Award-winning Harrogate brewery opens up about fears the tide is turning against indies in beer industry

Family-owned Rooster’s Brewing Co is one of two award-winning Harrogate independent craft beer firms backing a new campaign by the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA), the other being Harrogate Brewing Co.

The push to encourage consumers to spend their money on local, independent beers in shops and bars comes amid challenging times for the independent craft beer sector outwith its own making, specifically, the big brewers’ efforts to hijack the term ‘craft beer’.

Rooster’s Brewing Co’s Chairman Ian Fozard admits times are hard but is feeling positive about the new SIBA campaign.

"Talking with SIBA colleagues, we all agree that it’s really tough out there at present,” said Mr Fozard, a former chairman of SIBA North East Region.

"Not many small brewers are trading profitably.

"Those older brewers who have a pub chain are, to some extent, immune from the pressures.

"I wouldn't be surprised if there are some serious small brewer casualties over the next few months.

"The behaviour of the global brewers in the market at present is very aggressive both in terms of predatory pricing, soft loans/equipment installs to tie up beer lines in pubs.

"It's behaviour that constantly puts more pressure on smaller independent brewers."

The rapid growth of craft beers has been one of the big surprises of the last 20 years but it was only made possible by the introduction of Small Breweries Relief in 2002 by the then Labour Chancellor Gordon Brown.

But recent years have seen global drinks brands buying up well-known craft beer breweries such as Beavertown, which is now owned by Heineken UK, and Camden, which is owned by Anheuser-Busch.

New data published by YouGov found that 75% of people surveyed believe consumers are being misled when purchasing beer from once independent craft breweries.

In that context, Rooster’s in Harrogate believes, like many other independents and SIBA itself, that it’s vital that the focus should be be on being an independent, rather than simply on craft beer flavour.

Tom Fozard, Operations Director, Rooster’s Brewing Co, said: "Rooster’s is pleased to be supporting SIBA’s Indie Beer campaign, which is geared to raise awareness of true independence and provenance, in order to help give drinkers more clarity when presented with a choice of beers over the bar or on a shop shelf.

“Originally borrowed from brewers in the USA as a term to incorporate more modern styles of brewing at a smaller, independent level, the term craft has been pontificated on and argued over when it comes to beer in the UK for the best part of the last decade.

"In that time, larger, global breweries have taken note of the swing towards more flavoursome beers, brewed by passionate, independent businesses and have developed their own brands to mimic this, while also have the resources to snap up smaller, successful breweries to add to their portfolios and use the brands to masquerade as being part of the ‘craft’ movement.

"All of this is done at the smaller brewery’s expense and is designed to close the market in favour of the global players."

In case, beer lovers don’t get the point, Rooster’s points to the behaviour of Asahi, the Japanese global brewer which owns Peroni/Pilsner Urquell/Grolsch/Fullers/Meantime brands in the UK.

They say it recently decided to reduce the abv of Grolsch “Premium Pilsner” in the UK from 4% to 3.4%.

This saves them 23p in beer duty for every 440ml can sold – so that they can be more aggressive in pricing for supermarkets and hit the smaller, independent beer brewers where it hurts.

And that’s just one example.