Parent company of British craft brewers Fourpure Brewing Co., Magic Rock Brewing and Aussie import Little Creatures, Little World Beverages has announced an ‘Out-of-Date Keg Replacement Scheme’ which will see these three breweries replace expired keg stock new-for-old when venues re-open. It’s incredibly difficult to predict uptake for the scheme with the impact of ongoing lock down measures, however the breweries currently have close to 2,000 kegs in trade, equivalent to over 100,000 pints.
Little World Beverages Australian parent company Lion has already credited more than 4,000 customers nationally down under, representing a total of $23.5 million for over 85,000 unused and capped kegs.
Magic Rock, Fourpure and Little Creatures will be replacing all full and un-breached draught beer kegs which are out of date – and Magic Rock will be doing the same for casks. These will then be replaced with fresh in-date stock in the customer’s next order when they plan to re-open and are ready to trade.
Gordon Treanor, Managing Director of Lion Little World Beverages Europe, said: “Pubs and bars are the beating heart of UK communities, especially in regional and suburban areas. We’re all too aware of the devastating impact that COVID-19 has had on the industry and hope that our out-of-date keg replacement scheme goes some way to help to get the on-trade back on its feet when the time comes.”
Both Fourpure and Magic Rock have been lucky enough to enjoy strong online sales since the nation went into lockdown, with Fourpure reporting a 6000% sales increase from February to April. Meanwhile Magic Rock – which also recent brought its online shop in-house – has seen a 4,800% increase in sales versus the same period last year.
Lion Little World breweries are also undertaking a number of initiatives as part of a recovery scheme that will hopefully see venues open with minimal fuss, drive additional revenue streams and help staff and customers stay healthy and safe. For full details and to take advantage of the scheme, customers should get in touch with their account manager at the relevant brewery.
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For more information, contact James Dootson, james.dootson@stormcom.co.uk
About Little World Beverages: Launched in 2020, Lion Australia’s global craft arm Little World Beverages, represents a strong portfolio of craft beer brands in the UK market, including Fourpure, Magic Rock, Australia’s Little Creatures, New Zealand’s Panhead and more recently US brand New Belgium Brewing. This UK-based arm of Lion’s Australian brewing business is spearheaded by Managing Director of Lion Little World Beverages Europe, Gordon Treanor. With more than 20 years’ experience in beer, most recently heading up Lion’s craft portfolio in Australia, Treanor brings a wealth of knowledge from the dynamic Antipodean market that he hopes to translate into the rapidly growing UK craft sector. London’s Bermondsey-based Fourpure and Huddersfield-based Magic Rock lead the charge with both having seen strong growth in 2019, with national distribution through leading retailers and a strong portfolio of core and seasonal products. The pair have been at the forefront of the craft beer scene since 2011 and 2012 respectively.