Local emphasis paying dividends for North Cotswold Brewery

The brewery industry has taken its share of hits in recent years but North Cotswold Brewery is living proof that success is achievable with the right planning, commitment, expertise and support.

The small brewery, based at Stretton-on-Fosse in south Warwickshire, having recently expanded, is already operating at its enlarged capacity - and targeting further 50 per cent growth next year.

Supported by a Warwickshire County Council grant, through the Warwickshire Rural Growth Network, the business is going from strength to strength. It has just taken on another member of staff and has introduced a range of new beers to a customer-base which has grown by 40 per cent.

But while further growth is very much the objective for managing director Guy Holiday, there will be no abandoning the 'stay local' principles which underpinned the business from day one.

"The expansion went really well and we are now operating at the new capacity," said Guy. "Who knows what the future holds, but we are aiming to grow the business by another 50 per cent next year.

"And we believe we can do that by remaining focused on a radius of 30 miles around us. We want to stay local and deal with other small businesses, knowing our customers and having that connection, and we think we can grow the company further yet on that basis."

The brewery industry is heading for its quietest period of the year as the nation tightens its belt and stays indoors in the cold months after Christmas. North Cotswold Brewery is well-prepared for the seasonal hit.

"November is never a great month," said Guy. "December is good but then January and February are always the slowest months, as you'd expect. But you anticipate that and manage costs accordingly."

Such planning and knowing the business and its market are essential factors in the success of any enterprise and those skills have underpinned the quietly impressive success story of North Cotswold Brewery - along with a little help from Warwickshire County Council.

"The county council have been very supportive and genuinely keen to invest in local business," said Guy. "Our first year was really tough. In the second we gained momentum and got established and it was then that we could have stayed as we were but decided to try to move to the next level.

"We increased our capacity by 100 per cent and needed to make the brewery a lot more efficient and it was quite a big project, so we looked to the county council for a grant and they supported us all the way through the application process. Without that grant we would have been able to improve but nothing like as quickly."