Sellar launches distribution arm to give margin back to brewers and better prices to venues

Industry leaders from New Wave and James Clay & Sons join Sellar to design a scalable, asset-light model built for today’s drinks industry.

Sellar, the UK’s leading trade sales platform for craft drinks makers, today announced Sellar Distribution: a new distribution arm designed to give margin back to makers and deliver fresher, independent drinks to pubs, bars, and bottle shops at better prices.

With industry margins under unprecedented pressure, legacy distribution models are no longer sustainable. Sellar Distribution brings the dependability of wholesale together with an asset-light approach that eliminates inefficiencies.

“Margins are under attack. We’ve already lost some of our favourite brewers and if things don’t change, we’ll lose more.” said Julian Bourne, co-founder and CEO of Sellar.

“Traditional distributors take margin from every order. Sellar doesn’t. With Sellar Distribution we can deliver the distributor experience, without being a distributor.”

Industry leaders join to build the future of distribution

To execute this vision, Sellar has brought in some of the most experienced operators in UK drinks logistics:

●     Chris Mair, founder of New Wave Distribution

●     Alec Kendrick, formerly Director of Operations at James Clay & Sons

Together, they bring decades of experience running some of the most respected names in craft drinks distribution.

“We sold New Wave in part because it felt like we were no longer solving a problem. We weren’t adding value in the way we wanted to. Sellar have brought new eyes to an old problem.” said Chris Mair. “The vision, the goal, of Sellar Distribution is to add that value back in and create a new more positive shift to the distribution model, and the sector as a whole.”

On the operational side, Alec Kendrick is equally focused on building for the long term:

"Businesses are working in a climate of inflation, margin pressure, and team shortages. Sellar Distribution will be a tailored offering bringing benefits such as improved supply chain coordination, and giving more value back to the people and businesses that make this industry what it is."

How the model works

Sellar Distribution will deliver the specialist, consolidated dray experience venues expect, but without the inefficiencies of legacy distribution.

Unlike traditional distributors who buy and hold stock, Sellar’s model is designed around:

●     Unlimited range, no stock risk: any product can be listed without holding inventory, giving venues access to the full breadth of seasonal releases, limited runs, and local favourites.

●     Real-time availability, just-in-time fulfilment: stock only moves from a brewery once it’s sold, then routed and delivered when it’s needed. That means fresher beer and no guesswork.

●     Transparency and relationships: brewers keep sight of where their beer is going, while venues connect directly with the people who make it. Without the layer of sales teams in the middle, both sides get a more genuine, lower-cost connection

●     More efficient logistics: a leaner model with lower costs. And because Sellar monetises through its software, distribution can be delivered at cost, something legacy players can’t offer.

The result: fresher stock, wider choice, and more margin where it belongs, with the people who make and serve the drinks.

Next steps

The first step will be a pilot of Sellar Distribution in one location, launching later this year. From there, the ambition is to expand the model across the UK in 2026.

“If you’d like to help shape the future of drinks distribution, you can be among the first to get involved via our website,” added Bourne.

Sellar Distribution website: sellar.io/distribution

About Sellar

Sellar is the UK’s leading trade sales platform for the craft drinks industry, helping hundreds of makers sell direct to trade, with thousands of pubs, bars, and bottle-shops ordering through the platform.

Since launching in 2020, Sellar has grown from £0 to powering over £50m in annual sales through its platform. By cutting admin, removing unnecessary markups, and giving makers full control of their pricing and data.

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Press Contact:

Sarah Sinclair Marketing Manager sarah@sellar.io

07446989485

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