Moorhouse’s, the North West’s internationally acclaimed independent brewery, has strengthened the management team with the key appointment of Mark Boardman as national accounts controller.
With 30 years’ experience in the brewing and drinks industry, Mark joins from regional brewer Daniel Thwaites of Blackburn where he was national trade manager. With Thwaites, Mark grew sales both in the UK and in export markets, including the USA.
The appointment comes as the famous ‘Pendle Witches’ brewery celebrates the five million-pints-a-year milestone for its two-year-old £4.2m brewing complex, which trebled former brewing capacity to more than 1000 brewer’s barrels a week.* The Burnley brewer hailed the production landmark as it also reported hitting a turnover of £4.5m for the full financial year to last September (2012) with sales growing by 18 per cent despite the ailing economy.
Mark will now play a key role in growing business both across the UK for cask-conditioned-ale and with bottled and keg beer exports in Europe, Asia, China, the USA and Canada.
Mark said: “Moorhouse’s has an impressive reputation for quality and customer service. I relish the challenge of using my experience to build on this reputation at the most exciting time in the company’s long history. When we celebrate the 150th anniversary in two years time I want to see the company firmly acknowledged as a major player in the independent brewing sector.”
Managing director David Grant said: “We are now ready for the next level of our development as a major independent UK brewer. It is crucial that we build on our huge investment in the new brewery and grow business both with national UK pub companies and abroad. Mark has the knowledge and experience to play an invaluable role in achieving these objectives.”
Ends/ MHPR Mark Boardman (3)
Notes to editors:
· A brewer’s barrel is 288 pints. **Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) says pub closures accelerated to 26 per week in the six months to March 2013. Industry body SIBA says there are now more than 1000 brewers in the UK and the annual industry Cask Report has reported the cask-ale share of the on-trade market growing while overall beer volumes decline, with more young people and females turning to cask.
Background and brands: Moorhouse’s is the North West leading dedicated cask-conditioned ale brewer and also runs a six strong pub estate. The ale brands pay tribute to the legend of the infamous witches of the early 17th century that inhabited the brooding Pendle Hill landmark near Burnley.
Founder William Moorhouse established his drinks manufacturing business in Accrington Road, Burnley, Lancashire in 1865. It produced mineral waters and then low strength hop bitters for Temperance Movement bars. Full strength cask-conditioned ale brewing began in the 1970s. In 1985 Manchester businessman Bill Parkinson bought the brewery ‘because he liked the beer’ when the brewery produced only ten barrels a week and faced closure.
Since then the internationally acclaimed ‘Pendle Witches brewer’ has won more awards than any comparable brewer – Black Cat (3.4%abv) was crowned Supreme Champion Beer of Britain at the Great British Beer Festival 2000 and in early 2011 was proclaimed the best moderate strength ale by the Brewing Industry International Awards (BIIA) – the ‘Oscar’s’ of the brewing world. Pride of Pendle (4.1%abv) was hailed as ‘best cask ale in the world’ when voted BIIA Champion Cask Ale in 2004 and Premier Bitter (3.7%abv) also took gold in its class the same year. Pendle Witches Brew (5.1%) has also won several top brewing awards while Blond Witch (4.5%), the newest and fastest growing brand, has enjoyed wide acclaim from consumer and industry competitions.
For further information contact: Steve Hobman, Rhino Public Relations: 07751 578605. email: shobman@rhinopr.freeserve.co.