Lancaster-based craft brewer Cannabrew has generated more than £200,000 from hundreds of crowdfunding investors in just 24 hours.
Cannabrew founder Ellior Horner. Photograph: Cannabrew
The brewer launched in September 2019 with its first beer, Sesh IPA. The first lager, Soul, followed in September 2020 and is the highest-rated lager in the UK on beer rating app Untappd.
In contrast to other craft beers, Cannabrew ales are infused with broad-spectrum organic Cannabidiol (CBD) oil. The CBD market is expected to reach £1 billion by 2025.
In the short time since launching, and in spite of covid, Cannabrew has sold thousands of cans across the country into most major UK cities, and even as far as Hong Kong. The Lancashire craft brewer has also planted more than 14,000 trees through a sustainability initiative in Madagascar removing an estimated 350 tonnes of CO2 in just six months.
The six-figure crowdfunding investment means that Cannabrew can now press ahead with ambitious plans to recruit and expand, with the ultimate aim of being listed by a major UK supermarket.
Founder Elliot Horner, a semi-professional rugby player, said: “We know that we’ve already created some special beers and people tell us they love our innovative approach. But we’ve been genuinely surprised and humbled by how quickly we were backed with such a significant investment.
“We hope that the investors have chosen to back us because they see beyond the business. We hope they share our excitement for the beer and our mission to build a unique brand with a purpose.
“As the demand for CBD products grows, we want to become the market leader and go-to company for CBD-infused craft beer. We are grateful to all our supporters — friends, family, customers and investors — and we can’t wait to take them with us on the journey.”
Cannabrew will now implement plans to grow its network of off-licenses and develop supermarket relations. It also plans to make its craft beers available in keg form as hospitality venues re-open. Innovation will continue, including new product launches to boost direct-to-consumer activities.
