St Aldates Tavern

Nick West, Manager of City Pub Company’s St Aldates Tavern, Oxford, with the special beers on tap

The City Pub Company is getting behind Small Business Saturday, the annual campaign that puts small, independent businesses in communities across the country in the national spotlight, by specially stocking beers from a small independent brewery in the run-up to the day itself (December 3).

The pubs are to specially showcase beers including Trinity, an award-winning low-ABV beer brewed with three malts and three hops, from Redemption Brewing Company, in North London. Redemption was established in 2010 to create hand-crafted beers that deliver big flavours.

The City Pub Company operates 24 locations across Southern England, from Oxford to Cambridge, Norwich to Winchester and from Bath to Brighton, as well as across London.

Its executive chairman, Clive Watson, said: “We recognise that many of the people who come into our pub for a drink or a bite to eat will own a small business, work for a small business or will know somebody who does.

“Being at the heart of and serving local communities, we think this is a tangible way for our pubs to support the Small Business Saturday campaign and say to people that there are some fantastic small brewers whose beers are well worth checking out.”

Andy Moffat, director of Redemption Brewing Company, added: “When we started Redemption Brewing Company in 2010 we were one of a comparatively small number of independent breweries around. Over the past six years there has been an explosion in the number of those breweries and it’s tough for us all to get our beers out there when we are up against the big, well known names.

“So for City Pub Company to stock our beer is a great way of shining a light on all small brewers and telling people again that small businesses matter and need our support.”

Small Business Saturday campaign director, Michelle Ovens MBE, said: “There are some amazing small and microbreweries around the country and we hope that, together with City Pub Company, we can help Redemption Brewing Company by creating a new relationship and show other small and microbreweries around the country what might be possible in their areas.

“We also hope, of course, that customers in those pubs will celebrate Small Business Saturday by ordering a pint once it is on tap.”

Now in its fourth year Small Business Saturday is already the UK’s most successful small business campaign. Last year an estimated £623 million was spent with small businesses across the UK on the day — up £119 million on last year and an increase in spending of 24%. The day itself also generated huge buzz on social media with Small Business Saturday trending at number one on Twitter.

Logos, digital banners, a social media guide and toolkits are available to download from the website www.smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com and can be displayed online or on premises. Businesses around the country can also upload information to the ‘My Small Business Finder’ on the website (www.smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com) on what special events or promotional offers they will be running for Small Business Saturday.