The Rising Popularity Of Locally Brewed Beverages: Independent Brewing In UK Grows As Local Brands Unleash Creative Labels

local breweries

local breweries

There’s so much more meaning behind a drink when you understand its origins: who first brewed it, where it came from and the generations that it has passed down. There’s also something rather special and exclusive about drinking a beverage that is hard to find or that isn’t mass produced.

Learn about your local history

Not only do you enjoy a (hopefully) much higher quality beverage, you also get to learn more about your local history, while also supporting your local suppliers and protecting your brewing heritage.

People want authenticity

Many of us are bored with the status quo chain brands that appear to have overtaken countless pub chains, leading to the creation of endless ‘clone bars’. Fortunately, there has always, and will always be, a healthy demand for the more authentic brewed beverages, the ones that tell a local story and provide a little local colour. Make sure your label stands out against other brands makes an accurate statement about your beverages – what they represent, where they come from, and, most importantly, the people who have created them.

Showcase your local heritage 

The UK Society of Independent Brewers, formed as the Small Independent Brewers’ Association in 1980, has been a vocal campaigner for independent breweries, advocating localism and strongly encouraging the government to provide the best opportunities for these independent businesses to put their products onto the market and thrive.

A colorful exterior of a local brewing company

Thousands of independent brewers are closing each year

The Society of Independent Brewers has also called on the government to freeze beer duty to protect independent breweries from going out of businesses and prevent more pubs from closing. Indeed, tax on beer has increased by more than 40 percent since 2008, making beer the most expensive alcoholic drink per unit. Shockingly, between 2008 and 2013, 5,800 pubs closed in the UK, leading to the loss of around 60,000 jobs, the population of a medium-sized town.

Independent, local breweries generate tens of thousands for their local economies

The society has also stated that pubs provide approximately £80,000 in revenue to their local economy, while 9 in 10 pubs are rural or community pubs, providing vital employment to more isolated areas of the country where unemployment rates can be considerably higher than large towns and cities.

A outside view of a typical local brewery that also serves as a bistro

A national campaign to safeguard locally brewed beverages is already under way

Numerous other organisations such as Marston’s PLC and the Independent Family Brewers of Britain have also launched similar campaigns to protect the UK’s brewing businesses and help support local economies.

Fortunately, because pubs have such a prominent role in British culture and history, many people are happy to support their local, independent breweries. Many others will also go the extra mile buy paying that little bit extra if it means they can stop their pubs closing down or being converted into clone chains.

Certainly, the key to protecting these independent brewers is to ensure that more and more people continue to buy local beverages and resist commercialised, mass-produced beverages.

Remember, a dull label means a dull drink (in the consumer’s eyes)

If your product labelling is dull and does not attract people’s attention, people will simply resort to what they know best – the more predictable commercialised beverages that thrive because their labelling is so recognisable and identifiable. Any reputable label manufacturers will offer an extensive range of materials that can be used especially for alcoholic beverages. Remember that these materials can make the difference between your product and a bigger brand. When you are deciding on your design, and selecting which label manufacturer you would like to go with, ensure that they offer a large range of materials which will enhance the design of your product.

Many colorful labels from local breweries. Surely works of art.

Written by Tammy Wiltshire. He is the Marketing Manager for label manufacturers Labelnet. Tammy really believes that we should do everything we can in the UK to keep local breweries alive, and understands the importance of a product label to consumers.

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The articles published under TLB Bureau are either written by our staff writers or are selected works from contributors who are featured by our publication and are published with permission of authors.