A Barnsley brewery’s real ales, including its festive 13th Noel beer, are being delivered to more UK and overseas customers than ever before this Christmas.
December sales at Acorn Brewery are up 25 per cent on the same period last year with cask ales being distributed to hundreds of pubs and bars up and down the country and two shipments being sent to customers in Italy. The independent brewery has also taken orders for a record-breaking 35,000 bottles of beer. The festive season’s increase in demand reflects a steady growth in sales throughout 2015. Turnover has risen 12 per cent in the past 12 months.
Dave Hughes, owner of Acorn Brewery, said: “It’s been a great 2015 and Christmas is a real celebration for us this year. Sales of our bottled beer to shops and supermarkets in particular have rocketed. We’ve consolidated our first foray into export and added new pubs and other outlets across our UK customer base.”
Acorn’s Christmas sales include the brewery’s six regular brands plus 30,000 pints of its annual festive favourites – a pale ale called Cracker and its darker, stronger partner called 13th Noel, which was first brewed 13 years ago when it was called 1st Noel.
The ‘Noel’ beer range is made stronger by 0.1 per cent ABV every year and now stands at 6 per cent. 13th Noel is pulled alongside the lighter celebration ale option, Cracker which is 4.1 per cent.
Dave said “We describe our Noel as ‘Christmas pudding in a glass’ because it is rich and fruity and its devotees enjoy the strength going up by a tenth of a per cent each year.
“We’ll probably keep going until it reaches 7 per cent in ten years, at which time my son Lewis will be 21 years old and I’ve promised him that he’ll brew the 23rd Noel.”
The brewery, which shipped its first export order to Italy 16 months ago, has sent around 10,000 pints to its Italian customers in the run up to Christmas, including its festive beers for the first time – plus the Italians ‘can’t get enough of ‘Barnsley Bitter!
Dave said: “We hope the 13th Noel will be lucky for us as we plan to investigate new export markets in Spain and Scandinavia in the New Year and continue to promote sales in the UK. We aim to increase trade again by at least 20 per cent in 2016.”
Notes to editor
Attached photo shows Acorn brewer and Santa’s assistant Matt Shaw tidying up the spent hops after brewing 13th Noel
Dave Hughes is available for interview and can be contacted on 01226 270734, mobile 07958 725880 or dave@acorn-brewery.co.uk
Acorn Brewery produces six permanent ales; Barnsley Bitter, Barnsley Gold, Yorkshire Pride, Blonde, Gorlovka and Old Moor Porter. It also produces a range of seasonal IPAs and kegged beers.
The company also owns the Old Number 7 pub in Barnsley town centre, which it acquired in 2011, and between eight and 10 percent of all its beer is now sold there.
Additional media contact: Steph Pollard on 01226 766900 or 0776 196 4492 or at steph@capitalbmedia.co.uk
Steph Pollard
Capital B Media
Media Training and PR Consultancy
Website | Twitter | LinkedIn |Skype
Kate Betts Media Ltd
Registered office: The Old Cornmill, Bullhouse Mill, Millhouse Green, Sheffield, S36 9NN
Company Number: 7545479