality digital and numeracy courses to help build up their skills, progress in work and boost their job prospects.

Online training for furloughed workforce during coronavirus pandemic New e-learning resources aimed at helping workers furloughed as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) to learn new skills are now live, Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates has announced.

The newly launched, informal e-learning provision is aimed at helping furloughed workers to improve their knowledge levels across a broad range of areas, while supporting their mental wellbeing and helping them to prepare for the future.

Budding learners can visit the Working Wales website where they will be signposted to a range of free online resources that will help them to refresh their skill sets.

Find out more: https://gov.wales/onlinetraining-for-furloughed-workforceduring-coronavirus-pandemic

The information provided in this guide was correct at the time of going to print in late May but is subject to change, so please do regularly check SIBA’s Coronavirus information hub on our website at www.siba.co.uk/ Coronavirus for the latest update

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Big Interview: James Calder

The Big interview James Calder, CEO, SIBA

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Big Interview: James Calder

Little did James Calder suspect, as he took the reigns at SIBA last Summer, that less than a year later the industry he was representing would be facing the toughest challenge it has ever faced.

James told this magazine back in December 2019 that his clear focus was on supporting SIBA’s members, giving them the information, tools and services to protect and grow their businesses. And as it has turned out, that has never been a more important part of what SIBA does. James’ background in lobbying, and his former role as SIBA’s public affairs director, has enabled James and SIBA’s Senior Management Team to call on their contacts in Westminster and ensure that the voice of small brewers is heard in the corridors of power when it is more important than ever before.

The Coronavirus email updates to brewers have enabled SIBA not only to communicate rapidly changing and business critical information but have also acted as a two-way street, enabling SIBA HQ to hear from brewers direct about their experiences, what they need to support them and how they are adapting their businesses. This is a time when SIBA can truly add value to its members, and James is throwing himself headfirst into the challenge. Independent Brewer’s Editor Caroline Nodder spoke to him about the focus for SIBA and his thoughts on the future…

What is your perspective on how the current crisis has impacted the independent brewing sector so far?

"Put simply, 80% of trade disappeared overnight with the closure of pubs. Many livelihoods have been devastated by this crisis and brewers have not received that same level of support as the rest of hospitality, despite our best efforts.

Unprecedented as a superlative has somewhat lost its meaning in recent times. One thing is for certain and that is our sector will never be the same again. But brewers are generally a resilient bunch and most if not all will adapt to survive.

The switch to cans and bottles being delivered direct to consumer or picked up from the brewery gate has been a lifesaver for many. In the first week of lockdown we fought harder than we ever have done to secure the specific exemption from the Government to allow breweries to remain open to sell direct and I am immensely

One thing is for certain and that is our sector will never be the same again.

But brewers are generally a resilient bunch and most if not all will adapt to survive. proud of that bit of work. If there was ever a direct example of the positive power of a trade association, that is it. I hope that the behaviour of buying direct from a brewery ‘sticks’ long term because the margins many brewers were making before were simply not sustainable. I am hopeful that things bounceback quickly and that this crisis doesn’t have lasting negative consequences. I don’t have a crystal ball but there will be winners and there will be losers."

You recently ran a survey of SIBA members to find out their views on the crisis. What did the results reveal?

"This survey was the first in a series – we are going to do more of them as the lockdown is lifted to gather the most up to date data on how the crisis is impacting small independent brewers. It showed that sales are down 82% and that 65% of the UK’s breweries are mothballed. But on the positive side, 70% of breweries are offering new services like takeaway and home delivery. I have certainly been on the receiving end of more great beer from all over the country than I ever have done before."

How do you see SIBA’s role in supporting members through this pandemic?

"SIBA’s role has been really simple. Number one is to lobby Government as hard as we possibly can to secure the things we need. Secondly its been about providing the best, easiest to digest information and advice to all breweries in the UK – not just SIBA members. And lastly its been about working with other trade bodies and those in the supply chain to work through the big issues like payment, beer destruction and planning for the restart."

What have been your key areas of focus over the last two months?

"Initially, it was a completely mad scramble to influence Government on giving breweries that access to market by allowing them to stay over.

We then shifted to influencing on the support package – the hospitality grants, business rate relief, beer duty suspension. We then moved to destruction, the issue around business interruption insurance and now we are focussed on re-opening and how pubs can re-open. What we have to remember is that we are a very small team when compared to the other organisations we are jostling with like the BBPA. They have a team about 3 times our size so we are always punching way above our weight class."

How is the SIBA team operating during the pandemic?

"The team have adapted really well. Everyone is now working remotely and we continue to have weekly and daily meetings over Zoom to make sure we are joined up. We have furloughed some members of the team who worked on BeerFlex and on competitions but I feel very strongly that we have a duty of care to them, too. Just because they are furloughed doesn’t mean we don’t keep an eye on them."

How are you communicating with members?

"Our main communication channel has been our daily email run by Neil, our Head of Communications. We have also been making full use of Twitter and Facebook to get the message out, as well as keeping the SIBA coronavirus webpages up to date."

Continued on page 33

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Big Interview: James Calder

We have had Ministers and Secretaries of State calling us on the back of media activity. We are very lucky to enjoy the respect and the access into Government we do.

Will SIBA’s beer competitions be returning in some form soon?

"We have taken the decision to cancel SIBA beer competitions in 2020/21. We are working on a potential digital beer competition at the moment, the objective being to find the best can or bottle in lockdown."

How do you think Government support has helped small brewers? Could the Government be doing more?

"I think the Government could have done (and can do) a lot more for us and we continue to push everyday. My view is the Government have begun to realise the enormity of what everything they are doing will cost us as taxpayers and are dialling back. A brewers biggest costs are beer duty and people. Cancelling beer duty outright, rather than the clunky and error prone time to pay system was something the Chancellor actively decided to do. The furlough system has been brilliant and it is amazing what the Govenrment have achieved.

But as the economy opens back up, the furlough scheme should not be switched off sector by sector – leaving pubs potentially able to claim, but brewers as ‘manufacturers’ not able. "

Have small brewers been disproportionately affected by the crisis?

"I would say they have, and they will continue to be so. Despite facing the same economic consequences as pubs, they have not received the same level of support. Coming out of the crisis, the big fear is that the global brewers will use coronavirus to monopolise even further by offering every financial incentive they can to desperate landlords. We need to campaign on this, and encourage everyone – consumer and licensee to buy independent first."

What are the most critical challenges being faced by SIBA brewers at the moment?

"Quite simply, cashflow. Those that are operating and selling are on the face of it, doing well. But they are not selling beer in the same volumes as before the crisis – no one is. For those that are mothballed not all their overheads are covered and the longer this continues, the quicker the cash continues to dwindle."

How has SIBA been working with Government over the last few weeks and what have you achieved so far?

the business team who work for the Prime Minister, they pick up. We have had Ministers and Secretaries of State calling us on the back of media activity. We are very lucky to enjoy the respect and the access into Government we do. As mentioned I’m particularly proud of the work around securing the ability for brewers to sell direct. At one point Government weren’t considering time to pay arrangements for beer duty – only for PAYE and VAT. We pushed that hard and got it included. "

You have been working alongside many of the other key organisations within the industry.

Who are SIBA’s key partners and how has this helped with industry efforts?

"We have two calls a week with CAMRA, BII, UK Hospitality, the BBPA, the Parliamentary Beer Group and Pub is the Hub. We don’t agree on everything (rents for pubs being the big one) but where we do agree, and can work together, we do.

We have shared data, strategized what we need from Government and collectively worked on how we re-open."

Continued on page 35

"We have had amazing responses from Government with regular calls with officials in HMT, DEFRA and BEIS. When we ring www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Big Interview: James Calder

In what way are SIBA members supporting their communities at the moment?

"In addition to providing top quality independent beer to anyone who values it, we have some amazing examples of brewers helping their communities.

Many have diversified so are also selling food from their breweries too – helping take the pressure off.

One brewery is funding, from their own pocket meals for NHS and care workers in their local area and having these delivered. Breweries are acting as collection points for food banks. We should compile those stories and celebrate them in a future issue of the Independent Brewer."

Have you been impressed by any particular initiatives launched by small brewers in the current crisis?

"I’ve been really impressed by the speed at which many breweries switched their operations to can and bottle selling, and putting in place all the safety measures needed. I’ve been amazed by the camaraderie, brewers who are still running doing contract brews for friends and colleagues who have shut their breweries down. The small acts of kindness like that that make independent beer one of the best sectors to work in. I’m also really pleased that organisations like CAMRA, SimplyHops and Premier Systems have built (from scratch) and launched platforms that link consumers with local brewers in their area."

How do you think the outbreak will affect the small brewing sector in the longer term?

"I don’t have a crystal ball but I do think that space on the bar will become more competitive and many brewers will lose out because of that. I think cask in the short to medium term is in real trouble. If there is a threat of a second peak, why would a pub stock something with a shorter shelf life? Whilst I’m saddened by the thought, I think a lot of brewers need to think about putting cask beers in keg to compete and meet the demands of landlords. There is a view held by some (and I don’t agree) that there are ‘too many’ breweries in the UK. I’ve always believed that there is plenty of room to play if the field was more level than it is. But if you do hold that view, then I do (sadly) think that because many pubs won’t survive, many breweries won’t either."

I’ve been amazed by the camaraderie, brewers who are still running doing contract brews for friends and colleagues who have shut their breweries down.

The small acts of kindness like that that make independent beer one of the best sectors to work in.

Do you envisage consumer behaviour being altered permanently by the crisis, and if so how might this affect brewers?

"As people have been kept confined to their communities, I hope that people recognise that businesses within their communities – the brewers and the independent bottle shops are places that offer something fundamentally different to a slab of macro lager. That they offer an experience and a link to the people who care deeply about what they do. If more people buy more good beer, then that can only be a good thing. "

What can SIBA members do to support the campaigning work SIBA is currently undertaking on their behalf?

"As in peace time it’s very simple. Tell us what problems you think are coming down the road so we can build them into our campaigning and contact your elected representatives yourselves. Phone them up, email them – they work for you, and SIBA works for you too."

What can SIBA members do now to prepare for re-launching their business once the crisis is over?

"At the time of writing (mid may) we are hopeful that pubs might be able to start opening on July 4th, when ‘phase 3’ of the lockdown is entered. I would say that brewers should be making arrangements to lift empties and fulls from cellars. They should be on the phone and emailing pubs asking how they as a brewery can help. And we (as SIBA) will give the industry as much notice as we possibly can so beers can be brewed and delivered. If you aren’t doing so already, I would highly recommend developing a can or a bottle offer. There are many great contract canners and bottlers out there and platforms like Brew2You that offer webshop functionality really easily. It’s an obvious thing to say, but do things now that are going to make your business more sustainable in the long term."

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Comment: Katy Moses

The post-Covid consumer The pub customer of the future: what can we expect post lockdown?

There is very little about the current crisis upon which we can all agree, however, all the available data suggests that whatever the future looks like for the beer and pub sector it is likely to be permanently altered from the world we did business in at the start of 2020. Hospitality insight specialist Katy Moses, the MD of KAM Media, gives us her perspective on what that change might look like‌

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Comment: Katy Moses

They say it takes six weeks to form a new habit. The unprecedented measures to contain Covid-19, the uncertainty, the potential financial instability for so many, and the weeks spent in our homes will have undoubtedly altered many people’s habits and behaviours – some of which will stick- if only in the medium term.

I’m sad to say that the pub industry, in particular, is likely to feel the effect of this crisis for the long-term, however. We carried out research in April, talking to over 200 operators, finding that 66% of businesses did not think they could survive if lockdown measures continued for a further three months. It now looks like hospitality will remain closed until July 1st at the very earliest, with many not being allowed to open until much later in the year.

That’s two thirds of hospitality businesses at risk.

The pub industry

The pub customer

What does this look like for the pub industry specifically? Many businesses are at risk and need help in navigating a pathway to safety. They need some fundamental interventions on rents and property, and on finance and loans. Government assistance will be critical in determining what the pub industry looks like coming out of this crisis.

“When all this is over”, an overused phrase if ever there was one, what can we expect from the post-corona consumer? Although there will be a proportion who will run straight to a pub for a cold pint, many will stick to essential-only social gatherings in a bid to keep themselves safe.

Even when they re-open, the pub industry is expecting a long recovery time before sales return to pre-Covid levels. When lockdown measures are lifted, most companies (86%) said they thought consumers would eat out less. 82% expecting consumers to drink out less.

KAM research shows that we are indeed very likely to see a much more cautious consumer coming out of this lockdown, at least in the short-medium term.

While we fully expect operators to respond with well-executed and communicated social distancing measures, PPE and other changes in venue , it means that many will operate on drastically reduced capacity placing significant economic pressure on the industry.

On this latter point, hospitality business owners seem to be acutely aware of this.

The research found that 83% of those questioned expect customer numbers to be down for at least six months after reopening; 38% said they would expect it to take at least a year for their footfall to return to pre-lockdown levels.

Pubs will need to adapt and think creatively about how they serve their customers in a safe environment, and still make money.

And they will. If there is one thing the Great British pub industry is good at doing, it’s adapting and changing, and fighting to remain open and ready to serve their customers and community.

Initially we’re likely to see two extremes of consumer emerging from their homes. The first will be those who have felt cooped up in their home and will embrace the newfound freedom. They will dine out more, travel more, and be more social than ever. (That’s me, in case you’re wondering!)

The other group will have become more connected to their homes: the home cooking, the family time, the slower pace.

Many will be more cautious of time spent in the big wide world, most will stay much more local and hospitality will need to work hard to help them feel safe again.

The majority of consumers are likely to settle back to longer term habits eventually, but there are some clear key trends which are already emerging, or should I say, accelerating at a breakneck speed and, I think, are here to stay.

Most will stay much more local and hospitality will need to work hard to help them feel safe again.

Continued on P38

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Comment: Katy Moses We are likely to see a massive price war erupt in the supermarkets, but it’s important to remember the vast majority of consumers are focussed on ‘perceived value’, not the cheapest they can buy.

1. Hyper, hyper-connected consumer Virgin Media claim web content download traffic is up 90%. A wider reach of people are doing a broader remit of activities online – learning, shopping, consuming, communicating… We’re watching live-theatre online, visiting the louvre, playing online family quizzes, allowing our 6-year olds to video call friends and jumping around with Joe bloody Wicks! What does this mean for future behaviour? People have downloaded new apps and seen new ways to experience and utilise the online world. They are interacting with brands online in ways which they didn’t need to before.

If you thought an online presence for your brand was important before, the importance has now exploded.

2. Ambient wellness Consumers were already becoming more health conscious, with the rise of flexitarian-ism, low and no alcohol, low sugar etc etc. The covid-19 crisis will have accelerated this. Whether we end up with a nation of OCD hand washers or perhaps just a significant number of consumers who are more health conscious, more aware of their mental health, more aware of the need to slow down, de-stress and spend time with the family – we expect the health and wellness trend to further spike.

Not only will hospitality need to proactively help customers feel safe in their physical

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venues, but they’ll have to ensure that customers have absolute confidence in the safety of their food and drink. Every element of the production or creation process of food and drink will need to be broken down and looked at. All measures to ensure the safety of the customer will need to be communicated clearly and be available in greater detail if requested.

Food and drink with health benefits will appeal, especially if they can be seen to boost one’s immune system. Worth also mentioning, low and no alcoholic drinks aren’t going anywhere.

Sales continue to go from strength to strength, even in lockdown.

3. A cautious consumer As lockdown eases, many consumers will still have major concerns about the safety of themselves and their family’s health wise and will take very cautious steps back into the big wide world. But we are also likely to see cautiousness when it comes to spending.

Consumer confidence has hit an all-time low, recession is inevitable, most people expect their disposable income to drop and their financial position to be negatively affected. There will be a lot of people with a lot less money and many, many people (whether actually affected or not) will be a lot more “aware” of where their money is going. We will see a medium to long term shift to “spending with care.”

Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

We are likely to see a massive price war erupt in the supermarkets, but it’s important to remember the vast majority of consumers are focussed on ‘perceived value’, not the cheapest they can buy. However, we know from previous recessions that consumers often cut back on ‘eating out’ and alcohol. We also know that people focus on “affordable luxuries” so will regularly treat themselves to low ticket items in order to feel better.

4. Delivery Direct to Consumer Many consumers are using delivery when they would never have considered it before, that includes groceries AND meal deliveries. So many restaurants, convenience stores, pubs, and the like, are now offering delivery when they had no intention of doing so before.

They are realising the benefits, as are many suppliers who have experimented with direct to consumer, which has also seen a huge rise.

Only 7% of UK consumers were using delivery apps on a weekly basis before this crisis – that figure is looking to be around 24% right now.

Brands will need to support operators on this journey, or at least be part of the conversation as operators develop their offer via delivery.

Consumers are currently accepting kinks that WILL NOT be acceptable in less challenging times. Now is the time to experiment and get it right.

Comment: Katy Moses

5. Never Forget Social and environmental concerns, or CSR, are all getting far more important to consumers.

There is no hiding from today’s consumer, everything a company does is accessible somehow online. Every comment a customer or staff member, past of present, makes will carry some weight somewhere. Re-look at your company values now. Decide how you want the world to see you and don’t try to be something you’re not. What your brand does now will define how it is seen post-crisis - don’t screw it up!

6. Connection & Collaboration An increased acceptance and ability to try video conferencing, mean many people are actually speaking more regularly in many cases and even having shared experiences online. Many businesses are connecting, collaborating and sharing too. We’ve seen many examples of businesses giving their tech or services away for free. Major competitors have collaborated to

ensure that their customers, communities and businesses stand a chance of survival, such as foodservice wholesalers Brakes and Bidfood.

Now is the time to think differently – who could you be working with? Which competitors or businesses could you be speaking to which might just change your future?

Events like this happen once in a lifetime (I hope!). It is unlikely that you will ever get this kind of opportunity again to test your weaknesses, experiment with your business and potentially take some risks. Staying close to what your customers want, need and feel is going to be even more instrumental than ever in helping businesses prepare for the future.

If you’d like more information on the above ‘post-corona consumer’ trends, then SIBA readers can download our free whitepaper (https://kam-media.co.uk/the-new-normalwhitepaper-download/) or email hello@kammedia.co.uk to receive a copy.

Stay safe.

Katy Moses is the MD of KAM Media, a boutique research consultancy, specialising in hospitality and retail, running bespoke and syndicated customer research programmes for both pub companies and on-trade suppliers, such as Punch, Ei Group, Shepherd Neame, Wells & Co, Carlsberg, Matthew Clark and Accolade Wines. www.kam-media.co.uk twitter: @KAMMediaInsights

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Comment: Pete Brown

Our worlds are smaller than they were and are likely to remains so for some time.

Is there life after lockdown?

With the attitude of the British public to the current lockdown and its possible easement changing almost hourly, it is impossible to predict exactly how small brewers will fare post-Covid. However, award-winning author and beer writer Pete Brown believes the crisis has brought communities together to support each other in a way that should benefit small local craft beer producers in the longer term…

The last time I left my house, was when I went to SIBA BeerX. It was a curious time. Remember it? Back when you didn’t really know what Zoom was?

We were getting used to the idea of social distancing. The shops had run out of toilet roll two weeks earlier, and panic-buying was spreading faster than the virus: I must have tried 30 shops in search of hand sanitiser that week.

The mood at BeerX was subdued but not entirely unpleasant. There was a sense of something big coming down the line, a realisation, growing by the day, that this might be the last time we saw each other for a while.

Ten days later, the hospitality sector had ceased to exist.

Since then, my social life has consisted of a veritable whirl of Zoom meetings and guest spots on podcasts. And the one question I get asked every time is, “What is it going to be like afterwards?”

I just don’t know. No one does.

Faced with uncertainty, we can choose to be optimistic or pessimistic. Let’s deal with the pessimistic side first, so we can finish on a happier note – because there undoubtedly is one.

There’s not much I can say about the prospects of individual breweries surviving. Those that are geared up for packaging beer are undoubtedly having a better time of it than those who are not. Those who are being

creative, pushing home delivery with concepts such as a “taproom in a box,” pulling together pub quizzes and teaming up with snacks producers, are thriving. But you can only work with the hand you were holding on 20th March.

Some brewers will go under. Of that there’s no doubt. So what awaits those that will survive?

Because many will.

I’ve seen a great deal of consumer and industry research on what might happen in the months to come, and it’s difficult to pull apart because it’s governed by two very strong impulses pushing very hard against each other.

On the one hand, people are scared to go back out.

On the other, a pint of draught beer in a pub or beer garden is the fantasy image that’s getting them through this.

The balance of power between these two forces changes on a daily basis with the news, so research findings are inconsistent from one survey to the next. There’s little point in trying to use data collected now to predicts how people will feel and behave in a few months.

The nervousness people feel about going back out into the world varies depending on how crowded a space normally is. People are far happier with the idea of visiting a garden centre than they are a gig or festival, for example. Pubs fall more closely toward the latter, and come with the additional worry that drink might make people less observant of social distancing. Then there’s the prospect of ‘bill shock’: if you find a card receipt from a visit to a pub a few months ago, the numbers now seem unnaturally large, and will take some getting used to again.

Then there’s the off-trade. The worry here for brewers is that under lockdown we’ve become more reliant than ever on supermarkets. The concentration of power into the hands of a few dominant brands and retailers has been given a massive boost by the virus. Our spending habits have changed.

The closest thing I can think of to Coronavirus lockdown is the effect of prohibition in the United States, which massively reduced the number of breweries operating.

One lesson we can learn from prohibition is to be prepared. At midnight on the day it was repealed, the gates of the Budweiser brewery in St Louis flew open and the famous Clydesdales thundered out to deliver beer to the bars of the thirsty city. The rest, as they say, is history.

But if modern-day craft brewers were to copy similar tactics and return to a post-lockdown world with a fanfare, would anyone be waiting for them?

My hunch is yes.

Lockdown has re-focused us on our local communities. Our worlds are smaller than they were and are likely to remains so for some time. We’ve seen a huge upswing in community action, helping out neighbours and thinking collaboratively.

I’ve spent most of lockdown writing a book that attempts to place craft beer within the broader context of craft generally. Doing so provides a different perspective, where the values of craft, the emotions surrounding it, are at least as important as the beer you brew.

Lockdown has inflamed these values within us. I may not be able to back this up with figures, and I wouldn’t trust them if I had them, whatever they say. But I’m going to predict with confidence that after lockdown, people will be beating a path to the door of any craft brewery that has made it through.

Pete Brown is a British author, journalist, broadcaster and consultant specialising in food and drink, especially the fun parts like beer, pubs, cider, bacon rolls and fish and chips. He was named British Beer Writer of the Year in 2009, 2012 and 2016, has won three Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards, and has been shortlisted twice for the Andre Simon Awards. Pete is Chair of the British Guild of Beer Writers.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Business profile: North Brewing Co.

North Brewing Co North Brewing Co founders John Gyngell and Christian Townsley were no strangers to the craft beer scene when they launched the brewery in 2015. With 18 years under their belts running the iconic North Bar, widely regarded as the original British craft beer bar, the two were already embedded in the industry and close friends with many of the leading brewers in the market. Originally looking to launch as a brewpub, it soon became clear that there was an opportunity to make North Brewing Co a strong standalone operation and John and Christian made the most of their industry connections by producing collaboration brews with some of the most prominent names in craft beer within weeks of launching. Skip forward just five short years and North Brewing Co is now a sector leader itself, and took home the coveted overall Brewery Business of the Year award at SIBA’s BeerX UK in March, a well-deserved accolade, albeit then overshadowed by subsequent events. However, a combination of luck and judgement have seen North Brewing almost perfectly placed to weather the current storms.

Caroline Nodder, Independent Brewer’s Editor, spoke to John in early May about the background to launching the brewery, and what impact Coronavirus has had on his ambitious plans for 2020…

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Business profile: North Brewing Co.

Brewery Basics

Name: North Brewing Co Founded: 2015 Location: Leeds Owners: John Gyngell & Christian Townsley Capacity: 7,500hl Brewing team: 6 Staff: 23 (including 7 retail sites) Key beers:Transmission IPA (6.9%ABV), Sputnik Pale Ale (5%ABV), Herzog Kolsch style (5%ABV), Pinata Tropical Pale (4.5%ABV) & Full Fathom 5 Coconut and Coffee Porter (6.5%ABV) Production(hl) and split (cask, keg, small pack: 7,500hl (5% cask, 45% small pack, 50% keg) Key export markets: China, Italy & Spain (NOTE: The figures above are intended to give an idea of the business operation as it was at the start of 2020 so are all pre-Covid)

Tell me a bit about your background and the background to the business.

"North Bar was essentially the original UK craft beer bar, so we started off there, myself and Christian [Townsley, co-founder], and we had the first Brooklyn lager pour and the first Erdinger and the first Sierra Nevada pour in Britain. So we were always at the forefront of brewing, we were just on the retail side of it as opposed to the manufacturing side of it.

We had the Magic Rock launch, the Northern Monk launch, so we saw what was happening around us and we were part of it, and we had been talking about doing our own brewery in the form of a brewpub for about 10 years.

And we visited Copenhagen before it was the beer city it is now, and saw a few brewpubs over there, and then we decided if we don’t do it now we’ll never do it. So we had a pop!"

In a crowded market, what makes North Brewing Co stand out?

"I think it really helps knowing how things are sold. Having that connection with the end customer was and still is immensely useful.

The feedback you get from day one. Because we have got seven bars within the North Bar group and then we also now have the new brewery tap, and the clientele we get in there are not backwards about coming forwards! If our beer wasn’t good enough we would know about it. So we always had that as a massive advantage. And at no point did we go, ‘we are taking over the taps’ of these bars, when we first started the brewery we decided it was two taps in each bar and we set a limit.

Because we didn’t want to turn them from North Bars into North Brewing Co bars, we had to be able to stand up against the other beers on that bar. Otherwise we would fail.

That together with the design, means there is a certain integrity.

With our bars we always did what we wanted – what did we want to drink, where did we want to drink? And I think we have transferred that to the brewery. So we don’t run focus groups, it is very much do we love that design? Cool!

Crack on! What makes us stand out is that we don’t stand still. We push."

North Brewing Co was named SIBA Brewery Business of the Year at BeerX UK in March. What did the win mean for you and your team?

"It was a total surprise, although it has since been overshadowed for obvious reasons. But we had a great night that night, we celebrated at an event that evening at Dead Crafty which we do every year during BeerX. It was a fun night and great that we were able to celebrate before the lockdown."

You also won the SIBA Business Innovation category. Tell me a bit more about your winning ‘Champions’ scheme.

"I think a lot of what we do comes from the people within our business. So within our bars we have got a whole bunch of amazing people that have talents that are not probably fully utilised. We want to progress those people and our staff turnover does not really allow us to move those people up as quickly as maybe some of them want or need, so this is a way of moving people upwards and forwards in other ways. For a lot of our staff, mental health and the environment is at the top of their list of priorities, so I think the challenge came from within – we almost had to do it. It was a way of being there for our staff and allowing them to develop – people don’t necessarily want more money, they want extra perks and being looked after and being a part of something. It’s a way of elevating people and giving them responsibilities outside their normal roles. We have four or five Mental Health Champions now, and an Environmental Champion and a Charity Champion as well. Now really is the time to look after people. So we have had our mental health newsletter going out every two weeks and we have been ding various quizzes and one of our Mental Health Champions does a bingo session every Friday."

Continued on page 45

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Business profile: North Brewing Co.

image Nick Maw

Your beer Transmission was also a winner at the SIBA National Beer Awards this year. What is the background to that and what did that mean for the team?

"Transmission was the first beer that Seb our brewer ever brewed. And he was a music teacher and brewed beer in his garage and occasionally did a bit of cuckoo brewing up at Brass Castle in Yorkshire. He brewed Transmission for us as a tester. And it absolutely blew us away. Seb has tinkered with it and continues to tinker with it, but every time it gets better. And we won two years ago in the best keg category, and that was massive for us, but in answer to what it means now, not much in sales, but it is kudos and recognition for Seb and the brewing team that it is a really great beer.

To win again two years later, two years is quite a long time in the life of a beer, so maintaining standards is really massive for us."

What were your plans for 2020 and how have those been impacted as a result of the current crisis?

"The plans were that in March we started work on a new brewery site, so that went on hold, but we have started work again now and that plan is to up capacity about five-fold on what we are doing. It is a whole new site. We had commissioned a whole new brew kit and bought some second hand as well, and just before lockdown we had probably committed to about £500K of investment. We were obviously quite scared by what was happening, but then in April we have had our busiest ever month. So we are back on! We had been selling nationally into supermarkets for looking at maybe two years, and we agreed a large increase in what we were selling into Tesco about six months ago, and that deal kicked in on April 1st. It was pretty good, timing wise! So that has almost replaced what we were selling into pubs and bars. Our cask was limited to one line anyway, which went into our bars. So we didn’t have a huge amount of cask anyway, probably only 4% or 5% of our total volume. So again in present circumstances that has served us very well. Export has actually started to pick up again now, and a certain

element of it never really went away which is remarkable. Places like Norway, Sweden and Denmark, Scandinavia generally, have continue to order, and their bottle shops have been open etc. About 25% of our turnover is export.

Ironically, China, Italy and Spain are our three biggest customers. So obviously we have missed out on pretty significant sales there, but we have had orders in this week from Italy and Spain again. " We deliver within a three mile radius of the brewery, so we have used some of our bar staff and other staff as delivery drivers for the last six weeks – including myself!

How have you adapted your business to face the challenges of the current pandemic?

"I suppose we turned everything around pretty quickly. I think we saw it coming, so we shifted production into small pack a week or two weeks before lockdown and started reducing our keg stock. The guys on the canning line have been working really hard! We also didn’t shut down, we took the view that as we were supplying supermarkets we were part of that food supply chain, however right or wrong that was I just don’t know. The weather has been amazingly

good so we have been packing outside, and everybody has a gazebo and a marked territory and a car parking space allocated. In terms of where our focus was and what we were packaging we turned it all around pretty quickly.

We had probably around £150K of stock in keg, which is horrific! But what we have managed to do is take it back out of keg and back into tank, and then repackage it. So we have been packing that into mini kegs and cans.

We have taken our webshop in house and new also started in the first week of lockdown doing home deliveries. We deliver within a three mile radius of the brewery, so we have used some of our bar staff and other staff as delivery drivers for the last six weeks – including myself! And we have been doing a massive amount of home deliveries, the webstore is flying. Where there have been problems, we have seen opportunities – what else can you do? We are re-opening four of our sites as bottle shops in the next few weeks just to get some turnover in, and given that there are people who want to work. We are obviously doing risk assessments and providing PPE etc, but we want to constantly review and adapt and we are actually quite excited about it. We have seen how the takehome market is working so potentially it is a real opportunity for us."

Continued on page 47

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Business profile: North Brewing Co.

What Government support have you had during the crisis?

"Within the bars we have furloughed 95% of staff, and on the brewing side we have had a few people who have been able to work from home – the sales team etc. Obviously people with kids we have had to look at what their hours are and what they do. We have got a couple of people who just come in at weekends and brew, so we have tried to split the team up a bit and make it less busy on site. At the brewery we have furloughed probably 15% of people in total, and that was done at the beginning before we really knew what the full picture was going to be, but now we are back on to all systems go really. The problem we have is that our capacity is 7,500hl and that is what we are brewing, so we literally can’t brew any more beer. That’s why we were moving sites, and there is a slight delay with our plans for that but that is tiny compared to what we are all going through right now. We’ve been successful with our three CBILS [Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme] applications. In the current circumstances this is great news, but the reality is that we obviously would rather not have taken this debt on. Prior to Covid-19 we didn’t want or need this debt, paying these loans off over the next five years is going to place pressure on the business and the team at a time when, for the retail side of our business, we foresee turnover and trading to be well down on trading prior to Covid-19."

What additional support do you feel independent brewers need to help them through the crisis?

"For us we have the retail side, which has probably been supported quite well, although obviously it could be supported more. But then we have zero income from the retail side, although we are in the fortunate position that the brewery has been flying. I think there is an issue with beer duty though. Really it is disgraceful that is being ignored – and I think that should be cancelled rather than deferred.

In terms of the economy, the Government has probably handled things as well as they could have hoped to. We all thought at the time everything should have been rolled out faster but when you consider the logistics and the size of the undertaking, I would congratulate them on that at least. But I do think breweries should get rate relief in the same way hospitality businesses have. We have a brewery tap on site and we are currently in discussions with the council about whether that is eligible for the rate relief grant, but I don’t think it’s a time when businesses should have to battle, it is hard enough as it is. I also think a VAT reduction moving forward and a beer duty reduction moving forward will be necessary – whether VAT goes down to something like 10% for the next year or so? That would be very welcome. We are also big advocates of the National Timeout campaign which is about cancelling rent for the next nine months. I find it very difficult to see how and when pubs, bars

and restaurants will emerge from this. July is completely unrealistic I think, but also pubs and bars are very social places and controlling numbers means they will lose money. Reducing capacity just simply won’t work."

Do you think the crisis will alter consumer behaviour and the hospitality sector in the longer term?

"I don’t know about permanent changes in behaviour, I don’t want to think that it will change in the long term but I probably think it will to some extent. But in the medium term socialising will mean going to the bottle shop, getting some beers, and going round to your mate’s garden. I don’t expect any dramatic change this summer with loads of people suddenly going out to pubs and bars and socialising. Very similar to 2008 and what happened afterwards, I expect the best businesses and those willing to embrace change will stay, and the pubs and bars that don’t do that will go unfortunately. It will be survival of the fittest but also survival of the best.

From what I have seen, people are eating and drinking better in lockdown. People are treating themselves, because right now there is not much else to do. I think that might be a permanent change. If you have £10 to spend, I’d rather buy two beers that are brilliant, than four that are distinctly average, and I see all my friends doing that, and we are seeing that when we are doing home deliveries."

Continued on page 49

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Business profile: North Brewing Co.

What support have you provided for your team?

"We have a Facebook group for the team which myself and Christian dip in and out of, and we have been keeping people up to date on what we are doing, just being honest with people and not pretending that times are brilliant. We have been honest that our business will look different when we emerge from this and that does have implications, but we are talking to them about it.

It really is a time when people who have looked after their people and done the right thing will be remembered on the other side. We’ve been questioning the people we work with, for example, and you really do remember those who have looked out for you or messaged you. Our Operations Manager has also been calling round people and just talking to them and checking in on them. We have also tried to get some of the bar staff involved in other parts of the business – so one of our bar managers for example has now taken over the webshop."

How are you preparing your business for re-opening?

"It changes almost hour by hour. We have definitely got a better picture now than we had six weeks, four weeks, two weeks ago. And changing some of the our retail sites into bottle shops is quite exciting and gives people hope.

The further we get into the pandemic we realise that for hospitality on the retail side it is going to last a lot longer than we thought it would six weeks ago. On the brewing side we feel pretty secure, and that has given us the confidence to start work again on the new site. And we have also been in constant discussions on the export side and with our UK distributors too to see

how the market sits with them. Our export people and distributors have been shifting their models too so we need to move and adapt with them. The consumer investment in quality and premiumisation means we are pretty well placed in the market, but the pandemic has shown us that you can’t always predict what will happen tomorrow!"

What lessons have your learnt from the lockdown?

"The ability to adapt quickly has been so important and we are all learning new skills every day. I really miss meetings and chatting to people and making decisions there and then, and Zoom is useful but it is so nice to actually see people. I have been amazed by the people in our business, their willingness to adapt and change and work brilliantly hard and that has been a revelation. I couldn’t be more proud of the team. You really find out about people, and what we have found out has been really good.

How do you see the future for North Brewing Co? "On the brewing side we are in a relatively strong position. We are excited about the move and the new site, we have ordered a new canning line. But then the retail side of the business, for every retail site in the country in fact, there is a fear there that really good friends and acquaintances and people we work with will disappear – and we will do everything we can to support them and try and prevent that. We don’t want to just be a supermarket brand and that is not what we want from the business, so we will do everything we can. So there is a worry there, but the future for the company as a whole is exhilarating, and exciting."

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Comment: Jonny Garrett

Survival of the quickest The current British Beer Writer of the Year Jonny Garrett cuts through the cliches and offers a stark vision of a post-Covid craft beer sector, its winners and losers…

It’s amazing how quickly we can create clichés.

Phrases we barely used in the heady preCoronavirus days have come to cause eye-rolls and head shakes. My favourite – or rather least favourite – is “new normal”.

I admire the positivity of anyone who thinks that the beer world will bear any resemblance to normality after this, but sadly I can’t agree with them. In truth we face years of financial uncertainty, seismic shifts in consumer behaviour, and a huge downturn in the on-trade.

Brewers have to adapt now before government and public support dissipates.

That may sound alarmist, but it’s based on facts and figures in the public domain already. A survey by SIBA itself established that beer sales are down 82% on pre-Coronavirus levels, which means that even while much of the public props up businesses by buying online in bulk, they can only create around 18% of the volume they did before. The rest of demand is going through supermarkets, and therefore going to the biggest brands in the land. That same survey also shows that only a small number of breweries are actually making up that volume – over 60% of businesses have stopped brewing all together.

Obviously the situation right now is, to use another new cliche, unprecedented. It is not short-term, however. The fact that the government has introduced an infection scale that looks a lot like the terrorist threat level system implies they expect this to be going on for years, at the very least until a vaccine is discovered and rolled out. In the meantime pubs, bars and restaurants will remain closed or restricted. Countries like Ireland and Portugal have already enacted or debated systems that will keep capacity of licensed premises no higher than 50%, and you don’t need me to tell you that that makes most of those businesses unviable. Even if they can open, many won’t.

So, any changes to brewery business models need to work well past the lockdown, far beyond 2020, and long into the future.

Lockdown sales patterns are clues to where finances and energy need to be directed: small pack, webstores, digital marketing and virtual events. Those who do it best – and quickest – will be in the best position to survive when the lockdown eases further and government’s support packages are withdrawn.

Unfortunately, volume is unlikely to increase at that point. We are headed into the second once-in-a-lifetime recession in a decade, and tragically thousands of people currently on furlough will find there there’s no job to return to. That means a drop in demand across the beer sector, but particularly at the premium end.

The UK craft beer market exploded shortly after the last downturn so hasn’t been properly tested, but with more breweries per capita than anywhere else in the world competition is going to be fierce.

I admire the positivity of anyone who thinks that the beer world will bear any resemblance to normality after this, but sadly I can’t agree with them.

The best way to deal with the fall in volume will be to claw back margin by going direct to consumer, both in terms of sales and messaging. But with plenty of well-financed regional and multinational breweries with “craft” brands to compete with, some of that margin needs to be given to the consumer to encourage them to buy independently and locally. Such intangible marketing touchpoints are the first to fail when the pressure increases on pricing or accessibility becomes an issue.

More than ever, small brewers have to justify themselves to consumers and entice them not to just put Beavertown or Camden Brewery in their supermarket trolleys but to engage with and support the craft beer scene.

Despite increased competition, small brewers are also going to need to band together, most notably to find a solution to duty reform.

Clearly any change that increases duty for SIBA members must be fought at all costs. The only result can be further duty relief from 5,000hl upwards with a slower taper to help those larger brewers unable to fill their tanks. Of course, the public purse has taken a hit that’s going to impact our ability to campaign for that, but we all know there are other ways to raise tax revenues for HMRC that hurt small businesses less.

On the plus side we do have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to improve the circumstances around the tied pub industry, whose fate is closely linked to that of brewers. Pub rents are based on turnover, and with sales in free fall we need to campaign for rents to reflect that, as well as for more transparent negotiations around market-rent-only options, which are one of the best ways for breweries to expand their access to the on-trade market in future.

These changes, and our responses to them, will take years to play out and the pressure on SIBA members will increase before it lifts, but there are opportunities to be taken. Nothing that’s happening now wasn’t on the cards eventually – it has simply been accelerated, and those quick to recognise that will last long enough to see that “new normal” we hear so much about.

Jonny Garrett is an award-winning beer writer and film maker based in London. He's also co-founder of the Craft Beer Channel, Youtube's biggest beer and food network with over 65,000 subscribers and 3 million views.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Business profile: Signature Brew

Signature Brew

Tom Bott

Born of a shared passion for craft beer and live music, Signature Brew was founded in 2011 by cousins Tom Bott and Sam McGregor, who were keen to see more quality craft beers available at live music events alongside the ubiquitous global lager brands. Tom called on his experience working in the family brewery Titanic (Tom is the son of Dave Bott, who founded Titanic with his brother Keith) to lead the beer side of the business and Sam used his contacts and experience in the music industry as a digital marketeer to bring in bands and musicians to collaborate on beers that were then sold at gigs and music festivals. The pair were initially gypsy brewers, before opening Signature’s first permanent site in East London in 2014 and establishing a core range of four beers. Independent Brewer’s Editor Caroline Nodder caught up with Tom in early May to find out more about the origins of Signature Brew and how the team has been tackling the challenges thrown up by the Coronavirus outbreak, which has seen the brewery pivot very quickly and efficiently into small pack and home delivery…

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Business profile: Signature Brew

Brewery Basics

Name: Signature Brew Founded: October 2011 Location: Walthamstow, London Owners: Tom Bott & Sam McGregor Capacity: 15,000hl Brewing team: 25 (at brewery) Staff: 55 (including retail sites) Key beers: Roadie All-night IPA (4.3%ABV), Studio Lager (4%ABV), Backstage IPA (5.6%ABV) & Nightliner Coffee Porter (5.7%ABV) Production(hl) and split (cask, keg, small pack: 7,500hl (2019) with 12,500hl estimated for 2020 before Covid-19 (75% keg, 20% canned, 5% cask) Key export markets: France, Hungary, Australia, Norway & Sweden (NOTE: The figures above are intended to give an idea of the business operation as it was at the start of 2020 so are all pre-Covid)

Tell me a bit about your background and the background to the business.

"We launched the brewery right when some of the famous American craft beers were starting to hit the shelves in London. I am thinking Goose Island IPA, Sierra Nevada Pale, names that are old hat now but at the time were amazing to try. And at that time my cousin [co-founder Sam McGregor] and I were drinking a lot of beer and musing over the idea of starting a brewery, and we agonized for ages over the reason. We spent night and nights in the pub working out why we should start a brewery, because at the time we both assumed there were already too many breweries. Little did we know in the following 10 years 1,000 more would open!

And eventually the idea landed with us, and Sam had the idea that we just hated going to see our favourite bands and going to gigs and drinking shit beer. So the idea was that the one area of our lives and of so many other people’s lives that was scarcely ever served by good beer was when they were going to see live music. That is where it all started. My background with my family’s brewery being Titanic, and having been able to learn the ropes there and see the workings of a brewery, and that married up with Sam’s experience working in the music industry. He’d worked in digital marketing for bands for quite a few years up to that point – working with Prodigy, Cribs, Mick Hucknall even. So we had the two main ingredients – I led the beer side and Sam hooked us up with the artists. The original idea was not to launch our own beers but to be led by the bands and musicians, using them as a mouthpiece and focal point of the project, so if they were shouting about the fact there is an alternative and you can have better beer then the fans would listen.

So that was the first three or four years of the brewery until 2013/14 when we started making our own beer – until then we made many different collaboration beers with lots of different bands and musicians in a variety of different breweries, using capacity that was already out there, and then we took them to gigs and festivals and got our name out there and had a lot of fun. Then after a few years we realised we just needed to side step slightly and become more like a normal brewery, so we moved to our first brewing site in Leyton in 2014 and started brewing our own core range and it went from there. We still do the collaborations with bands, mainly as an opportunity to continue bringing our beer to new audiences, and we passionately believe in everyone we work with and we are not genre specific so we work with a variety of artists from all different backgrounds all over the

world. Fast forward to the present day we now have a music venue in Shoreditch and a great space at the new brewery [in Walthamstow] and we have live bands playing there too."

You won two awards at the SIBA National Beer Awards at BeerX UK in March for your beer Anthology.

Tell me a bit more about the beer and the background to the awards.

“Anthology started as an experiment – we brewing it about four years ago when our lead brewer at the time was called Reena and she joined us from a brewery in Estonia. And we were trying to see what the biggest beer we could produce on our kit at the time was, so we did a double mash programme to produce a 10% imperial stout, and Reena added cacao nibs and it produced this really velvety, deep flavoured imperial stout with coffee and chocolate coming through it. And it became an annual release, so we’d bring out each year’s Anthology and syphon off a bit and put it into barrels and then we have the Anthology and also a version that has been aged in barrels. It is really interesting for drinkers to drink both versions of the same beer alongside each other. The one we entered into the competition this year had been packaged at least 18 months before, and it ages really well and gets better as a beer over time. That was the first time we’d won a national award so it was a real surprise and a nice message to be able to send back to the team. Were it normal conditions our head brewer would have been able to come up [to BeerX] with me and accept the award but it was still nice to be recognised. Those awards really mean a lot to the brewing team."

How has life changed for you and your business since the Coronavirus outbreak began?

"I sort of split it into three parts in the way it has evolved. In the first week or two I was making operational changes on a daily basis as the news came out. You would write a plan, enact the plan and then you’d have to write a new plan because new information or guidance was coming out. Then things calmed down and I remember saying to the team a couple of weeks ago that it was starting to feel weirdly normal, which was both good and bad really, but now it has got to a third stage where some of our team at least are starting to get a bit fed up. In the early days we all rallied round and were working together, and we are still all working really hard as a team but you can see people are getting fed up with the constant drag."

Continued on page 55

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

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Business profile: Signature Brew

How have you adapted your business in light of the lockdown?

How much of your operation is still running currently?

"The team really has reacted amazingly to the crisis. The first thing we did was launch Pub in a Box, which the brainchild of Alex who does our PR and John and Sam who do our marketing. If anything Alex had the idea and had it in the press before we were even doing it – Alex did an amazing job and it got picked up really widely by loads of the media, I think because in those very early days there was very little content being picked up other than the obvious. It was one thing that was a little bit different and a bit positive. And it went really well and is still going really well. It has kept us busy and sales have been really good. About 80% to 90% of our sales normally go into the on-trade, so that fell out of our business overnight, and yet we have been able to react and keep some sales coming in. It has not replaced it like for like but it has still kept us busy enough. The other thing we have done is launched a few pay it forward schemes so people can buy something to look forward to.

We launched a ‘Piss Up in a Brewery’ scheme which meant people can buy a ticket that gets you into an event at the brewery once this is all over, where we put on loads of bands and DJs and they can come and drink for free. And we have announced a few gigs at the brewery as well. When all this started one of the immediate casualties was that every gig and festival in the country was cancelled, so in the first instance we got a lot of the bands and musicians we are friends with to come and deliver our ‘Pub in a Box’ across London and help pack the boxes for us because they were all desperate for work and really concerned about where their next pay check was going to come from. And we also then announced some of them would be playing at the brewery when this is all over and people can pay it forward and buy a ticket now, which has gone really well."

"It is a hard comparison to make because we are obviously shipping far less beer, but the direct to consumer route means the value is much higher. So on production we are way down, we are brewing maybe just once a week, but while sales haven’t replaced normal sales like for like they haven’t fallen off a cliff. I’d say we are in a ‘it could be worse’ position. We are still requiring some relief from the Government to get through it, and our concerns are probably more about the re-start point and the cost of re-starting. There is also the unknown of when that re-start is, which makes it very difficult to forecast financially. And the final concern is the speed at which the hospitality industry recovers.

We are quite lucky in that our audience is quite young, and we expect the younger generation to return to pubs and bars quickly. The older generations who are maybe more at risk will either be forced to or choose to return to pbs a bit slower. If there is a phased return enforced by the government or maybe a limit on capacity then that is going to have a really detrimental effect on pubs being able to open. Especially in London there are a lot of pubs that will only work if they are allowed to open fully. We are trying to keep in contact with as many of our regular customers as we can just to make sure they know we are here, at the very least we are there to listen to what their concerns are and if we can help we are trying to. If it’s a case of some stock they need to get up and running again, or extended credit, then we are looking at ways to support them and help with cashflow and things while they get going again."

What support have you received from the Government so far?

"We have got three retail sites, the Taproom which is the music venue, the Collab which is a beer and burger bar, and the bar on site at the

brewery. So immediately those all closed, and all the staff were furloughed. At the moment the Government support is sufficient for us to keep them like that until we need to re-open and we are fortunate that the landlords at the two external venues are Governmental – TFL and Waltham Forest council – so they are supportive and are pausing rent until we reopen. I think if they were private landlords that might not have been the case and we would have had to find more cash to keep those sites alive. So those venues are mothballed for now. We have actually this weekend just relaunched the Collab as a takeaway service, just for weekends, which we are trialing to see if it works. With social distancing there is just one chef in the kitchen and the manager at the bar being the runner and prep guy the other side of the screen from him. We have also had to do the same thing at the brewery – in effect build a sort of Amazon warehouse style system to pack the Pub in a Boxes for the online sales, so we have tables spaced out and the team doing that can be well distanced from each other.

The team there are made up from people who usually do other jobs, like managing the bars or deliveries, and they have become pickers and packers. But almost all the staff at the bars and a chunk of the brewery team have been furloughed. One of our venues, the Taproom, is the right size to get a hospitality grant so we have applied for that, unfortunately Collab and the brewery site don’t come under that scheme because of the size of the business rates we pay. We are trying to contest that with the council and we are in dialogue with them to see if they can support them in any way.

The other thing we are looking at is Bounce Back Loans for the venues and possibly CBILS [Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme] for the brewery."

Continued on page 57

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Business profile: Signature Brew

How are you supporting your team during the crisis?

"I am trying to do regular updates to the team when we make any operational changes. We usually have a Monday meeting called the 4.30 Forum at the brewery where we all get together and each department shares any update that is relevant to that week. So I have tried to replace that with one-to-ones with everyone – it is a bit time consuming but it is about trying to make sure everyone is up to speed with what we are doing, but more importantly checking everyone is ok. We have got quite a young workforce so no one is at particular risk but obviously there is still some concern and people are worried.

We are trying to help them, so that might be about having a chat or delivering some fruit and veg to them. We make sure we are in touch constantly to see if they need anything. Then for those who are still coming into the brewery, in many ways they are the happier ones because they have some sort of normality. They are doing it on reduced hours, no one is coming full time, and we have also made sure no one is getting public transport. They are either liftsharing or we have set up a cycle hire scheme for them, we hired a load of bikes so the team can take advantage of a free bike during lockdown. We are also having fruit and veg delivered to the brewery so that the team can help themselves and it means they don’t have to go to the shop on the way home."

Is the Government doing enough for businesses like yours? If not, what more could be done?

"Yes and no. In the first instance what was launched seemed adequate, but it is difficult to categorically say because we are about to submit our load application and we don’t know if we will be approved as yet. If that is harder to get than we anticipate, along with the grants not being available to the venues and the brewery, then we might be in more of a hole than we thought. That is not to say we are in panic mode but I do think there might be more support needed for hospitality, especially if they extend the forced closure of pubs further than other parts of the economy like shops. We just need more clarity."

We saw a huge spike in our online sales, which has slowed down a little bit, but they are still significantly more than they were previously. We’ve taken 6,000 or 7,000 orders now online.

What impact has the outbreak had on your routes to market?

"In the first instance when all this started we saw a huge spike in our online sales, which has slowed down a little bit, but they are still significantly more than they were previously.

We’ve taken 6,000 or 7,000 orders now online.

Then after about two or three weeks of the lockdown the off-trade started to re-open and that was pubs starting to do takeaway and grocery shops starting to re-open, so we are definitely now shipping out more than we ordinarily would to the off-trade."

Are there any schemes or support initiatives that you have found particularly useful as a small brewer?

"We went through our accounts line by line and looked at who we owed money to and looked at our regular suppliers and got in touch with them to see how they could help. In good times and in bad the brewing industry, suppliers included, is incredibly collaborative and friendly and that has been the case through this as well.

Some of our key suppliers like YCH Hops and Muntons Malt, Kegstar and Close Brothers have been supportive, either restructuring payment plans to give us more time to pay or just deferring payments. Those suppliers recognise that we are an important customer, a growing customer, that is going to be around in the longer term and they are doing what they can to support us now and we will obviously be loyal to them in the long term in exchange."

Continued on page 59

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Business profile: Signature Brew

The biggest positive I have taken from this is what an amazing team we have around us.

How do you see SIBA’s role in the crisis?

"In general SIBA has really stepped up to the plate during this, and proven its value to members with its daily updates and dissemination of information for brewers.

Condensing the minefield of information on what you should or shouldn’t be doing into a daily update is really useful, especially for smaller brewers who might not have the support network or highly paid boffins to work through this stuff. I religiously read those emails myself, but I have noticed that some of our team have been getting them as well and finding it really useful too. One of our sales guys mentioned last week that he reads the emails every day now and it provides him with the right information to tell our customers in the pubs what they should be doing. I this SIBA is doing brilliantly, and I have heard similar positivity from other brewers I have spoken to."

Do you expect consumer behaviour to change permanently in the longer term? If so, how might that affect small brewers?

"The public I think will be almost split in two.

There will be those that are desperate to get back out there and are not worried about the virus – maybe because they have had it or maybe because they are a young fit person – but the other half of the community will be very worried, either for themselves or because they have an elderly relative they want to be able to visit and don’t want to put at risk. So the result of that will be a diminished audience both in pubs and also at events and festivals."

Do you think this crisis will lead to significant closures in the sector?

"I have been chatting to brewing friends in our area about this. There are quite a few breweries in our corner of London and we have been doing beer swaps, just to keep in touch and try something different. And the only thing we know with certainty is that we won’t find out who the casualties are until everything re-opens.

The economy is paused for now, and even those who are struggling to cope will still stay around until we re-open. After this there will be a bit of a shake out though and there will be some breweries and some pubs who don’t make it."

What are you doing to support your local community?

"We have some of our staff who volunteer at the local food bank and on a broader scale we released a beer called Nightingale a couple of weeks ago of which £1 for every can sold is donated to an NHS charity. We have also taken part in the global collaboration launched

by Other Half Brewing in New York called All Together. Which is for the benefit of the hospitality industry so 20% of the sales goes to hospitality charities in the local area of the brewery taking part."

What are you doing now to prepare for re-opening once the pandemic is over?

"In a practical sense we are ensuring the tanks stay full, and we have everything prepared to turn everything back on and have kegs in vans heading to pubs a day after being told they can re-open. We haven’t mothballed any part of the brewery, we are keeping it fully operational so we can react whenever pubs do re-open. It will likely be a phased return so we can ease ourselves back in. On the other side we are working on a number of different project while it is quieter to ensure we re-launch with a bang.

Because of the success of Pub in a Box and some of the other things we have done we feel like our brand has actually progressed while we have been in lockdown, and there is a huge amount of positivity around what we are doing at the moment. So we have a number of plans for when normality does return to ensure we

stay at the forefront of the exciting craft beer market in the UK and ensure that whatever we are doing is a bit special and a bit different and worth people heading down to our venues for the events we do."

Have you taken any positives from the situation?

"We generally at Signature Brew remain pretty optimistic about the situation. The biggest positive I have taken from this is what an amazing team we have around us. You are nothing without a great team and we are very fortunate that when times are hard and things are difficult we have got good people who really step up to the plate and are constantly innovating and constantly creative with how they approach any situation."

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SIBA business awards: finalists and winners

SIBA BUSINESS AWARDS 2020: RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE IN THE INDEPENDENT CRAFT BREWING INDUSTRY The SIBA Business Awards seek to congratulate excellence in the brewing industry across a variety of categories, from pump clip, can and bottle design, to efforts taken by brewers to make their business more eco-friendly, innovative or successful, as well as naming the UK’s best bars, restaurants and retailers of craft beer from independent breweries.

The awards this year took place at BeerX UK in Liverpool in March and included for the first time ever an award for the UK’s Best Independent Craft Brewery Taproom, following huge growth in the number of breweries opening their doors and serving beer on-site.

SIBA’s Neil Walker, the judging Chair for the awards, said: “The SIBA Business Awards seek to acknowledge the most forwardthinking, innovative and successful beer businesses and have evolved year-on-year to include categories which best match with the direction of the independent craft brewing industry – one of the most exciting sectors in the UK. The quality and quantity of entries has gone from strength to strength in recent years and I would like to congratulate all of the winners and finalists in this year’s for their enormous achievement.”

Category: Green Business Sponsored by: Paktech Winner: Purity Brewing Presented by: Nancy Baker Collected by: Tim Taylor

Category: Green Business Sponsored by: Paktech

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Category: Marketing Implementation Sponsored by: Willis Publicity Winner: Boss Brewing Presented by: Carl Andrews Collected by: Sarah John and Roy Allkin

Highly Commended: Stroud Brewery Collected by: Nadine Stroud and Robert Cherowbrier

Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Category: Best Individual Design Sponsored by: Croxsons Winner: West Berkshire Presented by: Justin Giddings Collected by: Rachel Wilson and Davina Ford

SIBA business awards: finalists and winners Category: Best Total Concept Design Sponsored by: Hop Forward Winner: Brick Brewery Presented by: Nick Law Collected by: Nadia Jackson and Ian Stewart

Category: Business Innovation Sponsored by: BFBI Winner: North Brewing Co Presented by: Ruth Evans Collected by: John Gyngell and Christian Townsley

Category: Commercial Achievement Sponsored by: Brewers Select Ltd Winner: Farr Brew Presented by: Ken Steer-Jones Collected by: Nick Farr, Matt Elvidge and Jason Moylan

Category: UK Best Ind Craft Beer Retailer - Multiple Sponsored by: EcoKeg Europe Winner: Tesco Presented by: Jenna Barningham, SIBA Collected by: Jack Hammersley

Category: UK Best Ind Craft Beer Retailer Single Sponsored by: Saxon Packaging (Smurfit Kappa) Winner: Beer no Evil, Worthing Presented by: Steve Gill, Lemon Top Creative Collected by: Gareth Harries and Gemma Clegg

Category: UK Best Ind Craft Beer Bar/Pub City Sponsored by: Inapub Winner: Assembly Underground, Leeds (Vocation) Presented by: Barrie Poulter Collected by: Richard Stenson

Category: UK Best Ind Craft Beer Bar/Pub Rural Sponsored by: Inapub Winner: Bailey Head, Oswestry Presented by: Barrie Poulter Collected by: Duncan Borrowman and Grace Goodlad

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SIBA business awards: finalists and winners Category: UK Best Ind Craft Beer Taproom Sponsored by: Norriq Ltd Winner: Salt Beer Factory Presented by: Guy Orridge Collected by: Nadir Zairi

Category: UK Best Ind Craft Beer Taproom Sponsored by: Norriq Ltd

Highly Commended: Cold Town House Collected by: Edward Evans and Dylan Kersey

Category: UK Best Ind Craft Beer Restaurant Sponsored by: Imbibe Winner: Curry Leaf CafĂŠ, Brighton Presented by: Neil Walker, SIBA Collected by: Stewart Cumming and George Ashmore

Category: Brewery Business of the Year Sponsored by: Bruni Erben Winner: North Brewing Co Presented by: Greg Zbrozek Collected by: John Gyngell and Christian Townsley

Category: UK Best Ind Craft Beer Promotion Sponsored by: Festival Glass Winner: Nottingham Craft Beer Week Presented by: Kelsey Cheesbrough Collected by: Jared Wilson

The quality and quantity of entries has gone from strength to strength in recent years

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Category: Supplier Associate of the Year Sponsored by: SIBA Winner: Beer Box Shop Presented by: Ian Fozard, SIBA Chairman Collected by: Simon Hulse

SIBA business awards: finalists and winners

SIBA 40th Anniversary Ruby Awards

To mark the 40th Anniversary of the Society of Independent Brewers the Board have this year chosen 4 people who have made an extraordinary contribution to the organisation, to each receive a very special 'SIBA 40th Anniversary Ruby Award'.

These awards will, for one year only, replace the SIBA Silver Tankard Lifetime Achievement Award.

Awarded to: Keith Bott Presented by: Ian Fozard, SIBA Chairman

Awarded to: Carola Brown (Anthony Hughes accepting on behalf of) Presented by: Ian Fozard, SIBA Chairman

Awarded to: David Roberts (Guy Sheppard accepting on behalf of) Presented by: Ian Fozard, SIBA Chairman

Awarded to: Sara Knox Presented by: Anthony Hughes, SIBA Regional Director

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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SIBA national beer competition winners 2020 SIBA's Independent Beer Awards are the UK's biggest independent craft beer competition - featuring cask, craft keg, and small pack (bottle and canned) beers.

Having won their regional competitions, the breweries featured here are the winners of our National competition which took place at BeerX UK, where beers from across the UK go head to head to be crowned the overall Champion across a wide variety of styles.

National Beer Competitions Cask Overall Winner of the Cask Competition Sponsored by: Close Brothers Brewery Rentals

G GOLD: Quantock Brewery

Titanium 5.1% S SILVER: Windswept Brewing Co Ltd Wolf 6.0% B B RONZE: Swannay Brewery Orkney Blast 6.0%

Cask British Bitter up to 4.4%

Cask British Dark Beers (4.5-6.4%)

G S B

G GOLD: Windswept Brewing Co Ltd Wolf 6.0%

S SILVER: Lincoln Green Brewery tuck 4.7% B BRONZE: The Five Points Brewing Company Railway Porter 4.8%

Sponsored by: Thomas Fawcett & Sons Ltd

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GOLD: Purity Brewing Company Pure Gold 3.8%

SILVER: Glamorgan Brewing Co CWRW GORSLAS 4.0% BRONZE: Blackedge Brewing Company Ltd West Coast 4.1% Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Sponsored by: Crisp Malting Group

SIBA national beer competition winners 2020

Cask British Dark Beers (up to 4.4%)

Cask British Premium Bitter (4.5 to 6.4%)

G G OLD: Padstow Brewing Co Padstow Pilot 4.0% S SILVER: Sulwath Brewers Ltd Black Galloway 4.4% B BRONZE: Long Man Brewery Old Man 4.3%

G GOLD: The Backyard Brewhouse Gold 4.5%

S SILVER: Strathaven Ales Claverhouse 4.5% B BRONZE: Mantle Brewery Hoodwinked 5.0%

Cask IPA (5.5 to 6.4%)

Cask Premium PAs (4.4 to 5.4%)

G S B

G S B

Sponsored by: NFU Mutual Insurance

Sponsored by: Murphy & Son Ltd

GOLD: Swannay Brewery Orkney Blast 6.0%

SILVER: Ilkley Brewery Lotus 5.9% BRONZE: Blue Monkey Brewery Infinity Plus 1 5.6%

Cask Session IPA (up to 4.3%) Sponsored by: Rastal GmbH & Co KG

G S B

GOLD: Swannay Brewery Banyan 3.9%

SILVER: Eight Arch Brewing Co. Square Logic 4.2% BRONZE: Big Bog Brewing Co Hinkypunk 4.1%

Sponsored by: Rankin Brothers & Sons

Sponsored by: Charles Faram & Co Ltd

GOLD: Quantock Brewery Titanium 5.1%

SILVER: Hophurst Brewery Ltd APA 5.2% BRONZE: Windswept Brewing Co Ltd Hurricane 4.5%

Cask Speciality Light Beers Sponsored by: Napthens

G S B

GOLD: Milestone Brewery Raspberry Wheat Beer 5.6%

SILVER: Windswept Brewing Co Ltd Weizen 5.2% BRONZE: Hophurst Brewery Ltd Milkshake IPA 4.5% www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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SIBA national beer competition winners 2020

Cask Speciality Mid to Dark Beers

Cask Strong Beers 6.5% and over

G S B

G S B

Sponsored by: Anton Paar Ltd

GOLD: Blackedge Brewing Company Ltd Black Port 4.6%

SILVER: Plain Ales Brewery Ltd Inncognito 4.8% BRONZE: Grafton Brewery Caramel Stout 4.8%

Sponsored by: Pentair Food & Beverage Solutions

GOLD: The Grainstore Brewery Limited Nip 7.3%

SILVER: Brass Castle Brewery Annexation 8.3% BRONZE: Gun Brewery Zamzama 6.5%

National Beer Competitions Bottle & Can Overall Winner of the Bottle/Can Competition Sponsored by: Cottage Delight

G GOLD: Eight Arch Brewing Co.

Square Logic 4.2% S SILVER: Hawkshead Brewery Unfashionably Late 7.4% B B RONZE: Signature Brew Ltd Anthology 10.0%

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

SIBA national beer competition winners 2020

Bottle/Can British Bitter (up to 4.4%)

Bottle/Can British Dark Beers

G G OLD: Stonehenge Ales Ltd Heel Stone 4.3% S SILVER: Dancing Duck Brewery 22 4.3% B BRONZE: Acorn Brewery Yorkshire Pride 3.7%

G G OLD: Weal Ales Brewery Centwealial Milk Stout 4.9% S SILVER: The Cronx Brewery Entire 5.2% B BRONZE: George's Brewery Hopmonster Mad Dog Mild 4.9%

Bottle/Can British Dark Beers

Bottle/Can British Premium Bitter

G G OLD: Cairngorm Brewery Black Gold 4.4% S SILVER: Gun Brewery Parabellum 4.1% B BRONZE: White Horse Brewery Oxford Dark Blue 4.3%

G G OLD: Hadrian Border Brewery Grainger Ale 4.6% S SILVER: Redemption Brewing Company Hopspur 4.5% B BRONZE: Fyne Ales Avalanche 4.5%

Bottle/Can Imperial IPA (6.5% and over)

Bottle/Can IPA (5.5 to 6.4%)

Sponsored by: Saxon Packaging

(up to 4.4%) Sponsored by: IC Filling Systems

Sponsored by: Framax UK Ltd

G G OLD: Hawkshead Brewery Unfashionably Late 7.4% S SILVER: Wild Card Brewery DDH IPA 7.5% B BRONZE: Ossett Brewing Company Ltd Alpaca 6.6%

(4.5 to 6.4%)

Sponsored by: Willis European

(4.5 to 6.4%) Sponsored by: Core Equipment Ltd

Sponsored by: Premier Systems Ltd

G G OLD: The Wimbledon Brewery Company Ltd Wimbledon IPA 6.2% S SILVER: Eight Arch Brewing Co. Corbel 5.5% B BRONZE: Rooster's Brewing Co. Baby-Faced Assassin 6.1% www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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SIBA national beer competition winners 2020

Bottle/Can Premium Lager & Pilsner (4.5 to 6.4%)

Sponsored by: Makro Labelling UK Ltd

Bottle/Can Premium PAs (4.4 to 5.4%) Sponsored by: Vigo Ltd

G G OLD: Powderkeg Brewery Cut Loose 4.7% S SILVER: Ferry Ales Brewery Lincoln Lager 4.5% B BRONZE: Joseph Holt Ltd Diamond 5.0%

G G OLD: Wood Brewery Ltd Coracle 5.2% S SILVER: Firebrand Brewing West Coast Session IPA 4.5% B BRONZE: Bank Top Brewery Palomino Rising 5.0%

Bottle/Can Session IPA (up to 4.3%)

Bottle/Can Session Lager & Pilsner

G G OLD: Eight Arch Brewing Co. Square Logic 4.2% S SILVER: Salopian Brewery Oracle 4.0% B BRONZE: Calverley's Brewery Pale Ale-Citra-Simcoe-Mosaic 4.2%

G G OLD: Rebellion Beer Company Lager 4.4% S SILVER: Glamorgan Brewing Co Welsh Lager 4.3% B BRONZE: Daleside Brewery Ltd Lager 4.3%

Bottle/Can Sours/Spontaneous

Bottle/Can Speciality Light Beer

Sponsored by: Beer Box Shop

Sponsored by: Brook House Hops

G G OLD: Elgood & Sons Ltd Coolship Fruit 5.0% S SILVER: Fyne Ales Origins Brewing - Acres 7.0% B BRONZE: Hawkshead Brewery Key Lime Tau 6.28%

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

(up to 4.4%) Sponsored by: Willis European

Sponsored by: Beatson Clark

G G OLD: Loch Lomond Brewery Come on Pilgrim 5.0% S SILVER: Windsor and Eton Brewery Uprising's Caught By The Fuzz 5.0% B BRONZE: The Norfolk Brewhouse Jackalope 4.2%

SIBA national beer competition winners 2020

Bottle/Can Speciality Medium to Dark Beers Sponsored by: Brook House Hops

G G OLD: Westerham Wally Winkers Death By Chocolate 4.5% S SILVER: Stewart Brewing Ltd Not Your Buddy, Guy! 6.8% B BRONZE: Titanic Brewery Plum Porter 4.9%

Bottle/Can Strong Beers (6.5% and over) Sponsored by: Bulk Storage & Process Systems Ltd

G G OLD: Signature Brew Ltd Anthology 10.0% S S ILVER: Harviestoun Brewery Old Engine Oil Engineers Reserve 9.0% B BRONZE: Firebrand Brewing Imperial Stout 9.5%

National Beer Competitions Keg Overall Winner of the Keg Competition Sponsored by: Kegstar

G GOLD: Wye Valley Brewery 1985 4.5% S S ILVER: Purity Brewing Company Mad Goose 4.2% B B RONZE: Purity Brewing Company Longhorn IPA 5.0%

Keg British Bitter (up to 4.4%)

Sponsored by: Schafer Container Systems

G G OLD: Purity Brewing Company Mad Goose 4.2% S SILVER: Bollington Brewing Company Inception 3.8% B BRONZE: Arkells Brewery Hurricane Ale 4.0%

Keg British Dark Beers (4.5 to 6.4%) Sponsored by: Innovus Engineering

G G OLD: Grain Brewery Ltd Slate 6.0% S SILVER: Hophurst Brewery ltd. Porteresque 5.5% B BRONZE: Burning Sky Brewery Robust Porter 5.6% www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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SIBA national beer competition winners 2020

Keg British Dark Beers (up to 4.4%)

Keg British Premium Bitter (4.5 to 6.4%)

G G OLD: Neckstamper Brewing Bonebox Cooler 4.4% S SILVER: Dawkins East Bristol Session Porter 4.1% B BRONZE: Wold Top Brewery Headland Red 4.3%

G G OLD: Purity Brewing Company Longhorn IPA 5.0% S SILVER: RedWillow Wreckless 4.8% B BRONZE: Turpin's Brewery Cambridge Dragon's Bite 4.9%

Keg Imperial IPA (6.5% and over)

Keg IPA (5.5 to 6.4%)

G G OLD: Padstow Brewing Co. Sundowner 2.0 6.8% S SILVER: Grain Brewery Ltd Lignum Vitae 6.5% B BRONZE: Neckstamper Brewing Bite Your Name In 7.8%

G G OLD: To The Moon Brewery Apollo v2 6.0% S SILVER: Firebrand Brewing NEIPA 5.5% B BRONZE: Tap East IPA 6.0%

Keg Premium Lager & Pilsner (4.5 to 6.4%)

Keg Premium PAs (4.4 to 5.4%)

Sponsored by: Innovus Engineering

Sponsored by: Kegstar

Sponsored by: Flextech Hose Solutions Ltd

G G OLD: Wye Valley Brewery 1985 4.5% S SILVER: Brimstage Brewery Woolyback Lager 4.5% B BRONZE: Utopian Brewing Utopian Unfiltered Lager 4.7%

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Sponsored by: Alfa Laval Ltd

Sponsored by: Muntons Plc

Sponsored by: Rastal GmbH & Co KG

G G OLD: Stewart Brewing Cascadian East 5.4% S SILVER: Vocation Heart & Soul 4.4% B BRONZE: Purity Brewing Company Session IPA 4.5%

SIBA national beer competition winners 2020

Keg Session IPA (up to 4.3%)

Keg Session Lager & Pilsner (up to 4.4%)

G G OLD: Dog Falls Brewing Co. Colloidoscope 4.3% S SILVER: Tring Oatmeal Pale 4.2% B BRONZE: Timothy Taylor's Hopical Storm 4.0%

G G OLD: Zerodegrees Bristol Cloud Waltz 4.4% S SILVER: Wolf Brewery Crafty Wolf 4.2% B BRONZE: Loch Leven Brewery Shining Knight 4.0%

Keg Sours/Spontaneous

Keg Speciality Light Beer

G G OLD: Fyne Ales Origins Brewing - Beams 5.7% S SILVER: Gloucester Brewery Golden Sour 3.9% B BRONZE: CRATE Brewery Citra Sour 3.5%

G G OLD: Vocation Cooler Shaker 6.6% S SILVER: Adnams Earl Grey Lager 5.0% B BRONZE: Truman's Brewery Bow Bells 4.2%

Keg Speciality Medium to Dark Beers

Keg Strong Beers (6.5% and over)

Sponsored by: Close Brothers Brewery Rentals

Sponsored by: Lallemand UK

Sponsored by: Kegstar

G G OLD: The Gipsy Hill Brewing Company Ltd Outlooker 5.4% S SILVER: Dawkins Foresters Black Caramel 4.8% B BRONZE: Beartown Brewey Smores 6.0%

Sponsored by: Zoedale Plc

Sponsored by: Vale Labels Ltd

Sponsored by: Polykeg UK Ltd

G G OLD: North Brewing Co Transmission 6.9% S SILVER: Geipel Brewing Bock 6.5% B BRONZE: Hophurst Brewery Ltd Bitter Sweet Symphony 6.5% www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Business advice: Legal

Planning for Post Lockdown/Return to Work The Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in much uncertainty, particularly in the hospitality and brewing sectors, with many employees being furloughed for significant periods of time.

The latest government guidance is focussed on trying to encourage employees to return to work safely which has created new challenges for employers including creating a safe working environment and assisting employees to return to work.

In this article Chris Boyle, Partner and Head of Employment & HR at Napthens considers the key points arising from Government guidance on working safely: 1. Work from home, if you can: All reasonable steps should be taken by employers to enable employees to work from home wherever they can. It goes without saying that for certain roles, such as brewing staff, this will not be feasible but proper consideration should be given to whether it is truly necessary for office administrative staff, for example, to be present at the workplace. For those who cannot work from home and their workplace is open, the government is encouraging people to go to work.

2. Carry out a COVID-19 Risk Assessment: This guidance works alongside Health and Safety legislation and requires employers to carry out a thorough risk assessment in relation to the risk of COVID-19 within the workplace. This will assist in establishing what guidelines need to be put in place. Where possible the employer should publish the results of their risk assessment on the website, however this is only a requirement for businesses with over 50 employees.

3. Maintain 2 metres social distancing, wherever possible: This may involve employers re-designing workspaces to maintain 2 metre distances between people.

This may involve taking measures such as staggered start times, creating one way walk throughs, opening more entrances or exits or changing seating layouts.

4. Where people cannot be 2 metres apart the risk must be managed: This is only where 2 metre social distancing cannot be adhered to. Employers could introduce measures such as putting barriers in shared spaces, creating shift patterns or fixed teams minimising the number of people in contact with one another or ensuring that colleagues are facing away from each other.

5. Reinforcing cleaning processes: Employers should ensure that workplaces are cleaned more frequently, paying close attention to high-contact objects like door handles and keyboards. Employers should provide handwashing facilities and/or hand sanitisers at entry and exit points.

It’s important to familiarise yourself with the full guidance which is available on the government website.

Whilst employers are required to adhere to all government and public health guidance, employee relations are also paramount during this time. Employers must be alive to the fact that employees will be nervous about returning to work and the organisation

should ensure that employees are supported during this time.

Employers can provide employees with contact details where they can voice any concerns that they have regarding returning to work. They should also ensure they have communicated to employees the steps that have been taken and the measures put in place to ensure a COVID safe environment as this will help to ease the anxiety that many employees are feeling ahead of a return to work.

Some employees may not wish to return to work for various reasons such as because they are considered clinically vulnerable/ extremely vulnerable or due to childcare issues. Employers should consider the application of the government guidance and support available, for example, the recent extension of the CJRS until the end of October and make use of it where appropriate.

Join an exclusive Webinar for SIBA Members Of course, every business has its own unique challenges and with the continually changing situation, it can be difficult for employers to keep up to speed with the latest developments. With this in mind Napthens are holding an exclusive webinar and Q&A for SIBA members.

Hosted by Chris Boyle, the webinar takes place on Friday 12 June 10am. Chris will provide a more detailed update on latest guidance and open up the session to a Q&A. Please book your place here.

For advice on this topic or on legal issues affecting your business, please contact SIBA Legal Helpline on 0845 6710277.

North West Law firm LLP is a SIBA supplier associated and Gold Standard Sponsor.

The firm has a team of specialists looking after legal requirements of clients in the leisure and licenced trade sector, with clients including Daniel Thwaites Plc and Titanic Brewery.

Napthens manage the SIBA Legal Helpline which offers legal advice and guidance on a wide range of legal issues affecting your business, including: General commercial, intellectual property, corporate finance, dispute resolution and litigation, commercial property, licensing, debt recovery, employment law and HSE advice including investigations and prosecutions. Any enquiry through the helpline will receive up to 1 hour of free legal expertise (if further work is required, you’ll be advised of the appropriate charging structure).

Full details of the helpline can be found on the SIBA Members Toolbox.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

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18.05.20 12:43

Business advice: Marketing

Using your downtime as uptime Since Mid-March most of the world has been in lockdown and we have all suffered as a result in some way physically, mentally and/or financially. My take on this, from the second we knew this was our short to mid-term future, was three things: 1 Control what you can control 2 Look beyond the gaping abyss, not into it 3 Use this time to get smarter by questioning everything about your business to beat the competition during this period creating a relaunch plan for such times when we get the amber/green light to go again.

Most of you will never have had this time to read, think and reflect on what you do for a living, how you can be better at what you do and (to use a Brewdog-ism) what type of company could you be? This gets me excited as time is usually the enemy when it comes to diagnosing your business, targeting your customers better and creating a brand strategy and a marketing plan to help your business win. I have created a Pub and Restaurant Rebirth series of (27 and counting) videos to help everyone and anyone in need in our sector. Most smaller businesses and independents don’t have the time or money to hire expensive consultants to sort their brand and marketing out which is such a shame as it is the smaller businesses that need the most help. Do check it out as I have collaborated with the best brains that I know to give away 10s (maybe 100s) of 1,000s of pounds of advice for free. I figured this is the best way that I could help.

I have also got together with a few other agencies to release the 100 Day playbook to relaunch your Pub, Restaurant or Café business and although this is not strictly aimed at Brewers, the advice within the document will still help you as can be directly applied to you in principle.

The main advice that I am giving in the playbook document and to everyone I talk to is as follows: 1) Set Goals • How can I get all customers back who bought from me in the past year pre lockdown?

• How can I get all of these customers to buy 3 more times in a short period of time? (and then how to keep them loyal).

• How can I get all of these customers to spend more each visit? (without being grabby/greedy).

• How can I get all of these customers to recommend you to one new person as often as possible?

• How can I target new customers to buy from me and take them through the sales cycle above?

2) Conduct Research. Use the time to find out what people love about you, think you can do more of and what you don’t do so well. Also ask about who else they buy from and how you compare. Your brand lives in their mind, not yours. Be led by them to be even more successful. Listen to customers and your team. Remind yourself that you know nothing.

3) Define your Brand asap. This is vital to success. Coca Cola and Apple are famous for a reason. There is a video on how to do that by me on You Tube. Search ‘Pub and Restaurant Rebirth Brand DNA’ on Google or You Tube to watch it.

4) Order of Messaging. Your messaging needs to start with how you are keeping your team and customers safe. What did you do during lockdown that was good for your teams, customers and/or community. Then look at pushing out more about your story, your brand, your products and your people.

Lastly pushing out content all about your process, provenance, people enjoying your products – maybe even testimonials and short talking head videos, business struggles and business success.

offer, products, story, insights into your daily life products, local area, customers pubs, suppliers etc. The list is endless of what you can post. If you can’t or won’t do this, find someone who will. Always using videos and images. It is where all of the customer’s attention is.

• Find all Facebook groups in the areas where you trade (or pick top 10/20 opportunity areas). As to join them asap as you (not the company) and post content to them once every couple of days with news, competitions and special offers for that group - make them feel special.

• Direct message/phone 20 customers per day (B2B and B2C) just to ask them how they are doing and what you can do for them. Find out what your customers are into from their social media posts and from what you know about them. Then send them surprise gifts as a thank you (Man U top, concert ticket etc). Start with your top 100 most loyal customers.

• Make sure you search every day on Google for your brand name, your competitors and also all key words that could be linked to you brand. ‘Buy craft beer in Brighton’, ‘Best Stout’, ‘Most popular Breweries in UK’, ‘How won best beer in the world 2019’ etc.

Get obsessed about being at the top of these searches as much as possible. Seek the help of an SEO specialist if required but selflearning on Google and You Tube is a great way to start off I hope these hints and tips help you and will see your brand boom in the coming weeks, months and years ahead.

5) Best Practice on Digital and Social • Post at least 5 times per day per social media channel about your people, brand, Mark McCulloch is one of the leading Food, Drink and Hospitality brand and marketing minds in world. Mark co-founded Brand and Marketing agency WE ARE Spectacular Ltd in 2012 and now runs Premium Brand and Marketing Strategy consultancy Supersonic Inc. www.supersonic.marketing www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Business advice: Finance James Sleight

John Twizell

Preparing for life post-lockdown – taking action now to ensure business resilience James Sleight and John Twizell at PKF Geoffrey Martin & Co help business owners and management teams navigate periods of financial stress. In the context of Covid-19 they are actively helping clients understand their options, access the right support and plan for life post-lockdown.

There are a wide variety of options and support available to businesses, but don’t leave it too late to explore them. Many businesses we talk to are wrestling with two key questions: 1. What income levels can we expect postlockdown and, by extension, what’s an affordable cost base going forward?

2. How can we service the additional debt we’re carrying?

Proactive planning and actions at this stage can prevent a challenging situation from developing into a critical one. The following, practical steps should provide a framework for businesses wrestling with these concerns.

1 Forecast Business owners are now thinking about what their business will look like post-lockdown.

These thoughts should be translated into a trading forecast.

Post lockdown levels of activity are only likely to return gradually to pre-lockdown levels as beer drinkers stay away from pubs.

Independent brewers will also face the everincreasing challenges of those global brewers who have the ability to sell direct to the public/supermarkets.

Look to save costs on an operational level.

For example, think laterally, could you temporarily share (some) production facilities with another local independent brewer?

No one knows how quickly normal levels of activity will return, so you should prepare a forecast on the most prudent basis possible in terms of sales and look at how the business and its cost base can be re-shaped to operate at this level.

The process isn’t straight forward and it can take six weeks to get approval, so if this is something which could help, you should take action soon.

3 Creditor negotiations/forbearance If your forecast shows a temporary cash shortfall, then you’ll need a plan to fund this.

Ideally this can be dealt with by informal arrangements with key creditors, be that HMRC, suppliers, lenders or landlords.

Be pro-active in approaching them with a proposal for extending credit and / or rescheduling payments.

Approach HMRC to propose a Time to Pay plan (“TTP”) in respect of PAYE / NI and Beer Duty. HMRC have been directed by the government to be as accommodating as possible, so a repayment period of at least a few months should be possible and there's no harm in trying for longer. TTP plans of a year or more are possible in the right circumstances, so don’t assume that only a month or two is feasible.

All VAT liabilities due between 20 March and 30 June 2020 can be deferred until 31 March 2021, although be sure to cancel your direct debit as your next VAT payment will be taken automatically if you don’t.

In some cases, these negotiations might benefit from the involvement of a restructuring professional, who can lend credibility to what’s being proposed, convey the seriousness of the position and assist in negotiating with the different stakeholders.

option, there’s a wide variety of alternative lenders, who could provide a solution.

These comprise asset-based lenders (who’ll generally lend against sales invoices, plant and equipment or stock), peer to peer lenders (also known as crowd funding) or bridging funders. Whilst alternative lenders are generally more expensive than high street banks, they tend to be more agile and more open to lending to businesses experiencing financial stress.

5 Formal restructuring options The above options won’t work for everyone, so formal restructuring may be necessary.

This doesn’t necessarily mean losing control of your business and can be the most effective way of achieving a rescue.

A Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) is a legally binding agreement with creditors to reschedule / reduce outstanding debts, allowing the existing management to continue to run the business.

The company, under the supervision of a licensed Insolvency Practitioner (IP), puts a proposal to creditors typically setting out how much they’ll be repaid (i.e. what percentage) and over what period (typically a number of years). Management remain in full control of the business; the IP’s role is just to ensure adherence to the proposals and collect and distribute funds to creditors.

CVAs were designed to help otherwise profitable businesses deal with a historical blip, like a large bad debt or the loss of a key contract, so they’re ideally suited to the 4 Additional borrowing current situation. We anticipate HMRC, If forbearance from lenders and suppliers whose debt often gives them the casting isn’t enough to plug the gap, you could vote on a CVA (and whose debts will likely consider borrowing options. be larger than normal due to the current 2 Funding redundancy costs deferment options) are likely to be supportive The simplest option, with fewest qualifying For some businesses, as the furlough scheme towards CVA proposals linked to Covid-19. criteria, is the recently announced Bounce comes to an end, a reduction in headcount Back Loan Scheme (BBLS); this offers bank We think CVAs will be a vital tool for will be unavoidable. loans of up to £50k, which are backed by a company’s looking to ‘right-size’ their balance Quite apart from the emotional challenges of 100% government guarantee. Alternatively, sheets following losses incurred during the making redundancies, in many cases there’s the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan also a large cash flow impact. If redundancies Scheme (CBILS) provides loans up to £5m – lockdown.

If you’d like more detail on any of the are necessary, but you’re concerned about the government provides an 80% guarantee to options discussed above, you can how to pay for them, you may be able to claim the lender. contact us for a confidential discussion financial assistance from the Redundancy If your existing lender is eligible to provide at no cost using the details below: Payments Service (part of DBEIS). This BBLS or CBILS funding, then this should be James Sleight 07786 175216 is effectively a loan which enables you to spread the cost of redundancies over 12 to 24 your first port of call and you should submit james.sleight@geoffreymartin.co.uk months. It’s not a Covid-19 specific scheme – an application as soon as possible.

John Twizell 07867 520448 If you cannot access adequate funding via it’s been around for a long time but isn’t well john.twizell@geoffreymartin.co.uk BBLS / CBILS or simply want a back-up publicised.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Business advice: Restarting your brewery

Unlocking the Lockdown With many brewers already preparing their plans for the day when pubs and restaurants are allowed to re-open, Brian Yorston of Brewlab has taken a look at some of the practical steps you need to take in order to get your brewery up and running safety and hygienically…

After almost two months of tackling Covid19 there is a glimmer of hope for the future. If things go to plan our precious pubs may begin to open in July. So we all must be thinking of starting to brew again to meet the anticipated demand. Hooray!

Here are some thoughts and ideas on planning and beginning to brew again.

Firstly, don’t jump in expecting the brewery to work straight away - because it won’t. Treat the whole exercise like you are commissioning the brewery again and dig out your HACCP plan as it will aid you to look out for any food safety issues pertaining to your kit.

Raw Materials Check your malt for any rodent and insect infestation. Destroy any sacks which have evidence of contamination. If you store malt in silos, sweep these out as soon as they are empty as due to inactivity and the relatively warm weather, weevils could have been at work. Check also the malt for water damage as mould can produce deadly toxins.

If you use a malt conveyor to transfer malt – it may be a good idea to sacrifice a 25kg bag of pale ale malt to remove any material which may have been left in the system.

Hops should be OK, if stored well in cool conditions. but it is worthwhile just smelling open packets for oxidation aromas (Cheesy).

Check your stock levels against your anticipated demand and order as soon as you can.

Like queues for the refuse tip/DIY stores/garden centres everyone will want to use them as soon as available. Don’t expect malt and hop suppliers to supply everyone at once, they will do their best, but it will help if you think ahead.

Yeast – I will cover in a separate section.

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Business advice: Restarting your brewery Liquor

Yeast

Staff Safety

If you have not already done so - empty you liquor tanks and spray with a sterilisation agent such as PAA. Stagnant liquor can be source of contamination especially the deadly Legionella. Long stored liquor can also develop off-flavours.

Yeast is a living organism so even if you have stored your yeast in good conditions then it is likely to be unusable. So you will have to get a good supply of yeast to brew with.

Finally don’t forget the safety of your staff.

If you use packet yeast check the best before dates (BBD). If just beyond the BBD the yeast can be used but you may have to use more of it. If unsure then you may have to order more or take advice from your supplier.

Like malt they may be a rush, so plan ahead.

• identify what could cause injury or illness in your business (hazards)

If you have not been in the brewery at all, then the liquor supply main is likely to have been full of stagnant water for a long time.

Run this water to drain until you are satisfied you have good brewing liquor. If it is clear and has a slight smell of chlorine (if mains water) then it will be good. Taste your water just to check there are no off-flavours.

If OK you can then start to fill your clean and sterilised liquor tanks. In the hot liquor tank fill to just above the heating elements and test to see these are indeed working. If all is OK you can safely fill the tank. Do the same for Cold liquor tanks (if you chill these) again to see if the cooling system is working.

This way you can check your systems before committing to fill with valuable water.

It is a good idea to taste you liquor before you brew.

If you can, check the salts composition of your liquor, just in case it has changed.

The Pallin test kits can do this.

Testing Your Plant Before you start to brew I suggest you test the kit before you commit with costly malt.

Do this in good time to instigate any repairs, if necessary. Given the inactivity for a few months pump seals may have failed and valves may have started to leak. The best way of doing this is to put a caustic brew through.

This will not only re-clean your equipment but caustic is a good material to dissolve any materials left after inactivity. Even a small amount of malt left in a mash tun will cause bacteria to produce ATNC, which is carcinogenic. Don’t forget to run caustic through your wort paraflow.

Check also that the heating elements on you copper are working.

During the whole process do not expect any temperature gauges to remain accurate so check these against a dependable thermometer.

Re-clean or PAA rinse all beer tanks just prior to use. Even if you have cleaned your FVs etc. at the beginning of shut down dust would have settled in the tanks so do not ignore this important procedure.

Check fridges are also working as well as any other plant.

If you get your yeast from another brewer then they may well likely be in the same position as you and may not be willing to give you some.

If you get a third party to grow your yeast such as Brewlab, Murphy’s and Sons Ltd etc. then they will have a finite capability to grow yeast. In the scramble for everyone to get started then they may well indeed prioritise demand. So they key element here is to (again) plan ahead.

Don’t go mad with brewing as much beer as you can. We are in a different world now with social distancing having a great effect on people’s behaviour.

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the minimum you must do is:

• decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously (the risk) • take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn’t possible, control the risk Assessing risk is just one part of the overall process used to control risks in your workplace.

So you must protect people at work and perform a risk assessment for Covid-19.

Fortunately the government has published good guidelines and these can be found currently at this website. https://assets.publishing.service.gov. uk/media/5eb965d5d3bf7f5d3c74a2dd/ working-safely-during-covid-19-factoriesplants-warehouses-110520.pdf Just a few tips for those working in breweries.

1) Don’t forget to sanitise hand rails and all working surfaces.

2) Only allow one person to operate each PC. Clean mouse and keyboard often.

3) Use what you should have already such as visors, gloves and face masks 4) Use alcohol spray to keep surfaces clean.

You may also be tempted to culture your own yeast, which given the right equipment is relatively straight forward. The one issue you have by doing this is if you are not checking the yeast and hygiene then you could be causing real issues later on. Culturing yeast badly will not only grow yeast but any contaminants such as wild yeast and bacteria which will magnify their way in to your beer.

After the lockdown you will have one last opportunity to get the beer right so getting yeast quality right is vital.

Empty Casks/Kegs Unless you have cleaned your containers after returning to the brewery then assume that they are heavily contaminated. Most would have been left open outside in relatively warm and dry weather. So any beer residues may have baked on to the side of the containers.

Consider soaking these or double cleaning with careful inspection before filling with fresh beer.

Cask stocks may also include some from other breweries or leasing services so engage return services or local exchanges to repatriate.

5) Sampling beers – avoid more than one person pulling a pint and, obviously, don’t share glasses.

Planning Production Don’t go mad with brewing as much beer as you can. We are in a different world now with social distancing having a great effect on people’s behaviour. Pubs will be different places with fewer customers being allowed to be served. People may also just boycott pubs to avoid any possibility of catching the disease. We may also be forced into another lockdown as quickly as the last one. Pubs will, I expect, be cautious on ordering beer because of this and because of cash flow. So I would not be tempted to over brew. Brew your popular beers first and gradually build up supply if and when (I hope) things get back to normal.

Hopefully we can all get through this and forget what a disastrous year 2020 was and start again to be brewers.

Keep brewing and carry on!

Oh, and don’t forget to rinse off the dust which will have collected on your vessels and floors. An easy source for an early wort contamination.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

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Comment: Technical focus

We are not alone

By Dr Keith Thomas of Brewlab, Sunderland

Much as the Covid-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact it is not the only way that microbes can affect the brewing industry. Other diseases have a long history of creating distress. So far it is only Covid-19 which affects us personally.

These other diseases are those which infect our raw materials, both barley and hops.

They include not only viruses but also bacteria and particularly fungi – and they have been doing it for a pretty extensive period. In fact, for so long that there are some interesting lessons on how plants have adapted to limit disease incidence. Possibly some we could usefully note for our own circumstances.

First though, what specifically are the diseases of malt and hops? Some will be easily recognisable to farmers and gardeners. Mildew and blight are typical fungal infestations, stem and head rot are bacterial diseases and not forgetting mosaic and latent virus infections. Some of these diseases also affect other plants but others have become adapted to particular barley or hop varieties or to specific geographic locations. The prevalence of all, of course, is enhanced by the monoculture system used in cultivation where disease may spread easily from plant to plant. Social distancing is not an easy option in a barley or hop field, although alternating planting with other plants resistant to diseases is a recognised possibility.

Many of the disease features we have become acquainted with from Covid-19 are also evident in plant diseases. Not all infected individuals show symptoms, not all die, transmission can be spurious but vectors can be identified, spread can be rapid or limited to particular locations or groups of individuals. Moreover, as with our own susceptibility, other diseases may contribute to and exacerbate symptoms.

To give some examples. Hop viruses are typically transmitted by vectors, particularly aphids and nematode worms. Both of these have easy access to the hop plant through shoots and roots where they inject the virus which then runs through the plant’s transport system eventually causing damage, stunting growth, reducing cone size, lowering resin quantity and even changing the proportions of alpha and beta acids.

One difference in management is that aphids can be minimised by careful field hygiene particularly removing debris at the end of

the season. It is more difficult to eradicate nematodes without chemical treatment leading to fields requiring quarantining.

Infection in traditional UK hop fields produced extensive losses historically while such disease managements were developed.

Environmental impacts are also relevant.

Higher levels of infection may be seen at the edges of fields where aphids and disease are present in nearby hedges or roadside vegetation. Similarly segmented planting of resistant hop varieties in field perimeters may be needed to protect sensitive varieties in the centre.

Barley has its own diseases to contend with. Mildew mould is common to many plants, including hops, and is particularly prevalent in leaves close to the soil. As plants grow taller it can be less evident but barley corns are then susceptible to head blight by Fusarium fungi. These can penetrate and rot the corns producing pink or black heads with no useful starch reserves as well as accumulating possible mycotoxins. Also relevant to brewing concerns is the production of hydrophobins, compounds released by fungi on cereals leading to gushing in beers produced using contaminated malt.

Transmission is by air currents carrying spores from infected plants, possibly over considerable distances. Again, varieties differ in their susceptibility with productive modern varieties typically being controlled by application of pesticides at appropriate growth stages. Wetter climates are more likely to encourage fungal growth so making barley productivity and quality in some locations dependent on climate and yearly weather patterns. Interestingly, some historic barley varieties such as Chevalier have inherent inhibition to Fusarium and so have potential for organic cultivation as pesticides become more limited.

Inherent inhibition may depend on chemical factors but also physical features. Barley cereals, for instance, appear more resistant to spread of blight from grain to grain than wheat so limiting infection and reducing losses. These features have evolved over thousands of years of close association of plant and disease, an option we can’t apply

to our Covid-19 management where we are stuck with our human physiology.

This also illustrates another well known feature of disease development. Early appearance of a disease can be more fatal than later evolution where the host adapts defences to limit the disease impact which becomes endemic and less hazardous. Whether this may apply to Covid management is a highly debated point as we are unsure of antibody potential to limit disease reinfection.

At the moment we rely heavily on soap as the first line of our own disinfection.

As gardeners know soapy water is also recognised as an effective treatment to reduce aphid infestations. It appears we are not alone in our treatments.

Fusarium Blight

Mildew infection

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Brewery news

Stewart Brewing unveils successful rebrand as it adapts for ‘new normal’ Edinburgh-based Stewart Brewing has received an incredibly positive reaction from customers after unveiling a new logo and label designs as part of its rebrand this Spring.

With the rebrand being fully rolled out over summer, the brewery has now adapted to life under the Coronavirus lockdown and quickly altered its business model to build direct relationships with consumers, taking online orders and delivering to homes across Scotland.

Stewart Brewing’s Marketing and Events Manager Sarah Stirton said: “Like many breweries, at Stewart Brewing we have quickly shifted our focus onto direct to consumer sales, trying to take as many online orders as possible

and delivering beer quickly and safety across Scotland.

“We have been so lucky to have received amazing support from our customers over this time with steady orders coming in, our goal now is to try and maintain these order across the coming weeks and months while the hospitality industry remains closed.

“We are also working with other local business to try and expand our reach and find a new audience for our beers as well as working on incentives to keep our existing customers loyal.

We are asking everyone to think and drink local during this time.”

For more information go to www.stewartbrewing.co.uk

Swannay Brewery triumphs at SIBA’s National Beer Awards Orkney-based Swannay Brewery celebrated in style at BeerX UK in March after winning no fewer than four awards - two gold and two bronze in SIBA’s annual national beer competition.

After regional heats in all corners of the UK, the national competition is a true test of some of the best beers from SIBA members all over the country. Judged as part of the BeerX event, by chosen industry professionals, winning beers are rightly recognised as

excellent examples of their style.

The winning Swannay beers were Banyan (Gold in Cask Session IPA category), Orkney Blast (Gold in Cask category and also Bronze in Overall Cask category) and Muckle IPA (Bronze in Keg Imperial IPA category).

Orkney Blast, which took hoke two trophies, is one of Swannay’s most established beers, it has been a core offering since 2007 and is a 6.0% strong ale that is both sweet and hoppy at the same time.

Banyan and Muckle are more modern styles from the Mutiny range. Banyan is a 3.9% session IPA that is Swannay’s fastest growing volume beer - it was second only to flagship pale ale Scapa Special in late 2019 trade.

Muckle is an IPA styled on the bitter hop bombs from America’s West Coast. In the

same competition last year, Muckle claimed the overall top prize.

The latest awards take Swannay’s haul of national and international accolades to over 150 since brewing started in 2006.

Lewis Hill, general manager at Swannay Brewery, congratulated the dedicated Swannay team on the latest awards: “We’ve been in the midst of a major building project for over a year now and to win such awards at this time is testament to our pervading focus on making world class beer, no matter what. We cannot wait to continue to build on our successes in our high spec, upgraded brewery.”

For more information go to www.swannaybrewery.com

Docks Beers releases three new beers Grimsby-based Docks Beers has released three new beers. The first is a new addition to the Grimsby brewery’s core range; a Stout Porter called ‘Elbow Grease’.

Shaz Shadan, Docks Beers director, explained: “The name Elbow Grease carries on our familiar trend of naming beers after the hard work ethic of dock workers past and present.

We recently learned that dockers and porters inspired Stout and Porter beers. These grafters drank dark, robust, malt filled beer to invigorate themselves for dock labour. The beer style is a perfect embodiment of the spirit of the docks and we needed another powerful can design to do it justice. The image, provided by our favourite agency S4, does just that.”

The next beer to be unveiled is Dock Beers’ latest collaboration brew made with Salt Beer Factory. Director Shadan added: “Salt is one of the fast rising stars of UK craft beer and we’re chuffed to have teamed up with them to

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produce this 6.6% Belgian IPA. We have called it Zeppelin Bend because it’s the name of a symmetrical and rock solid end-to-end joining knot - one which would probably have been used on Grimsby’s Docks. The first collab beer we brewed with Salt was named Bowline after a knot. We thought it made sense to follow suit for the reciprocal brew and this knot is stable, secure and totally resistant to jamming. A bit like our relationship with Salt!”

Finally, the brewery has launched another beer made with Brew York. Head Brewer Richards explained: “No one can forget our last brew with Brew York, Controlled Explosion. It’s unforgettable because, well, the cans started exploding after a secondary fermentation.

Hopefully, Heidi Plum which we brewed with Brew York in York is just as tasty, but not quite as volatile. It’s a 6% plum pastry sour IPA. A very fruity and complex beer filled with plum, lemon, vanilla, almond notes and hints of cardamom.”

Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

All three beers are available in can during the current crisis from the Docks Beers online shop www.docksbeers. com/docks-shop. To keep up with what is going on at Docks Beers follow @ docksbeers on social media.

Brewery news

Purity brings the pub to Puritans’ homes

Multi-award-winning brewery Purity Brewing Company has moved swiftly to ensure the pub experience is not lost in these unprecedented and unfamiliar times.

The brewery has launched two initiatives to ensure the pub atmosphere is kept alive with the unveiling of a ‘Pure Pub’ experience mixed case and the hosting of the very first virtual Pub Quiz.

As the country faces a pandemic and measures that most of the country have never seen before Purity wanted to bring a smile to as many customers and beer fans as possible. The humble pub plays a key role in many communities across the country and now more than ever we need to maintain a true community spirit whilst abiding to current government recommendations.

Therefore, Purity has devised the ultimate Pure Pub Experience that can be ordered via the brewer’s online store and delivered to your door or via the click and collect option from the brewery.

There are two options for the ultimate pub experience with the first containing two

Salcombe Brewery supports local community with free doorstep deliveries

bottles each of the brewers multi award winning bottles Pure Gold, Pure UBU and Mad Goose, a stemless Purity branded half pint glass and two packets premium crisps for that truly authentic pub feel. A craft can option is also available with 4 cans each of the World Brewing Award Winning Longhorn IPA, Lawless Lager, Saddle Black, the newly gluten free Bunny Hop and Pure Cider as well as the aforementioned glass and crisps.

What better way to complement ultimate pub experience than with a Virtual ‘Pure Pub Quiz,’ streaming live to Puritans homes on Facebook direct from the brewery. Aimed to put a smile on people’s faces and have a few laughs all with a slight competitive edge the quiz is split into 4 rounds consisting of 10 questions each.

Planned to run every Wednesday at 7pm, the brewery is also hoping to confirm guest rounds from many of sporting and festival partners live from Purity’s Facebook page https://www.facebook. com/puritybrewingco

Purity Brewing named ‘Best Green Business’ at SIBA Business Awards 2020 Purity Brewing Company was delighted to be named the ‘Best Green Business’ at the 2020 SIBA Business Awards held at Beer X in Liverpool in March.

The brewery is also encouraging those taking part in the quiz to donate what they would spend on a pint at their normal quiz to the breweries official charity partner Cure Leukaemia via their Just Giving page - https://www.justgiving.com/ cureleukaemia For more information on Purity Brewing Company please visit www.puritybrewing.com or to buy your own Pure Pub Experience head to www.puritybrewing.com/shop

Salcombe Brewery has announced that, in response to the requirements of the lockdown, it has launched a new free home doorstep delivery service.

The service takes bag-in-box draught beer and bottles of the award-winning range of Salcombe beers directly to the door of consumers in all TQ postcodes and specified PL and EX postcodes.

This new service, with the order, payment and delivery arrangements being in accordance with Government advice, launched in March and sits alongside the brewer’s well-established online shop which already delivers bottled beers and cider to consumers nationwide.

The owner of Salcombe Brewery, John Tiner, said: “We all face a few tough months ahead, whether in self-isolation or simply reducing travel and social contact in line with Government advice. We will all need a few treats to keep us going and what better to lift the spirits than a

A company dedicated to making a difference, Purity was founded in 2005 by good friends Paul Halsey and James Minkin who set about building a brewing business with sustainability at the heart of what they do and has been brewing with the same ethos ‘crafted with a conscience’ for the last 15 years.

SIBA Judges were blown away by the brewery’s strong ethical stance and continued commitment to sustainability and how they have pushed boundaries in the last 12 months.

delivery of a case of bottled beers or a 9 pint box of your favourite draught Salcombe Brewery ale?

“We have always actively supported our local community and we are pleased to be able to offer this service free from any delivery charges.

We are already in discussions with other local businesses to add other products to this service to provide even greater assistance to those whose movements are restricted during this period but in the meantime, we hope that our beers will bring a welcome ray of coastal sunshine to all our customers.”

For further information on Salcombe Brewery Co. please visit www.salcombebrewery.com email contact@salcombebrewery.com or call 01548 854888. Follow Salcombe Brewery Co. on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Brewery news

Drive Through for fresh beer at Hogs Back Brewery

Surrey-based Hogs Back Brewery is finding new ways to keep its beers flowing to customers through the coronavirus ‘lockdown', as people heed Government advice to stay away from pubs and bars and work from home.

The brewery, in Tongham near Farnham, has introduced a new Drive Through service for its

draught, bottled and canned beers, including its flagship TEA, Hogstar lager and Surrey Nirvana Session IPA. Customers simply drive up to the Brewery Shop, place their order - from a safe distance - and the beer is loaded into their boot by shop staff, without needing to leave their car.

unaffected by Covid-19. Members of the Tongham Tea Club loyalty club and other customers will be invited to the garden in the coming months to enjoy some fresh air and, with suitable distancing, help trim and train the young hop plants.

Customers can also ‘click and collect' by going online to www.hogsback.co.uk with orders ready for collection after 10.00 am the next day, and for those waiting for orders, beer will be served to socially-distanced tables in the open canopy area.

Hogs Back Brewery owner Rupert Thompson said: "One of the benefits of being a small brewer is that we can act quickly. We launched our Drive Through service the day after the Government's announcement on social distancing, and if their advice changes again, we will adapt our practices. The safety of our customers and staff is paramount.

For customers unable to leave home, Hogs Back will home-deliver orders within a 15-mile radius of the brewery, and further afield for orders of £40 or more. The Brewery Shop remains open for business, with new social distancing measures in place and closure on Mondays to allow for deep cleaning.

While Brewery Tours have been put on hold, the Hogs Back hop garden next to the brewery is open to selected visitors, and hop growth

"We are of course unhappy that pubs look set to be a casualty of the pandemic when they are often an important community hub and an effective antidote to social isolation. We hope that the many pubs stocking our TEA and other beers will be open again to customers just as soon there is a safe way for them to do so.”

Yorkshire Wolds companies join forces to create unique beer Sibling businesses from the Yorkshire coast have collaborated to launch a unique barrel-aged beer.

The teams at Wold Top Brewery and sister company Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery have launched Swell, a limited edition dark beer that has been matured for 11 months in casks that held spirit at Yorkshire's first single malt whisky distillery.

Sisters Jenni Ashwood (left) from Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery and Kate Balchin from Wold Top Brewery

"Swell has been brewed specifically for barrel-aging, the recipe developed to hold the flavours from the casks without being overwhelmed. It's rich, fruity and full of flavour. With an ABV of 12%, it's a beer to be savoured," said Wold Top's Brewery Manager, Alex Balchin.

"When in the cask, the beer picks up flavours from the spirit that's been in there before, as well as some of the ‘woody' flavours from the cask itself. In our case, we're using ex maturing malt casks which had also held bourbon and sherry and wine, so this means the beer is picking up lots of the whisky and wood flavours, making it taste really different.

"By spending 11 months in the wooden casks most barrel-aged beers spend at least 6 months in casks - a really rounded flavour is achieved."

Limited to 6,000 330ml bottles, Swell is available online at woldtopbrewery. co.uk and from independent local retailers including Sewell on the go convenience stores whilst stocks last.

London Beer Factory releases new beers in support of NHS The London Beer Factory has launched two new beers, Lifesavers and National Heroes, in support of the NHS during the Coronavirus pandemic.

All revenue from the sale of both beers will be donated to King’s College Hospital Charity and Guy’s Hospital Charity. The brewery’s Managing Director, Sim Cotton, said: “These are hospitals that are held particularly close to our hearts at London Beer Factory. King's is down the road from the brewery in Gipsy Hill, and where my newborn was delivered. Guy's is a stone's throw from our Barrel Project in Bermondsey and a major centre of the fight against Coronavirus.”

Packaging two beers that would normally be

sold on draught in pubs, bars and restaurants London Beer Factory is looking to help raise money for the NHS during this exceptionally challenging time. The beers themselves are a gluten-free, 4% easy drinking lager called National Heroes - 100% of the revenue from this beer will be donated to Guy’s Hospital.

The second, a 4.2% American pale ale, Lifesavers, with 100% of revenue being donated to King’s College Hospital.

Both of these beers will be available exclusively on the brewery webshop www.thelondonbeerfactory.com/shop where the London Beer Factory has also pledged to donate a pint of beer to King's and Guy's hospitals for each order made.

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Brewery news

Craft brewers of the North East unite will be able to purchase packs of the Northern Stronghold Series limited edition beers. Once the pack is available they will be delivered contact-free to doors around the country via Northern Stronghold’s distribution service.

Once movement restrictions are lifted, the breweries involved will take part in a celebratory brewery and bar crawl visiting the best of the regional craft venues and local taprooms.

Stronghold Series kegs will be distributed to venues with tap takeovers for breweries unable to be visited. Anyone who signs up to the Northern Stronghold subscription will have exclusive access to early bird tickets for the twoday event.

‘United We Stand’ is the message from a collection of the North East’s top craft breweries who are combining forces to create the Northern Stronghold and are asking the region’s craft beer lovers to sign up.

Started by Newcastle’s Full Circle Brew Co, the Northern Stronghold has been set up to provide support for its brewery partners through collaborative production and distribution to at-home beer fans. The new alliance will create a one-off collaboration pack available exclusively to craft beer lovers who join the Northern Stronghold through membership.

The collaboration pack of beers will be called

the Northern Stronghold Series. The idea is to lift spirits - of both beer drinkers and brewers – during lockdown and ensure the region’s breweries survive through the current restrictions.

Breweries already involved include Full Circle Brew Co, Anarchy Brew Co, Almasty Brew Co, Northern Alchemy, Flash House, Errant, Allendale, Two by Two, Tooth and Claw, Steam Machine, S43, First and Last, and Donzoko.

The Northern Stronghold Series of collaborative beers will include cans with designs from local artists. Craft beer fans can get involved through signing up via the website, www.northernstronghold.co.uk where they

Ben Cleary of Full Circle Brew Co said: “None of us know how long these movement restrictions will be in place or how we’ll be affected, both personally and economically. We’re all in this together so let’s get through it together.

“Through working together on the new Northern Stronghold, the region’s breweries are creating an opportunity to create something positive. By joining forces, we become stronger and we create a legacy that will make sure each of our businesses not only survive but thrive coming out of this crisis.

“And, we’re creating an event we can all look forward to – because we all need to celebrate once this is over!”

If you would like to join up to the Northern Stronghold Series, please visit www.northernstronghold.co.uk or email ben@nothernstronghold.co.uk

Fuggle Bunny Brew House makes sure locals still get their Friday Fuggle Fix Sheffield-based Fuggle Bunny Brew House is working hard to keep local real ale drinkers fulfilled under these very unprecedented times.

Wendy Steeple, Fuggle Bunny’s proprietor, explained: “When we closed on Friday 20th March 2020 after the Government announced a complete closure of pubs, restaurants and the whole of the hospitality sector, we were gutted and worried about what this would mean for small independent businesses. However, we have a fabulous following of true customers who called and called for us to open so they could get their Friday Fuggle Fix. “Therefore after much deliberation and making sure that the Government guidelines for this horrendous COVID-19 virus were adhered too, and using our appropriate

licence, we decided to open our brewery for take-outs. We already open on Fridays to the public which has become a real hub for our community.

“This gives them an opportunity of coming into the world of brewing, where they can chill out, relax and have a quality pint of real ale straight from the source, play darts, pool and generally have a good old chin wag over free bread and dripping and a pint - what’s not to like?! Therefore taking our Friday Fuggle away from our locals was very upsetting.

“So they called and we answered, we trialed our first take-out session and much to our surprise it was a huge success and we ran out of containers. We got straight onto our suppliers for the take-out pouches and received a large order which means we are up for doing it all again every Friday until this

Brewer’s Viewpoint

horrendous situation is more manageable.

“Great Britain is a fabulous Country to live in, but more important are the everyday people who put the Great into this Country.

When we face adversity and disasters, we pull together with extraordinary poise, grace and tenacity.

“In the light of this horrendous situation we have been placed in we just wanted to share our little nugget of Fuggleness to try and give a little hope to any other small independent breweries out there who are finding all of this a little scary. In the meantime, keep safe, keep your distance but carry on supporting small independent businesses. We will beat this pandemic and come out a bigger and better Country. #keeponfuggling”

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Brewery news

Lymestone Brewery has completely changed its business model in response to the pandemic Staffordshire-based Lymestone Brewery’s Viv Bradford told us about her experiences of the pandemic and lockdown so far, and how she has worked to overcome the challenges: “Here at Lymestone Brewery, like everyone else, we have been overwhelmed with the coronavirus impact, and in the first few days we felt like we had been hit by a truck!

“We are a 10-barrel brewery and we produce beers for our own two pubs, general sales, and contract work with wholesalers such as East West Ales for JD Wetherspoons.

Literally overnight our world changed and I posted a personal comment on my own Facebook page to that effect.

“This comment was picked up and read by a supplier who usually produced our pump clip designs. She was moved to tears by my honesty and rang me to tell me she could help... Really?

“Well help she did! And now four weeks on we have a new and completely different business.

Pre LD (lockdown) we were a standard brewery business producing a range of beers in cask, a little in keg and small amount in bottle (10% approx). We had a strong local customer base as we have a pub on the same site as the brewery which has won countless

awards and is much loved by the community it serves. All of our regulars wanted to help... so they came and asked to buy beer!

“We sold all that we could out of the pub cellar on site, and then moved to the brewery next door.

Initially we closed the brewery doors to off sales, but we soon reopened them (we are licensed) as the demand was there.

“True to her word our supplier built and released an online shop within 48 hours.

On it we put the few bottles we had in stock and waited to see what would happen. We started to make sales... Then we added bagin-boxes, crisps, snacks and cider.

Post LD - we have now got a thriving online shop. We are offering a drop and knock service, so orders placed and paid for online magically appear on the doorstep within 48 hours.

“The sales are building. We are booking more and more bottling slots “As a family run business we have had a joint conversation about the future, and we are going to be building our online brand, the range available and the way we are working has changed.. forever! Don't get me wrong, this is not an easy solution, we have 50% of the brewery staff furloughed, and sadly do not need them back for this type of

Brewer’s Viewpoint

operation. Cash flow is not what it was, but it is something, and it has the potential to grow. So in these strange times our business has changed overnight. We are fighting hard to keep it going and it will never go back to what it was, but we intend to survive.

“As regards what the future holds. As a family we are watching the news and listening to the discussions and arguments. We feel that the pubs will be the last places to reopen and that we are in this for the long haul. Our furloughed staff will stay where they are, if the government scheme ends then sadly we will have to look at redundancies.

“The online aspect of the business is the way forward. we are looking at bringing in a subscriptions service, a lock down package, we have sent some of our cask ale off to be converted into spirit.

We are cleaning up, recycling, giving away what we see as waste but what others can use. We are trying to still be the centre of the community and this will continue. If we cannot open our on-site pub... it is small and has a capacity of 60 people, then we can open the brewery with a capacity of 100 so social distancing could be achieved more easily. The second pub in town will remain closed, and if we have to close it permanently we will. The future is uncertain.”

Abbeydale Brewery launches iconic beer “Moonshine” in cans Sheffield-based Abbeydale Brewery is releasing its much-loved flagship beer, Moonshine, in can – having adapted the business significantly due to the ongoing Coronavirus crisis.

Brewery director Dan Baxter says of the release: “Whilst it has always been a long-term ambition of ours to offer Moonshine in small pack, the present crisis has accelerated our plans. Moonshine is a beer which has so many loyal followers, especially in our hometown of Sheffield (which drinks about 70% of all the Moonshine we make!) and so we have moved plans forward much more quickly, allowing our drinkers the option of consuming our most well-loved beer from the comfort and safety of their own homes.”

The recipe for Moonshine in can is exactly the same as that for the popular cask beer, which has continually accounted for around 50% of Abbeydale Brewery’s output.

During the present crisis, Abbeydale Brewery is very mindful of the devastating effects this is having on pub customers who have been forced to close for the foreseeable future, and so is endeavouring to continue to support the trade via a “pay it forward” initiative, whereby members of the public placing orders of over £40 on the online shop are invited to nominate a pub of their choosing to receive a credit off a future order when they are able to reopen.

For more information go to www.abbeydalebrewery.co.uk

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Brewery news

Award-winning Ossett Brewery boosts beer delivery service to meet spiralling demand West Yorkshire’s Ossett Brewery of Ossett, near Wakefield, has extended its new home beer delivery service across the UK as demand rapidly increases during the coronavirus lockdown.

Also, for the first time, Ossett is canning its core beer range - Silver King, Yorkshire Blonde, Brunette and Excelsius - and has now launched an inaugural canned version of the highly popular White Rat brand, the flagship beer from the sister Rat Brewery in Huddersfield.

Ossett closed its Brewery Taproom and the 26 pubs across Yorkshire in line with the government guidance and then quickly went about launching a home delivery service across West Yorkshire to ensure thousands of loyal drinkers could still get their hands on their favourite beers.

Jamie Lawson, Ossett Owner, said: “Recognising that we were facing extreme and challenging times during the crisis, we immediately wished to ensure we gave our loyal customers the opportunity to enjoy their favourite Ossett and SALT beers. The brewery teams have worked very hard to make this happen. We have had a terrific response and can’t thank our customers enough.

“Fortunately, due to the substantial investment made in our packaging resources in recent years, we have been able to quickly expand our canned range while at the same time extending the delivery service to meet a national demand through courier partners.”

To keep pace with the demand Ossett is maintaining production by brewing with a limited staff, who are strictly abiding by the social distancing rules.

Ossett has also now been hailed as Brewery of the Year 2020 in the Leeds and West Yorkshire Prestige Awards. The awards celebrate small and medium-sized enterprises that have thrived in their highly competitive community during the past 12 months and provide a personal approach with high-quality service.

Winners are chosen on marketing and branding, business growth methods, customer experience, and approach to new ideas. Last November Ossett unveiled new branding across its range as it launched a Tap and Visitor Centre in the heart of the brewery (currently closed).

Welcoming the award Jamie Lawson added: “This is extremely well-deserved and a morale boosting recognition for the brewery team as they are working harder than ever to ensure our business survives and thrives in the face of the extraordinary challenges we currently face.”

All Ossett beers are now available by ordering online through https://shop. ossett-brewery.co.uk Hop forward beers from Ossett’s award winning SALT microbrewery at Saltaire can also be ordered via http://www.saltbeerfactory.co.uk/shop/

Bluestone Brewing bottles tanks of cask beer and begins home deliveries Bluestone Brewing, based in Newport in Pembrokeshire, had to act quickly when it was left with two full tanks of its 5%ABV West Coast IPA that were meant to be released in cask over the Easter Holidays.

The lockdown meant all the orders from local pubs and wholesalers were cancelled, but the team quickly turned things around with a move into bottle.

Bluestone’s Emily Hutchinson said: “We quickly decided to bottle the beer instead, and asked our designer to create a new label for us. We released the beer and have already posted hundreds of bottles out all across the UK for people to enjoy at home.”

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Gold members

Beer Foam What you need to know!

There is nothing more satisfying than the frothy mouth-watering theatre of a beautifully dispensed beer cascading from the tap with all its promise of tasty goodness. Whether a nitro stout, crisp pilsner or a weisse, getting the foam right, with a head that gently follows the beer to the bottom of the glass, is a vital part of the perception and experience of a beer. With competition between brewers fiercer than ever for space on the bar, elements of quality such as foam stability are being put under the microscope by buyers and consumers alike.

There are many aspects relating to beer foam which have long been the subject of study and debate. Here’s the basics you need to know‌

What is foam and how does it form?

Put simply, a foam is a two-phase system in which a gas phase is dispersed in a small amount of liquid in a continuous phase.

The life span of a beer foam Bubble Formation Bubble Formation Bubble formation begins when gas in beer becomes insoluble and hydrophobic in beer. For any foam to form, a surface-active foaming agent is crucial - in beer this is protein. Proteins of importance in this case are certain proteins of both High Molecular Weight (HMW) and Low Molecular Weight (LMW), including Lipid Transport Proteins (LTP1, a protein from barley which survives mashing but becomes foam active when de-natured in the boil), hordeins, glutelins, albumins (protein Z).

Creaming

Disproportionation

give the importance of getting the dispense and glassware correct.

Nitrogen is also greatly important as this will naturally form smaller bubbles, trapping more liquid between bubbles in the foam head making it creamier and more stable. Typical levels of nitrogen in beer of this kind are 15-20ppm.

Creaming

Creaming occurs as foam starts to form at the top of the glass. This is not a single phase process as foam will continue to be replenished by further rising of bubbles as well as foam collapsing. The foam structure is held together by the surface active proteins with the hydrophillic ends starting to stick together, trapping liquid in between them.

Disproportionation

Bubble = Radius

(

)

3 x Radius of Nucleation Site x Surface tension 1/3 2 x Relative Density of Beer X Acceleration due to gravity

From this you can see that with relatively small variability in the other parameters such as surface tension, by far the biggest influence on bubble size is the size of the nucleation point which

In any system, gas bubbles have a great propensity to join-together to form larger bubbles due to pressure differentials. This diffusion from small to large bubbles, changes the distribution of the bubbles altering the surface tension leading to liquid drainage.

Drainage Liquid starts to drain from foam via gravity. This liquid moves along the lamellae to the curved junctions (Plateau borders) where the pressure is lower. This movement begins the process of the disappearance of the head on the top of the beer.

Murphy & Son Ltd, Nottingham, UK Tel: 0115 978 5494 Technical: techsupport@murphyandson.co.uk Laboratory: laboratory@murphyandson.co.uk

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Importance of Lipids As there are such a large number of variables in both the chemistry and physics it can be tricky to get the beer head just right. One issue that is not in doubt is the number one enemy of the beer foam are lipids.

If you imagine an oily substance when added to water, it will first form a monolayer on the surface. This is due to its highly amphipathic (both hydrophobic and hydrophilic) sections with one part of the lipid attracted to the water and the other to air above.

Some proteins in the beer have a hydrophobic end which is attracted to the gas and a hydrophilic end which is attracted to the liquid surrounding the gas. These proteins align with each other to form the bubble.

For a stable foam, bubble size has a huge influence on the stability of foam forming a tighter matrix trapping more liquid. Bubble size can be calculated with the following formula.

Drainage

Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Any small amounts of lipids picked up during the brewing process are likely to be dispersed throughout the beer. The real threat comes from lipids just added to the beer upon or just after dispense. Obvious potential contamination points include dirty glassware (grease and lipstick), inadequately rinsed glassware detergent and oil in dispense gas.

When lipids enter the beer surface and before they start to interact with other molecules on the surface, they will act independently to cause disruption to the surface film causing the surface film to collapse.

If there are sufficient levels of a certain type of proteins called Lipid Binding Proteins (LBP), lipids in the system such as fatty acids and phospholipids will become bound in complexes minimising their foam destabilisation effects.

Once these complexes are formed, these lipidproteins will be carried to the head of the beer via the normal mechanism which will give a stable foam (although not as stable as if there were no lipids present at all).

Gold members

Helping Foam 1

The Grist

It has long been accepted as fact that the use of wheat (such as torrified and malted wheat) in the grist will help improve beer foam (typically up to 10% of grist). This is because wheat is naturally higher in protein and also increases the levels of LBP’s.

A recently published Chinese study (Xiunan Hu, Yuhong Jin, Jinhua Du, Journal of The Institute of Brewing, Dec 2018) examined the foaming character of cloudy wheat beers evaluating the “quality” of foam head for beers of different ratios of wheat and barley malt. They concluded that the foam wasn’t only influenced by the quantity of protein present but also by protein character and origin.

They hypothesised that the proteins found in barley malt provide the skeletal structure of the foam matrix with wheat malt protecting and stabilising the foam head. By use of both barley and wheat in the grist, they ensured a good variety of high molecular weight protein and low molecular weight proteins to achieve a good stable foam.

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Brewing Liquor composition

As always brewing liquor is of great importance to the quality of your product. Having a handle on its composition and its treatment can really make a huge contribution to beer foam quality. Metal ions such as iron will have a very positive effect on the foam, lacing and head retention all enhanced through their ability to bind proteins and iso-alpha acids. However, despite this very positive benefit, these ions can cause no end of further quality issues as well as being potentially toxic.

For this reason, metal ions of greatest importance to the brewer are Calcium and Magnesium. These bivalent ions will form the needed ionic bonds in hydrophobic areas encouraging cross linkage between iso alpha acids and proteins. These also have fewer negative impacts on flavour when present in the correct amounts.

The influence of the constituents of brewing liquor on the pH throughout the process should always be given careful consideration in many aspects including beer foam. The pH of the mash dictates protein extraction and enzyme activity and in the boil the pH of the subsequent wort will influence protein coagulation and denaturation.

Nitrogenous material in beer (i.e. protein) will act as natural buffers in low pH, acidic conditions by naturally reacting with hydrogen ions. In foam positive proteins this causes the hydrophobic end to pick up a charge making it hydrophilic. This affects the entire balance of the system that leads to bubble formation so will cause the bubble structure to collapse. This phenomenon explains why some sour beers appear to have poor foaming ability.

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Get your finings correct

Did you know that isinglass finings have been shown to improve beer foam in poor foaming beers by 15-25%?

Not only will this give a superbly bright beer but the addition of isinglass to beer will help bind up and drop out lipid materials for improved foam and flavour stability.

Getting the correct addition rates of kettle finings is also important, over boiling and over dosing of finings can overly reduce content of important proteins in foam

formation. As always Murphy’s technical support is here to help get the dose just right to maximise the clarity, ease of processing and foam stability.

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Use of Murphy’s Antifoam

At first it sounds counter-intuitive that the use of Antifoam will help improve the quality of the foam but each time foam is formed, future foaming potential is lost. Avoiding boil overs or foam loss during fermentation means that important foam positive proteins (often the first to form foams) in processing will be lost from the beer over the side of the vessel.

The formation of foams is prevented, and excessive foam is knocked down with the introduction of highly hydrophobic silica which disrupts and prevents the foam formation.

Use of antifoam also helps keep the brewery clean and can also allow the increase in capacity allowing vessels to be filled to a greater percentage of their overall capacity.

When used at correct levels, it has been proven that particles of antifoam will attach to the yeast cell walls removing them from solution in the beer. This means that the action of the antifoam is completely neutralised and removed with the yeast in normal processing. However, all the beneficial foam positive proteins remain unaffected and in solution in the beer ready to contribute to stable head formation.

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Hops and Hop Extracts

An often over looked aspect of yeast flocculation is the role of calcium.

Multicharged calcium cations promote natural flocculation and dropping of yeast - so once again it’s a case of ensuring there’s enough calcium in the brewing liquor. Effective yeast cropping and use of finings post fermentation will also help reduce break up of yeast cells removing them before this happens.

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Use of Murphy’s PGA

Propyline Glycol Alginate (PGA) is extracted from the cell walls of brown seaweed and has long been used for foam stabilisation. The action of PGA helps increase head retention and protects against the action of lipids and other foam reducing compounds also greatly improving the lacing of foam down the glass.

PGA is a large polysaccharide molecule which contains carboxyl groups on the glycol alginate which interacts with amino groups on peptides in the bubble wall. The size of this molecule means that its action is much more effective than any influence from hop derived compounds. Like most reactions in the world of bubbles this is electrostatic. Because the polysaccharide is such a large molecule this acts as a bridge cross linking the proteins together helping keep the bubble structures and matrix intact. This also forms a formidable obstacle for lipids to have their disruption influence.

Owing to their hydrophobicity of iso-alpha acids plays a great part in foam stability. It is thought that these compounds act by bridging the proteins producing addition support to foam structure (this is why the area where the foam meets the beer often tastes most bitter).

Reduced hop extracts such as tetra hop can also help improve foam when added post fermentation because these are more hydrophobic so are more effective at supporting the foam structure.

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Reduce Yeast Autolysis

Yeast autolysis occurs when stressful conditions cause the membranes of vacuoles inside the yeast cell to start to break down. This in turn releases hydrolytic enzymes such as lipases and proteases into the cell which weaken the cell structure causing them to burst open. As well as the potential to add off flavours, this process will also release foam harming proteases into beer.

The strategy to avoid this issue is simple, reduce yeast stress throughout fermentation and reduction of yeast count in finished beer as quickly as possible.

Pitching healthy yeast at the right levels with suitable oxygenation in a temperature-controlled environment free from contaminants to give a consistent fermentation is vital to reduce yeast stress. Another important consideration is use of a good quality yeast nutrient such as Murphy Yeast Aid or Yeast vit. These contain a balanced blend of essential amino acids, zinc and other trace elements and vitamins to ensure that yeast has everything it needs to give a healthy stress-free fermentation.

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In the trade

Assuming the carbonation / nitrogenation levels of beer is correct (after all if there isn’t enough gas in the beer, the bubbles won’t form!) and all other aspects have been addressed in the brewery, the effect of dispense and after sales support should not be underestimated.

Ensuring a lipid free environment from keg to consumer is vital as well as ensuring the correct serving temperature and nucleated glassware will all help ensures beer reaches the consumer in the correct condition.

References and further reading: O’Rourke (2002), Getting a Head, The Brewer Int Vol.2 (7) Xuinan Hu, Yuhong Jin, Jinhua Du (2018) Differences in Protein Content, J. Inst Brewing 550 Bamforth (2012), Perceptions in Beer Foam, J. Inst. Brewing Vol. 110 (4) Roberts, Keeney, Wainwright (1978), Effects of Lipids & Related Material on Beer Foam. J. Inst Brewing Vol. 84 (1) Jackson, Roberts, Wainwright (1980), Mechanism of Beer Foam Stabilisation By PGA, J. Inst. Brewing Vol 86 (1) Ang, Bamforth (2014), Foam Inhibitors in Speciality Malts, J. Inst. Brewing Vol 120 (3) St John Coghlan, Woodrow, Bamforth, Hinchliffe (1992), Polypeptides with Enhanced Foam Potential, J. Inst Brewing Vol 98 (3) Ballard (1987), Isinglass Types in Relation to Foam Stability, Institute Of Brewing

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Gold members

2020 hop crop update Paul Corbett Managing Director Charles Faram & Co Ltd

Top image: Goldings next to the Cider Apples in full bloom at Stocks farm, Suckley, Worcestershire, UK. Bottom image: Golding hops beginning their climb at Stocks Farm, Suckley, Worcestershire UK. Left image: Migrant workers are very important to help with the hop stringing in March and April.

Even though we are only half way through 2020, I am sure we can all agree that this year is going to go down as an “Annus horribilis” for everyone in the UK. In the early months of the year the country was deluged by floods with an average total of 469.7mm of rain falling in December, January and February. According to the Met Office this was enough to rank it as the fifth wettest winter on record. February was the wettest on record, with an average of 209.1mm measured across the UK. This is based on records going back to 1862. As well as being particularly wet, the three months were also exceptionally mild, with a provisional mean temperature across the country of 5.28C, again ranking it 5th warmest since records began.

Hop plants don’t generally enjoy being sat in water and mild temperatures encourage a build up of pest and disease and do not help the plant through its Winter dormancy so growers have been understandably worried through this time.

think about what beer sales might have been like if pubs and pub gardens had been open.

In March the Coronavirus pandemic hit the UK, we all know too well the effects this is having on pubs, clubs, restaurants and beer sales generally.

Coronavirus has made it more difficult for migrant labour to travel but it seems like this is not going to be a problem with workers getting special permission to travel for work on essential crops.

Yes, hops have been deemed essential!

Whilst we were all getting to grips with the new phenomenon of lockdown we experienced the sunniest April on record, beating the previous record from April 2015. The Met Office reported that the UK had an average of 224.5 hours of sunshine, compared with 211.9 hours in April 2015.

Despite the cold end to the month, temperatures averaged 1.7C above the norm, making it the fifth warmest April on record. It was also dry, with rain levels falling 40 per cent below the usual rate for the month across the UK. May has also been very dry and I am sure the figures will back this up when they are released next month. It is frustrating to

So where does this leave the UK hop crop? Well, after the Winter floods there was quite a bit of worry amongst growers that we may not see hops emerging from the soil at all. However the shoots began to grow as normal and have grown relatively well in the wet and now dry conditions. The hops are currently (end of May) looking very thirsty though and would appreciate some rain soon.

In the USA the crop seems to be off to a good start with weather conditions seeming normal for the time of year. The water supply from the snowcapped mountains looks good, growth is healthy and most growers are seeing more than adequate labour supplies. This had been a big worry for growers worldwide as migrant labour is a big part of the hop growers workforce at certain times of the year.

Germany, the Czech Republic and central Europe have had a very dry start to the year and following on from several very dry seasons and poor yields there is concern amongst growers about the future of hop growing in these regions. Although there have been a few rain events recently the water table is still well below where it needs to be at the moment. Irrigation water is definitely going to be the long term solution but water sources are not readily available in these areas without incurring huge costs.

Slovenian crops are looking well but the presence of another virus is giving cause for concern. Citrus Bark Cracking Virus (CBCVd) is a virus that has spread to hop plants from citrus trees in Israel, it can completely render the plant useless for hop production within a season. As with Coronavirus the virus is very easily spread and has moved rapidly through farms in certain areas of the Savinjska Valley. Eradication plans are being extended to try and bring the outbreak under control but at the moment the affected acreage is still increasing. We won’t see how effective the eradication methods have been until July/ August when any recently infected plants will start to show symptoms. This virus has also spread to two hop yards in Germany which is of great concern to German producers who farm over 16,000ha of hops in that region.

With the coronavirus lockdown and the closure of pubs it goes without saying that beer sales are well down on where they should be. This is in turn is affecting the volume of hops being used and will no doubt mean that many hops growing in the soil at the moment will not be needed. We are currently looking at ways to reduce quantities harvested this year, to bring the new harvest into line with what will be needed by you, the brewers. Please get in touch and give us you thoughts and estimated volumes going forward, it will help us to work with our growers to achieve the best result for everyone as an industry and remember the sooner you let us know about any potential issues the more likely we will be able to help. We look forward to hearing from you.

Wishing you all the best in these difficult times.

Check out the Faram website or get in touch with the sales team for an up to date picture of all the products available. Whether its hops, malt, dried yeast, finings, kegs, sensory training kits, bottle tops or closures they are very keen to hear from you.

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Gold members

Andrew's Brews Jester

Our prize-winning brewer Andrew Whalley has been keeping busy in isolation, brewing two home brewed pale ales with two very different versions of our very own Jester® hops. Here's a little update as to how he's been getting on.

Jester® is one of the first hops in the hugely successful Charles Faram Hop Development Programme. Our strive for even more flavour from UK grown hops continues and we have recently produced T45 pellets which is where we start with beer one. The production of T45 pellets reduces the amount of leaf material and increases the percentage of essential oils.

Next step was to dry hop (fig 1) at the end of fermentation before a couple of days in secondary fermentation.

Then a bit of conditioning and we were ready to sample the results! The fermenting profile was primary 3 days at 20°, and these fv’s do a great job of trimming and keeping the temperature in check, especially in these warmer times. Then secondary fermentation at 15° to mop up any left over any unwanted volatiles, and for the beer to absorb the hop character from the dry hop which is added during this phase. That was over another 3 days.

The final phase was a conditioning period at 5° for three days in which the yeast, trub, and dry hop material are removed. Now for the best bit – sampling!

Around the same time, we were made aware of a new technique in the pelleting process which will hopefully increase the intensity even further.

So this was the starting point for beer two. The two beers were brewed with the exact same grist.

We already know that many brewers brew fantastic beers with Jester® Freshpak and T90 pellets which is lucky for Andrew, who only has the facility to brew two beers side by side at home.

The beers are a basic pale ale recipe with Pale Ale Malt, and about 10% Torrified Wheat, aiming for a 4.3% beer, using the Jester® at mid boil, end of boil, and dry hop. The hopping rates and times are the same for both beers.

The process was a pretty straightforward method; mash, stand for 60 minutes at 65° C, boil for 75 minutes with hop additions at the start of the boil, then after 30 minutes, and an aroma addition at the end of the boil.

Then to cool the wort.

NEW TEAM

A quick note on the Jester® pellets (fig 1) – on the left is the T45 pellet, on the right is the Jester® new pellet (look out for news on the name!). They're produced in a way that increases and preserves the lupulin. The larger diameter pellet leads to less friction in the dye, and makes the pellet more friable, so easier for the wort/beer to get to all that goodness! These hops are smelling great as well, but one of the characteristics of these type of pellet is that the aroma of the pellet itself isn’t overwhelming, all of that is saved for the beer!

The beers have come out quite clean, and tasty! They both have an increased citrus, hedgerow fruit, and blackcurrant character. The T45 pellet beer has slightly more bitterness and pronounced citrus, which we weren’t expecting. The beer with the new type of pellet had more aroma and a fuller mouthfeel. I was slightly conservative with the hop rates, so probably could have done with a bit more. I guess that’ll be for next time! Results are very good and we are looking forward to hearing from other brewers who have used them. Please give us feedback where you can. It all helps us to keep improving and moving forward in the programme.

We have two new additions to the team at Charles Faram. Jamie MacLellan, Head of Sales and Emily Tyler, Marketing Co-ordinator.

to operations and product development. He’s calm in a crisis and relentlessly positive, which has been particularly useful lately!

Jamie supports his team to help our customers brew brilliant beer with fantastic ingredients. Working in the food and drink industry for more than 15 years, Jamie’s experience spans everything from retail and events

Emily works with Charlie Gorham on events, projects, communications and anything else marketing related and is looking forward to getting more involved with the brewing and hop growing industries.

Jamie MacLellan, Head of Sales

www.charlesfaram.co.uk

01905 830734

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Supplier news

Risk-free expert assistance with GEA Remote Support With the outbreak of Covid-19, organisations are faced with travel restrictions and quarantine challenges, and required to reduce direct contact between employees and service providers. To enable immediate GEA expert assistance for customers during the corona crisis without putting people’s lives at risk, GEA now offers a special remote support solution that is easy to set up.

Supplier Viewpoint

Customers, who require GEA Remote Support can find their local GEA contact for this immediate support at www.gea.com.

Five Reasons to Switch from Pre-Printed Boxes to Real Time Labelling

As the world’s view on plastic shifts, cardboard boxes are an ideal plastic alternative for many secondary packaging requirements. As with all packaging, data is required throughout the production and distribution process, with many choosing to use large character Inkjet coders to add real-time alphanumerical data to pre-printed boxes or trays on the production line.

However, inkjet coders, whilst useful for larger character marking, can’t achieve Grade A quality barcode prints, meaning for many another technology is required. There is another way, the experts at Clearmark take a look at why using a print and apply labeller can offer a higher quality solution for secondary packaging requirements.

1. Traceability Currently, pre-printed boxes use the ITF 14 barcode, which contains stock-keeping unit (SKU) info, but not important data such as best before dates, batch codes, production dates etc. Switching to the print and apply method offers the opportunity to print a GS1-128 barcode, which allows single scan traceability of a single barcode containing the real-time information of best before dates, lot codes and other key traceability information.

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GEA Remote Support is a service that provides real-time video streaming with GEA experts. From their own location in production, customers can use a commercially available mobile device to connect and communicate in real-time with a GEA expert to resolve their issue. With just two elements, a mobile device and internet access, customers can initiate a session by receiving a short email or SMS containing a secure link, followed by a video conversation, with the option to share high-resolution imagery back and forth, send descriptions and instructions via the chat function or take and share notes during the conversation. All of this is possible without the customer having to install a new application.

The remote support solution is based on existing GEA Remote Eye Wear technology, offering customers further possibilities for machine maintenance. The specially designed glasses, which include an integrated high-resolution camera and reliable microphone, allow for hands-free remote support, offering several bidirectional functions.

By projecting images onto the GEA Remote Eye Wear screen, repairs, process optimisations or inspections can be carried out immediately. GEA Remote Eye Wear is currently available as part of the GEA Service Level Agreement (SLA), however, customers will be able to purchase a stand-alone unit as part of a premium service package in the near future.

2. A Tidier Operation Inkjet coders can be messy and require constant machine maintenance. The turnover of ink can be huge, depending on box size and cardboard porous levels, which ramps up production costs.

Using an LPA machine help reduces downtime caused by maintenance and cleanups, improving Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) on the factory floor.

Labels also offer excellent print quality and eliminate the unevenness caused by corrugated cardboard, giving a clearer, higher quality print than what would be seen directly on a box due to the varying porosity and quality of cardboard.

3. Speed Product issues and errors can be costly in the long run, using labels with more readable data on secondary packaging not only helps tackle big issues such as traceability but can help rectify any errors and issues more quickly. For example, product recalls can be actioned faster when the batch number, production date and time can be identified on the secondary packaging, especially in a single high-quality barcode.

4. Storage and Logistics Warehouse real estate is expensive. If boxes are pre-printed to specific products, those boxes or trays then need to be stored

Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

accordingly before entering the production line. This can require a huge amount of space for a warehouse distributing large SKU numbers. Using labels allows the plain boxes or trays to be stored all together, as the information doesn’t separate the batches until labelled, helping condense the space required to store boxes and trays within the warehouse overall.

5. Waste Reduction Things change quickly; legislation can come into effect, sources and product branding can change and keeping on top of the number of pre-printed boxes required for the production line can easily be over or underestimated in high pressure/speed environments. One quick change can potentially lead to huge amounts of waste, or incur fines from distributers if products are mislabelled. When using labels, any data or design changes required can be altered in real-time using integrated software, reducing machine downtime and overall warehouse wastage.

Overall, introducing print and apply labelling to your secondary packaging line has a lot of advantages over traditional pre-printed boxes. For more information on how Contact the experts at Clearmark by calling 01159 640144 or emailing enquiries@uk.interactivecoding.com.

Supplier news Supplier Viewpoint

The origins of the iconic Teku glass An interview with Carsten Kehrein, Head of Design at leading glassware design firm RASTAL GmbH The Italian craft beer pioneer Teo Musso and his friend Lorenzo Dabove (a.k.a Kuaska) developed the Teku goblet design in 2006. What was the basic idea behind their concept?

In terms of the design language, the ultimate goal was to better highlight in a Teku goblet the subtle and varied flavours of craft beers.

The characteristic features of Teku are the curved mouth brim in combination with a wide body (bowl) which flows into a conical angle. This enables brewmasters, beer sommeliers and aficionados to detect the finest nuances in taste. There was no such glass on the market before. On top of this, the stunning design and subtlety of Teku’s crystal pulled stem (the glass is produced from a single piece of molten glass rather than having a separately manufactured bowl stuck onto a stem) adds to the visual and tactile impact of the goblet. People drink with their eyes as much as they do their mouths and noses – ask yourself, how much better does a beer taste when perfectly presented?

The Teku goblet is now known as the “ultimate” tasting glass within the worldwide craft beer scene, but the glass initially caused a little confusion among beer aficionados. It is possible that the glass was ahead of its time?

It is true that this kind of new glass design was unusual, because it was the first example of a completely new design language for beer glasses. In addition, this product launch introduced a new element, educating the consumer about drinking from a glass no longer filled to the top. In terms of craft beer tastings there is a special need for space to develop the beer’s aroma notes. The Teku goblet has subsequently played its part in influencing the global way of perceiving craft beer.

Following on the huge success of Teku, RASTAL launched another glass design which they named the “Craft Master One”. Why this design?

It was important for us to offer solutions in the tumbler segment, because customers started asking for further craft beer design without a stem. This is why we have created the successful designs “Craft Master One” and “Craft Master Two”. These differ essentially in terms of sensory aspects.

While Craft Master One features a flared mouth brim, Craft Master Two has a more straightforward traditional shape.

And what is the purpose behind the characteristic design?

The design of the glass’ mouth brim controls the shape of flow of beer into the mouth.

The flared brim featured on the Craft Master One delivers a relatively wide flow area

A message from Close Brothers Brewery Rentals

of beer into the mouth, making it easier to enjoy and perceive the aromas better.

Craft Master Two enables a faster drinking speed, the aromas are no longer individually highlighted. Everyone should individually decide which style works better for them.

Is glass design for beer more demanding than for other drinks?

Definitely! A modern glass design for beer is more demanding simply because it is a foambased drink. Perceptions differ internationally, but especially in Germany, the foam (head) is an important part of beer and represents freshness and quality. This must be taken into account in the design process.

How do you find the perfect form?

There is no perfect form for glass design.

There are types of glass that can either be tailored to the aroma profile or designed to suit the target group. But I won’t give up my search..

RASTAL is working to support a number of SIBA members with glassware to be used for gift with purchase offers for Father’s Day. Enquiries are welcome to UK agent Nick Crossley on 07768648660 or email Nick.Crossley@rastal.com or for more information go to www.rastal.com.

Supplier Viewpoint

The team at Close Brothers Brewery Rentals hopes that you and your families remain safe during these difficult times. We are aware that this situation is truly affecting all of us globally, but particularly those of us working in the hospitality and drinks industry.

Here at CBBR we are doing all that we can to support our customers, whatever your company size, wherever you’re positioned and however you are choosing to manage your business.

Close Brothers Brewery Rentals has already provided support to many of our customers and have access to the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

We hope to hear more about further initiatives and will make information available as soon as possible.

Find out more by visiting www.closebreweryrentals.co.uk

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Supplier news

Saxon Packaging Supports East Suffolk PPE Packaging specialist Saxon Packaging has stepped in during the current crisis to help with distribution of Personal Protective Equipment to local NHS sites including hospitals and care homes.

East Suffolk PPE are a local business made up of a collective of individuals consisting of laser cutters, tailors and seamstresses, plus a network of volunteers, who have come together in order to produce and donate personal protective equipment (PPE) to local emergency and healthcare workers in the community.

At present, they are manufacturing face shields, mask clips, and fabric masks, and are expanding their product range to include wipe-able aprons and scrubs/scrub bags. All of the materials used by East Suffolk PPE are being funded by donations via the popular online fundraising facilitator, GoFundMe (details can be found at the end of this article).

Andy Gardiner, director of Scorch Wood and the mastermind behind the recently formed

organisation, reached out to Saxon Packaging and informed the company of his efforts and his packaging requirements. A little different to what Saxon usually receives enquiries for (predominantly food and beverage packaging), Andy explained that he was looking to source packaging to (1) store the PPE equipment without having a negative impact to its sterile condition and (2) that would enable them to ship these goods safely.

Dan Peek, Customer Service & Internal Key Account Manager, along with Andy Smith, General Manager at Saxon Packaging, gave some thought to this requirement and not only came up with a solution for East Suffolk PPE but also decided that Saxon would support their cause by donating 500 fit-for-purpose corrugated boxes to assist in fulfilling their deliveries to the critical supply chain, which includes Norfolk & Norwich University, Ipswich and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, E-Zec Patient Transport and various care homes.

Dan Peek said: “During these times of uncertainty and unity, we immediately felt that this was something we (Saxon Packaging) were able to support. Andy and his teams work to provide critical equipment to the NHS and other local emergency & healthcare organisations is extremely heart-warming and what company wouldn’t want to play a role in supporting such a great cause. We are

A message from Murphy & Son Ltd The effect of enforced closures has impacted everyone.

The scale of what the closures mean going forward for our communities, employees, tenants, customers, tourism and charities is enormous.

Our thoughts are with all those families that have lost loved ones, with the NHS for putting themselves at such high risk, and to all of you keeping safe and keeping our industry operational through thick and thin.

For us, this crisis is not about profit or loss.

It concerns the safety and livelihood of the people and the communities we contribute to and what further steps can be taken to preserve and protect them.

Support has always been at the very heart of what we do. More than a strapline - we are here for you in whatever way we can be at this time. We are currently fully operational.

We are producing, testing and despatching our products, in order to look after our customer’s needs. We have staff on site following the restrictions and government guidelines outlined and many more staff working from home keeping the internal cogs turning to man our phones and send our products out the door.

We are getting a steady stream of micro and laboratory requests which shows brewers are using this quiet time to focus more on diligence. We have been banking fresh yeast like Scrooge McDuck and we have also had increasing requests from distillers to help

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with constituent products for hand sanitisers for those at the frontline of the crisis.

Many of the breweries we work with are diversifying and taking the jump to expand by offering a local delivery service/collection service and online purchases. We are filled with pride that the testing nature of this experience has not affected the strength or spirit of the community but rather developed to take up more space.

When pub doors close, online shops open with aplomb.

Of course, we have been taking full advantage of this and paying it forward! For the last few weeks, we’ve had a firkin or two from our local community of breweries to say thank you to our neighbours and the production, testing and despatching departments who do not have the flexibility of home working.

We would love to get our team sampling as many different breweries’ beer as possible and will happily pay and collect so if you would like to get involved please contact events@ murphyandson.co.uk with pricing and address information.

Let’s not forget our team members, cheering from the sidelines. Industrious as ever, our furloughed members of the team have carried on in their unique self-productive ways. So far, the ‘furloughers’ have donned many hats. Juggling their responsibilities as parents and now full-time teachers, they have also spared time to:

Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Pictured: Andy Gardiner, East Suffolk PPE with his packaging courtesy of Saxon Packaging delighted to have provided and to have had the opportunity to support the East Suffolk PPE with what we do best – packaging!”

Andy Gardiner added: “To date, we have delivered over 600 shields, 150 masks and 750 mask clips. Currently we’ve been asked to supply as many face shields as we can each week to James Paget Hospital and several wards at Ipswich hospital. We have requests for masks plus other PPE equipment, from the NHS, local care homes, hospices and charities like the blood riders, with more coming in every day. We’re very grateful for the support from Saxon Packaging in providing packaging for our personal protective equipment.”

East Suffolk PPE are currently accepting donations via GoFundMe. Click here to donate.

Supplier Viewpoint - Volunteer for the NHS. - Bake over 200 (and counting!) cakes and biscuits for the local doctors’ surgeries.

- Make face masks and PPE for local supermarkets and hospitals.

- Take up paper-rounds to chat to elderly neighbours through their windows.

- Drink their fair share of local booze to keep the industry afloat Like many brewers we are now beginning to focus on life after the lockdown as we work on how better we can support brewers when the ‘new normal’ settles in. We are streamlining our internal services for ordering online through our website and implementing new scanners in our warehouse. With pubs and breweries needing a minimum of three weeks to get all pistons firing again, we are making sure we have everything in place before the big rush when normality ensues – watch out for our blogs on advice to getting ready to brew in a hurry...

We are very fortunate to have a great team at Murphy’s and to work within such a supportive culture in this fabulous industry.

The tenacity and creativity of our brewers gives us faith in the future and by ‘eck we are looking forward to getting into a pub for a lovely fresh pint once the lockdown ends.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Follow the Murphy’s team blog and find out more at www.murphyandson.co.uk

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evolutionbps.co.uk www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Supplier news Supplier Viewpoint

Embracing opportunity in times of change – thriving not just surviving Since the coronavirus lockdown, we have seen a major shift in consumers’ buying habits. Businesses have also changed, shifting towards a direct to consumer model. Ben Travers, Head of Intellectual Property, IT and Data Protection at Stephens Scown LLP, explains what this means for breweries and how they can make the most of current opportunities.

Many breweries are selling directly to more consumers than ever before, but are doing so via their online shops. For some this is a big ramping up of their online presence; for others it is a brand new venture.

Across a range of sectors, we are seeing businesses making quick decisions directed at short term survival, but without regard for the longer term implications. By taking a moment to step back and consider the long term implications of decisions made now, businesses can ensure that their pivot to an online direct to consumer solution is not just about surviving in the short term, but rather that it becomes a long term sustainable part of their business plan.

The law for selling online is different to selling offline - Consumers have far greater protection when buying online than they do in traditional retail environments. Amongst

other things, this includes a much greater right (with only limited exceptions) to return products for any reason. This right of return can create a cash flow problem for businesses that are not ready to deal with it. In order to mitigate this risk, businesses should ensure that their website and the terms and conditions of that website are compliant with the Consumer Rights Act.

around encouraging drinking in marketing and branding. This is relevant when choosing a beer brand, communicating to the public and in prize draws and other activity which could be seen as encouraging drinking.

This could be an increased risk as breweries look for more imaginative ways to draw business to their website during the current situation.

- Reputation becomes even more important online. Now is a time that businesses will need to rely on their trade mark protection.

Businesses should therefore ensure that their trade mark protection is up to date. When trading through traditional routes, reputation is important but your ability to control your brand, once you have let it loose to internet users, who may use it in ways you do not anticipate including, on social media, is key.

Remember your customers are your greatest asset

Engagement with social media and advertising standards - Businesses, regardless of the medium, need to make sure that their marketing content complies with the relevant codes of conduct.

All online communications will be treated as a form of marketing, this includes your website content, social media posts, etc.

Ensuring that these are compliant with the code of conduct is really important. This can be easy for businesses to forget, given the speed of this medium.

- Businesses need to be aware of the rules

- In a business direct to consumer model, businesses will be handling significant amounts of consumer data. For many businesses this will be a change from what they are used to. Businesses need to remember that data is an asset belonging to their consumers and that there are rules in place to ensure that data is treated with respect.

- The current situation is testing businesses’ data protection and cyber security policies.

Ensuring that these are up to date is important, as well as ensuring that staff are trained on how to use customer data.

If you want to make the most of data that customers submit through your website, for example signing up to newsletters or just in the process of making purchases, then it is really important that your systems are compliant, that your teams know how that data is going to be processed and that this is communicated clearly to your customers.

If you would like to find out more about what breweries can do during this current situation, contact Stephens Scown’s Intellectual Property, IT and Data Protection team ip.it@stephens-scown.co.uk

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Supplier news Supplier Viewpoint

Crisp Malt: Practical support for craft brewers While the whole brewing and distilling industry is suffering the knock-on effects of Covid-19, the craft brewing sector is being hit disproportionately by the lockdown.

It’s no understatement to say that cask brewers in particular have a problem.

Although players in the supply chain can’t solve the crisis, they can offer support.

Various initiatives have been created to help craft brewers and distillers, and among these are the ones Crisp Malt has introduced.

“Our aim always is to work in close partnership with our customers” says Rob Moody, Crisp Malt director, “and that means when things get tough, we want to provide support initiatives that actually make a difference. That’s not just commercial considerations but also technical and educational. Wherever possible we want to help brewers to weather the Covid-19 storm and support their efforts to come back stronger.”

1. Refunds Crisp is offering craft brewing and distilling customers the opportunity to return whole pallets of malt purchased after 1st March and to be refunded.

“Many of the Cask and Keg focussed brewers had to stop brewing so quickly that they now have stocks of malt they cannot use in the short term. We have offered to buy back this stock to help them with cashflow

and storage,” says Rob. “This offer has been very well received, including by those who don’t need to take us up on it, but appreciate the gesture. Anyone wanting to know more should call their usual contact at Crisp or customer services on sales@crispmalt.com”

information and news relevant to brewers.

Sure, there will be plenty of focus on malt, but that isn’t all. We’ll be writing features, looking at beer recipes, listing our webinars and those of others and suggesting brewing content from across the web.”

2. Credit terms and individual payment plans

To sign-up, head to: https://crispmalt.com/ newsletter-signup/ .

At the best of times, it’s tough for brewers when customers take a long time to settle bills. Now, it looks as though a hand to mouth existence may be the norm for some time to come.

Audiences of 50 – 80 brewers from across the world have been attending the maltsters’ weekly technical brewing webinars. You can catch up with these on Crisp’s blog.

“We have offered extended credit terms and individual payment plans. This has been warmly welcomed by many customers,” says Rob. “If you would like to discuss your specific needs, please just phone your sales manager or send them an email.”

3. Half tonne pallets Many who are still brewing during lockdown are producing fewer or smaller batches.

“Our usual minimum order is one tonne, but we have temporarily introduced the option to buy half tonne pallets of malt at no extra haulage cost,” says Rob. “Again, this should help with cash flow and allow brewing to continue on a smaller scale.”

4. Educational tools and Insights Craft brewing and distilling sales manager Colin Johnston has led a stream of information and educational resources.

“The newest is The Steep, a bi-weekly newsletter,” says Colin. “It will contain

“The technical blog posts on subjects ranging from crop insights to malt functions have been well received too,” says Colin.

“Take a look, and let us know what other topics you would like to see covered.”

Rob Moody concludes, “The craft brewing and distilling industry has been one of the business success stories of the past decade. Like so many businesses it is now in for a very difficult time. But, unlike many industries, it has a culture of co-operation and collaboration between producers and suppliers. Hopefully by working together we can get through it and be prepared and ready to go once the pubs and bars re-open and brewing ramps up again.

“We’re always open to ideas on what we can do to support you. Please get in touch if you have suggestions about anything that would help in these challenging times. Talk to your contact at Crisp or just ping an email to hello@crispmalt.com. We look forward to hearing from you.”

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Supplier news

The state of the beer market – are you brand fit?

In the lead-up to the Covid-19 outbreak, there were some clear market indicators for the UK brewing industry. Over the past decade, there has been a seismic shift across the industry. The number of breweries has increased more than fourfold to over 2,300 and there has been a significant market split between the traditional monolithic beer brands and smaller, more innovative and agile brewers who have driven the beer market to the high-end: premiumisation has been the order of the decade.

Ironically this change has been led by keg beer which had in earlier times enabled brewers to simply commoditise and standardise their product. In a relatively short space of time keg has evolved from the equivalent of processed white sliced bread to a wholemeal loaf, if not an artisan bloomer.

Drinkers have also evolved. Along with wider social trends, the market has become less male-dominated and beer is fast regaining its place as a democratic drink for everyone, even the teetotal… Consumers have become increasingly adventurous and promiscuous in their beer choices and as a result, the traditional monolithic brands have seen their market share seriously eroded. The traditional session drinker who swears by their regular pint is being replaced by a more discerning drinker who is willing to pay more to drink less.

However, this drive for change and innovation has resulted in the market becoming disrupted, fragmented and rotational, in the main part driven by the brewers themselves. Alongside the boom in the number of new breweries, there has also been a significant upscaling by the midsized brewers, with a resultant over-capacity, even before the lockdown. Beer branding has become more gratuitous and ephemeral as brewers compete to keep up with the continuous flux and proliferation of beer styles.

Now is the time to take stock and consider what really matters for your brand. If we look to the USA, which has been a bellwether for the UK market since the turn of the century, we find some interesting statistics. The highend craft market in the States represents just under 14% of the total market by volume, yet commands an eye-watering 25% by value.

Craft has garnered all the attention, but is in fact still a minority player – in the UK, craft’s market share is certainly less significant than the US. Also, in the States, the larger craft brewers are flatlining (down from doubledigit growth in the space of three years) all the growth is coming from smaller regional brewers and local brewery taps are seeing 25% expansion. There is certainly a shift of focus from global to local.

For the on-trade, cask has been the loser in the craft boom and there has been a stampede to adopt keg as the dispense of convenience.

However, talk to any American brewer and you will often find that they love our unique and quintessentially English cask beers. After all, these are the ales that their Craft Beer Revolution was largely based on. Cask is there for the making – the market space for keg is very crowded and cask offers a differentiating proposition and positioning for those willing

Supplier Viewpoint

to make the effort to reposition it as a premium product, with true authentic values.

One thing that was clear and strong before the lockdown was a direction of travel towards provenance and authenticity and this will remain a key influencer in the consumer purchasing decision for the near future (in both the on-trade and the off-trade). At the other end of the scale, the macro brewers are capitalising on consumers’ move towards the high-end market by developing Big Craft to add value to their standard ranges, something that the discount retailers have proven to be very adept at.

In all probability, the market will continue to polarise to either the high-end or the value end and it is the middle ground where consolidation is inevitable. In these unprecedented times, it is important to know your place in the market (in both the challenged on-trade and the fast-growing off-trade) and ensure that your brand has a compelling and differentiating proposition and positioning that is fit for the future. If you haven’t yet found your true mojo, you need to do some fast thinking.

With all this uncertainty, there seems to be as many people predicting how the drinks sector will develop as there are (or were) beers on the market. For this writer, if I am another of the market predictors, I’ll be a hoppy, session IPA brewed with fresh English hops, the best East Coast (UK) malted barley and Burton Ale yeast, thank you.

Myles Pinfold is the founder and strategic director of WPA Pinfold, beer brand specialists.

Find out more at www.wpa-pinfold.co.uk

Beatson Clark focusses on production of bottles to meet rising demand

Beer sales in the UK have slumped by 82% since the start of the lockdown, according to a recent survey by SIBA. But as pubs remain closed, the increase in doorstep deliveries, online orders and retail sales has created demand for glass packaging which manufacturer Beatson Clark is working hard to meet.

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The South Yorkshire company is concentrating on production of its 330ml amber 1907 beer bottle, which is ideal for breweries large and small both in the UK and overseas.

“Our 1907 beer bottle is a very popular design and is used by many well-known breweries, including BrewDog,” said Charlotte Taylor, Marketing Manager at Beatson Clark.

“It’s important to maintain the production and supply of food, beverages and pharmaceutical products during the COVID-19 crisis, and to do that producers need packaging. That’s why we took the decision to keep our glassworks running and to put in place stringent healthy and safety measures to protect our staff while they carry out their work.”

With pubs, bars and restaurants closed the main market for independent breweries has ceased to exist - but they are finding new channels to supply their customers.

The SIBA report found that 70% of craft breweries are offering new delivery or takeaway services to keep the beer flowing, and around

Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

61% of those breweries are offering free delivery. Meanwhile over half of craft breweries (55%) say they have seen an increase in online beer sales.

A number of breweries and cider makers that use Beatson Clark’s bottles are seeing an increase in online sales, including Dunkertons Cider, Saltaire Brewery and BrewDog. Dunkertons Cider in Gloucester uses amber beer bottles from Beatson Clark and has seen a 1,100% increase in sales of bottled cider advertised via social media and through the company’s new online shop. Saltaire Brewery has introduced a delivery service for their beers across West Yorkshire using Beatson Clark’s 330ml and 500ml amber bottles and is hoping to expand deliveries to the rest of the UK soon.

The brewery reports that the delivery service has been so successful it may continue deliveries if there is still demand even after the lockdown is lifted.

To make an enquiry or place an order visit www.beatsonclark.co.uk/contact.

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www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

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Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

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For a quick and competitive quotation, please contact Bollington

on

01625 348 733

brewers@bollington.com www.bollington.com/brewers

email

0115 947 0032 masterbrew@russellscanlan.com www.russellscanlan.com

BOLL 279 09/19

Bollington Insurance is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Reg. No. 229342

www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Summer 2020

105

SIBA contacts

PO BOX 136, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 5WW

SIBA Head Office: 01765 640441

SIBA Team James Calder Chief Executive james.calder@siba.co.uk Sara Knox Company Secretary/ Directors Assistant sara.knox@siba.co.uk Rachel Harriott Head of Operations rachel.harriott@siba.co.uk Neil Walker Head of Comms & Marketing neil.walker@siba.co.uk Barry Watts Head of Public Affairs & Policy barry.watts@siba.co.uk Rebecca Kirby Financial Controller rebecca.kirby@siba.co.uk Louise Henley Operations Administrator louise.henley@siba.co.uk Jenna Barningham Operations Administrator jenna.barningham@siba.co.uk Elle Spencer-Blanchard Operations Assistant elle.spencerblanchard@siba.co.uk

Board of Elected Directors Existing members wishing to contact your regional representatives can use the relevant regional e-mail addresses listed below.

For individuals, just type firstname.lastname@siba.co.uk Chairman of SIBA Ian Fozard

East east@siba.co.uk Ian Rydings Marcus Beecher Richard Naisby

Leigh on Sea Brewery Elgood & Sons Ltd Milton Brewery

Midlands midlands@siba.co.uk Ken Munro John Allcroft Anthony Hughes

Milestone Brewing Co Grafton Brewing Co Lincoln Green Brewing Co Ltd

North East northeast@siba.co.uk Ian Fozard Roosters Brewery Mark Anderson Maxim Brewery Dave Shaw Hop Studio Ltd Ewen Gordon Saltaire Brewery Ltd North West northwest@siba.co.uk Shane Swindells Dave Sweeney Steve Briscoe

Cheshire Brewhouse Bank Top Brewery Peerless Brewery

Scotland scotland@siba.co.uk Christie Slater Loch Leven Brewery Jamie Delap Fyne Ales Ltd Stuart Cail Harviestoun Brewery South East southeast@siba.co.uk Andy Hayward Thames Side Brewery Jaega Wise Wild Card Brewery Robert Wicks Westerham Brewery South West southwest@siba.co.uk Guy Sheppard Paul Arrowsmith

Exe Valley Brewery Red Rock Brewery

Wales & West west@siba.co.uk All General Enquiries contact office@siba.co.uk

106

Norman Pearce Chris Gooch Dave Shaw

Summer 2020 | SIBA Independent Brewer | www.siba.co.uk

Corvedale Brewery Teme Valley Brewery Big Hand Brewing Company Ltd

Our specially crafted Genuine Brewflex® hose assemblies for brewing are designed to not only meet stringent food hygiene standards and obligations but also help to minimise unnecessary and avoidable costs commonly caused by improperly recommended hose solutions.

n PROTECT YOUR EMPLOYEES – ELIMINATE THE RISK

Poorly maintained hoses can burst under pressure during a CIP regime. Caustic in eyes, boiling water being flushed through or loose fittings detaching from the hose can cause serious injury to employees and operators.

n PROTECT YOUR PRODUCT – DON’T LOSE A BATCH

Hose liners can delaminate over time, especially if the wrong one is used, & (if not maintained) the microscopic particles can bypass filtration systems, into your beer, damaging product integrity.

n PROTECT YOUR BREWERY - ENSURE YOUR COMPLIANCE

HACCP. HSE, FDA 21.CFR.177.2600, EU Food Regulations (EC 1935/2004), Food Safety Act, Good Manufacturing Processes (GMP’s), SALSA Audits, 3A Sanitary Standards, 3.1B Material Traceability.

Get in touch now for your FREE HOSE HEALTH CHECK T:+44(0) 1753 570 099 sales@flextechhose.co.uk www.flextechhose.co.uk “A hose is not just a hose…”

Thank you to the

and other

Key Workers COPPERS (gas & steam heated options available)

COPPERS (gas & steam heated options available) MASH TUNS

We are open for business as usual

COPPERS HOT/COLD (gas & steamLIQUOR heated VESSELS options available)

MASH TUNS COPPERS HOT/COLD (gas & steamLIQUOR heated VESSELS options available)

COPPERS (gas & steam heated options available) MASH TUNS

COPPERS HOT/COLD LIQUOR (gas & steam heated VESSELS options available) FERMENTATION & DUAL MASH TUNS PURPOSE VESSELS (cylindrical/rectangular)

FERMENTATION & DUAL HOT/COLD LIQUOR MASH TUNS PURPOSE VESSELS VESSELS CONDITIONING (cylindrical/rectangular) VESSELS & BBTs HOT/COLD LIQUOR FERMENTATION & DUAL VESSELS CONDITIONING PURPOSE VESSELS PRESSURE VESSELS VESSELS & BBTs (cylindrical/rectangular) FERMENTATION & DUAL PURPOSE VESSELS CONDITIONING PRESSURE VESSELS (cylindrical/rectangular) VESSELS & BBTs

FERMENTATION & DUAL MASH TUNS PURPOSE VESSELS (cylindrical/rectangular) HOT/COLD LIQUOR VESSELS CONDITIONING VESSELS & BBTs FERMENTATION & DUAL Moeschle (UK) Limited | Unit 1b Parkway CONDITIONING Rise | Sheffield, S9 4WQ PRESSURE VESSELS PURPOSE VESSELS VESSELS & BBTs Phone: +44 (0)114 243 4463 | Email: sales@moeschle.co.uk | www.moeschle.com PRESSURE VESSELS (cylindrical/rectangular) CONDITIONING

PRESSURE VESSELS