Butcombe Brewery beat off 66 companies to win the Food and Drink Award category at the national Made in the UK Awards. This follows hard on the heels of winning the top prize of Business Brewery of the Year 2014 from SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers). The event organisers described the Made in the UK Awards as the largest ever showcase of those at the forefront of great products, technology, innovative design and green thinking across the UK. The Awards form part of the month-long International Festival of Business 2014 hosted in Liverpool.
The Brewery has increased its product range of premium bottled ales and was chosen by the judges because of its excellent development story. This includes growing its branded distribution and rate of sale to a point where it is ranked 24th out of 400 breweries selling premium bottled ales. Butcombe is the only brewer to have developed its own dedicated bottled beer website (www.butcombebottles.com). It also produces a Premium Bottled Ale report which is issued monthly to all key decision makers and buyers and has launched a UK Bottled Ale Group on linkedin, facebook and twitter. The Brewer has also recently launched a cookery book, ‘Cooking with Beer & Cider’, which will start selling through Tesco stores located in the South West from August 2014.
Martin Holland, Butcombe’s off-trade sales director, says: “The major multiples in our region have been supportive in their response to Butcombe and allowed us to showcase our range in this highly competitive market. They have encouraged us every step of the way”.
Guy Newell, Managing Director, Butcombe Brewery says: “Winning this national award is fantastic news for us, particularly when we are up against such tough competition in a region that produces so many high quality products. We are proud to be consistently judged to be making some of the best beer in the UK, which in turn brews the best beer in the world. We have invested in our people and technology to ensure that our beer has never been better both on draught and in bottle and it’s great to learn that the judges of Made in the UK agree”.
For further information visit www.butcombe.com or follow Butcombe Brewery on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Butcombe Twitter: www.twitter.com/ButcombeBrewery
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/groups/UK-Bottled-Ale-Group-4120313
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Notes to editors
Pictured (l-r): Gyles Brandreth, well-known broadcaster, author and television personality presenting Martin Holland, Butcombe Brewery’s Off-Trade Sales Director with the Made in the UK Food & Drink Award 2014.
Background
In 2005, Butcombe constructed the largest new-build brewery in the UK for the past 35 years and prides itself on being one of the most efficient and energy-conserving breweries in the UK. It is capable of producing 50,000 barrels of beer a year.
Butcombe’s core range of cask-ale beers includes: Butcombe Bitter, Adam Henson’s Rare Breed Pale Ale and Butcombe Gold as well as a range of seasonal and World Beers.
There are 32 people in the team at Butcombe – 18 in production and distribution, and 14 covering all other aspects of running the brewery and a 19-strong managed pub estate. Long Ashton Cider Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Butcombe Brewery Ltd which produces two highly successful brands, Ashton Press Cider and Ashton Still Traditional.
For further press information or for higher resolution images on Butcombe Brewery please contact:
Gill Shaffer
Mint Communications
Mobile: 00 44 (0) 7958 989124
(00 44 (0)17992 18353 * gill@mintcomm.co.uk
Date of issue: July 2014