More than 1,000 small independent breweries, bottle shops, and retailers across the UK and Europe have signed up to Beer is Here — a not-for-profit website aimed at supporting them throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Beer is Here has been created by hop supplier Simply Hops in a bid to connect consumers with local breweries who could suffer greatly or even potentially close over the next three months if they don’t gain support.
It’s being supported by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) (SIBA), as well as Simpsons Malt, Muntons, Lallemand Yeast, Brewers Select, SSV Ltd, and Bottleshops Online.
All visitors have to do is enter their postcode to find out where they can easily get beer delivered to their home. So far, 1,180 breweries, bottle shops, and taprooms have signed up to the site, and 39,025 people are using it to search for beer.
John Willetts, director at Simply Hops, said: “Simply Hops, along with SIBA, and our other friends of craft beer, Simpsons Malt and Lallemand Yeast, just wanted to do what we could to help the fantastic independent brewers across the UK and Europe get through this tough time.
‘This is a free-of-charge, not-for-profit service that allows all true lovers of great beer for find all the independent breweries, retailers, or taprooms that can deliver to their door’
“We felt that helping them change the shape of their businesses during this time, when the bulk sales of beer to pubs, restaurants, and taprooms have suddenly stopped, was a small thing to do. We want people to be aware that there are a lot of ways to get great beer to your house, and try lots of different beers, and support the large number of small business people that need it right now.
“This is a free-of-charge, not-for-profit service that allows all true lovers of great beer to find all the independent breweries, retailers, or taprooms that can deliver to their door, therefore supporting the small brewers and giving the consumers a real opportunity to connect with breweries they may never have even heard of before.”
He added: “We are looking for some beer patriotism, and for consumers to make a small extra effort to save the beautiful diversity of beer that now exists. We want to make sure the product everyone in our industry has dedicated their whole lives to is still here for people during and after this unusual and difficult time.
“It’s what the craft beer scene is all about really. Working together to lift each other up when it’s needed.”
Kier McAllister Wilde, owner of Wilde Child Brewery, in Leeds, said: “This website will be a lifeline for our brewery. It’s vitally important to keep our heads above water, but we really need a sustainable route to the local market to keep ticking over in these exceptional times.
“There will be major issues if the network of breweries and good beer goes away. Beer delivery drivers are just as important and essential as any other delivery drivers at this time.”
