West Country brewer, Bath Ales, has secured a deal with Bibendum – one of the UK’s most successful drinks businesses – to distribute its innovative craft beer brand, Beerd.The deal gives Bibendum exclusive distribution for the bottled versions of two popular Beerd beers, Silvertip and Monocle, and begins immediately.
This is the first time that Beerd Brewery has bottled Silvertip or Monocle since the beers were first brewed in 2013.Robin Couling, Managing Director of Bath Ales, said: “We’re very excited about this deal as we have secured an excellent distribution partner in Bibendum.“We’ve been sourcing the wine for our retail estate from Bibendum since last year so we already had a relationship in place, but we’re delighted to have their team on board to help us gain national listings for our Beerd beers.“We launched Beerd Brewery last year to enable us to experiment with new styles of beer without taking focus away from our core range. Beerd beers have proved very popular regionally and we feel that Beerd could go very far in the UK market.”
Silvertip (4.7% ABV) and Monocle (5.3% ABV) are two of the most popular Beerd beers, which until now have only been available on draught at selected pubs in the South West.Jamie Avenell, Craft Beer Buyer at Bibendum, said: “When we began looking at adding craft beer to our range, it made perfect sense to speak to Bath Ales given our existing partnership, and it quickly became clear we had a brilliant opportunity to focus on bottled beers from Beerd.“The initial response from our customers has been fantastic and we more than justified our decision to list craft beers.”Both Bath Ales and Bibendum exhibited at the recent London Wine Fair at Olympia from 2-4 June, where the Beerd beers were sampled.ENDSFor more information about Bath Ales, please contact Amy Bullen at Inside Media on amy.bullen@insidemedia.uk.com or 01179 066 526. For all trade enquiries, please contact tradesales@bibendum-wine.co.uk. For more information on Bibendum Wine Ltd please contact Gareth Groversggroves@bibendum-wine. co.uk / 020 7449 4012 Tasting notes for the Beerd beers:MONOCLE 5.3% ENGLISH IPAA deep golden, very English IPA, using all native ingredients. A subtle biscuity malt body is courteously accompanied by spicy yet floral aromas contributed by Goldings hops.SILVERTIP 4.7% NEW ZEALAND PALE ALEA refreshing pale ale using popular New Zealand hops to give it a fruity aroma and a flavour that has hints of white wine. It is easy to drink and has a fresh quick bitter finish.Facts about Beerd brewery:– Beerd launched in August 2013– The brewery is based in Bath Ales HQ, Hare House, between Bristol and Bath– Beerd’s experimental brewer, Shane O’Beirne, is a degree-educated engineer who has recently acquired brewing qualifications from Heriott Watt University (Edinburgh). Shane gained experience in a well-respected brewery and he reports to head brewer, Gerry Condell– Shane is also responsible for overseeing brewing in Bath Ales’ microbrewery in Graze bar, brewery and chophouse in Bath
About Bath Ales:Based between Bath and Bristol, Bath Ales is an independent brewery established in 1995 which uses traditional brewing techniques with cutting-edge technology. The founders come from a brewing background and combine a range of skills with a shared passion for all styles of beer.The business currently produces just over 20,000 brewer’s barrels annually and has had its own bottling plant since 2007. Sustained investment plans will see the brewery continue to increase production volumes. Bath Ales also has an on-site brewery shop.Bath Ales now operate 12 sites across the South West – two inside Colston Hall, The Hare on the Hill, The Hop Pole, The Salamander, The Swan, The Wellington, Beerd, The Grapes a little bit further afield in Oxford, and three Graze, Brasserie & Chophouse sites in Bath, Bristol and Cirencester. The latest flagship Graze in Bath also features a fully functional microbrewery.The Bath Ales range of beers includes Gem, Barnsey, Dark Side, Wild Hare, Special Pale Ale and Ginger Hare.About Bibendum:Bibendum Wine Ltd is one of the UK’s most successful independent drinks companies, supplying all sectors of the UK trade. It was established in 1982 in London and was started by a group of friends who began selling a mixture of classed growths and unusual bottles to private clients. Today, Bibendum sells over 2 million cases of wines, beers and spirits to nearly 3000 On Trade customers, from Michelin-starred restaurants to independent pubs and international sporting venues. The company’s Off Trade division was set up in 1995 and it supplies all the major grocers as well as independent merchants.Amy BullenInside MediaTwitter: @InsideMediaPRTel: 01179 066 526 / 07827 852 928@InsideMediaPR / www.insidemedia.uk.com
16th June 2014