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12th September 2017

Putting the bee into beer!

Hiver Beers Ltd. offers public a chance to invest in fast-growing craft beer brand

Hiver Beers Ltd, The Honey Beer, one of the UK’s most exciting and critically acclaimed craft beer brands has just launched a crowdfunding round.

Hiver is looking to raise £350,000 on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube. The company is offering 8.0% equity to accelerate the growth of the business through investment in a second retail site; a new annual marketing campaign including funding new community based beehives and planting days; and its sales and marketing team.

Founder, Hannah Rhodes (named ’35 under 35 to watch’ by The Sunday Times and Management Today 2014), and her team have successfully built the business since its 2013 launch with turnover approaching £500,000, growing almost 100% in the last year, with the brand now stocked in over 1,000 outlets across the UK.

Hiver’s range of beers uses honey in the fermentation process (rather than as a sweetener at the end) delivering a distinctively refreshing character which makes Hiver so drinkable. The range comprises Hiver The Honey Beer, a 4.5% ABV Blonde Beer; Hiver The Honey Ale, a 4.5% ABV Brown Ale; and Hiver The Honey IPA, a 4.9% ABV IPA.

In 2016, Hiver launched Hiver, The Experience, a two hour, hands-on beekeeping and beer-tasting session, currently hosted in London, where budding bee and beer lovers can get up close to the bees and find out more about their fascinating lives and the valuable ecological role they play. This is followed by a tutored beer and food matching session, where the full Hiver range can be sampled. This year the company has already taken 2,500 bookings and is nearing capacity. The funds raised will, in part contribute to securing a flagship retail and experience site to meet the growing demand.

Commenting on the crowdfunding campaign, Hannah Rhodes says: “We’ve accomplished so much in such a short time. If you had asked me four years ago, I would never have imagined we would be stocked in over 1,000 sites across the UK, exporting to international buyers and now looking to open a new retail site to meet the insatiable appetite from consumers for the Beer and the Experience!

“Since our launch we have demonstrated the success and potential of both the Hiver brand and our unique experience and investing in the company now will give us the resource to maximise current sales opportunities. This will extend our reach and brand awareness, to make the most of growing distribution and really take Hiver to the next level.

She adds: “Crucially, as we grow the business in building a truly authentic premium honey beer brand, we are committed to supporting the British Beekeeping community, including funding planting days to support 100 community-based hives planned for Hiver stockists.”

Amongst Hiver’s famous fans is Tom Kerridge, Chef Patron of the critically acclaimed Hand & Flowers in Marlow. He was partly responsible for naming Hannah Ocado’s Britain’s Next Top Supplier back in 2014 and uses the beer in his recipe for beer braised ham and star anise.

Hiver’s crowdfunding campaign opens on 12th September 2017. To find out more click here.

For more information regarding Hiver Beers visit: http://www.hiverbeers.com/

To purchase Hiver products and book Experiences visit: https://shop.hiverbeers.com/

Investments of this nature carry risks to your capital. Please #InvestAware as your capital is at risk. For terms and conditions click here.

-Ends-

To receive further information, please contact Henry Rubinstein, henryr@thinktank.org.uk or Eric Ongeri, erico@thinktank.org.uk at The Think Tank, T: +44 (0) 20 7831 2225.

To download more hi-res images click here

 

Notes for editor

 

About Hiver Beers Ltd. 

 

Hiver Beers Ltd is a brand owner of all-British, all-natural craft beers brewed using unique blends of urban and rural honeys from London and the UK.

 

Importantly, the honeys are used during the brew to aid the fermentation and conditioning process, rather than being added afterwards for sweetening.

 

This process gives the beer a crisp and refreshing ‘dry finish’, ensuring the honey flavour shines through without it being too sweet or cloying.

 

Hiver is currently produced in three products for both on-trade and off-trade purchase:

 

  • Hiver The Honey Beer, a 4.5% ABV Blonde Beer (Keg, Bottle)
  • Hiver The Honey Ale, a 4.5% ABV Brown Ale (Cask, Bottle)
  • Hiver The Honey IPA, a 4.9% ABV IPA (Keg, Cask)

 

Recognised for its quality, consistency and depth of flavour, the Hiver range has been regularly covered in the UK media and has received a number of national awards, including:

 

  • Great Taste Awards 2016: Two Stars (outstanding) for both Blonde Beer and Brown Ale
  • Best British Honey Beer, National Honey Show 2016: Silver, Blonde Beer and Winner, Brown Ale
  • Great Taste Awards 2015: Two Stars (Outstanding) for Blonde Beer
  • International Beer Challenge 2015: Silver, Blonde Beer
  • Ocado’s Britain’s Next Top Supplier: Winner, Hiver as a business

 

Hiver’s investment round, delivered in partnership with Crowdcube, represents an opportunity to become involved with an original proposition occupying a unique position in the crowded ‘Craft’ market space. The company has grown Y-o-Y, and is a healthy business with a highly ethical approach.

 

Hiver embodies a strong ethos of ‘giving back’, investing in the local community, stockists and drinkers not only to create a loyal fanbase but also draw attention to a vibrant British brewing scene and also the important ecological role played by the bees which make the honey, essential in the manufacture of Hiver’s beers.

 

About Hiver Beers Ltd Stockists

 

Off-trade, the beer is currently stocked at some of the UK’s best-quality multiple operators, including 70 M&S stores in London and the South East and nationwide through Ocado Online, Majestic Wines, Selfridges & Co and Harvey Nichols. A popular choice for independents, Cambridge Wine Merchants and Duncan Marie Wines all stock Hiver Beers’ lines.

 

On-trade, the beer is currently stocked at some of Britain’s most prestigious venues, including The Shard, The Dorchester and The River Cottage, as well as 491 Mitchells & Butlers sites nationwide, 15 Young’s Pub Co. sites across London and a large number of independent operators.

 

For a full list of current Hiver stockists (both on-trade and off-trade), please email: info@hiverbeers.com

 

About Hiver, The Experience

 

Hiver, The Experience, launched in 2016, is a two hour, hands-on beekeeping and beer-tasting session, currently hosted in London, where members of the public can get up close to the bees and find out more about their fascinating lives and the valuable ecological role they play.

 

This is followed by a tutored beer and food matching session, where the full Hiver range can be sampled. This year the company has already taken 2,500 bookings and is at capacity. The funds raised will, in part, contribute to securing a second retail and experience site to meet the growing demand.

 

For more information, visit: https://shop.hiverbeers.com/collections/the-hiver-experience-urban-beekeeping-and-craft-beer-tasting

 

About Hannah Rhodes, founder of Hiver Beers Ltd

 

Hannah Rhodes launched Hiver Beers Ltd in September 2014, having previously worked within the UK beer and beverages industry. Formerly she occupied the role of senior sales and brand manager at Meantime Brewery, where she was responsible for launching their popular London Lager, and was subsequently the sales and marketing manager at Frobishers Juices. Here, she was instrumental in rebranding the range and developing their South East distribution network.

 

The inspiration for Hiver came to Hannah following an introduction to urban honey at the 2012 Urban Food Fortnight and an introductory course in beekeeping at the London Honey Company.

 

Since the beer’s launch Hannah has been at the forefront of the UK craft brewing scene, promoting both ethical practice and also championing women within the sector and entrepreneurs in the wider hospitality industry.

 

In 2014 Hannah was named one of Management Today and The Sunday Times ‘Top 35 under 35 to watch’, an impressive accolade which highlights some of UK businesses most promising rising stars. Significantly, she was also one of the founding mentors for Fast Forward 15, a hospitality mentoring programme launched in 2015 to encourage and develop young women within the industry to reach their full potential.

 

To this day, Hannah continues to build Hiver’s business, overseeing new lines and winning new contracts both nationally and further afield, while maintaining an ethical approach for which the beer is consistently lauded by stockists, drinkers and fellow industry peers alike.