Export Britain

YORK BREWERY SEEKS CHAMBER INTERNATIONAL HELP TO EXPORT AWARD-WINNING BEERS

A North Yorkshire craft brewery is set to start exporting after achieving UK wide sales for its award-winning range of beers.

York Brewery, a regional brewer based at Toft Green, York, is working with overseas trade specialist, Chamber International, to help launch its ales into overseas markets where British independent beers are becoming increasingly popular.

Founded in 1996, the brewery has seen its beers, including Yorkshire Terrier, Centurion’s Ghost and Otherside IPA, gain UK wide recognition as regional guest ales through brewers and distributors such as Carlsberg, H.B Clark and Heineken alongside multiple national supermarket chains.

York Brewery sales and marketing director, Gary Conway, previously UK and Ireland general manager for Corona, says: “We focus on brewing very high quality beers. Our national sales have led to enquiries from overseas and we aim to start exporting in 2017. We have increased sales year on year and it has always been part of our strategy to grow the business.

“We are still in the very early stages but are already looking at the US, Scandinavia, Belgium and other European countries and have started talks withsome importers. There is a market out there and I’d like to think that in five years’ exports will account for around 30 per cent of our sales.

“We view Chamber International as an important external department and plan to use its expertise and contacts to get us started and then open the door to wider support. We are very pleased to be working with them.”

York Brewery, which owns five pubs in York including The Last Drop Inn, The Yorkshire Terrier, which is believed to host one of York’s many ghosts; and The Three Legged Mare, has around 35 staff, a £3m turnover and is a sister company to Mitchells of Lancaster. Its most recent award was a SIBA North East Gold medal for York Brewery Blonde in 2016. Others include Gold Award for Champion Beer of Britain for Centurion Ghost Ale and Silver for Yorkshire Terrier.

The brewery’s Blonde Ale has recently become its latest permanent beer after successful negotiations to secure a supply of the extremely exclusive and expensive Citra hop, a high-alpha acid hop with a strong, smooth floral and citrus aroma and flavour.

Chamber International senior export adviser, David Attia, who is advising York Brewery, says: “Yorkshire is making a name for itself as an exporter of regional high-quality craft food and drink products from cheeses to artisan coffees and beers. York Brewery brews exceptionally high-quality beers and we look forward to supporting them as they generate overseas sales in beer loving nations around the world.”

Chamber International helps hundreds of new and experienced exporters with a wide range of specialist services to make exporting easier and more cost effective each year and is exclusively partnered with London headquartered global testing organisation, Intertek, to assist with a wide range of issues including product conformity.

Case studies

Chamber International hits right notes for piano manufacturer after major Chinese export order

A KEY contract to provide ongoing help to a novice export business which has secured a major Far East…

More case studies