Harviestoun Brewery was invited to join just six other Scotland-based businesses at 10 Downing Street as part of a virtual roundtable business event with prime minister Boris Johnson.
The event, which also featured secretary of state for Scotland, Alister Jack, was set up to offer representatives from a range of sectors the opportunity to share their experiences and highlight key issues affecting their businesses with the UK government. Other participants were Genius Gluten Free, Orbital Marine, Gael Force Group, Trespass, Criton, and Epidarex Capital.
Harviestoun Brewery, based at Alva, near Stirling, has been brewing in the shadow of the Ochil Hills, in Clackmannanshire, since 1983, so it was making craft beer in Scotland long before it became a trend. Still under independent ownership, it considers itself a modern craft classic.
Harviestoun is a pioneering producer of ten high-quality craft beer and lagers. Its most famous, award-winning beer, Schiehallion pilsner, is named after a well-known mountain in Perthshire. Schiehallion is unique among British beers as being the only current brand to win the World’s Best Pilsner award.
Under the same chairmen it has had since 2008, Harviestoun is now led by Stuart Cook and Kevin Giudici as joint managing directors. The executive team in 2019 have led the business to re-brand, brought out new products that are already winning awards, as well as overhauling the sales and marketing division to establish a strong platform for growth in the future.
‘This was a unique opportuning for Harviestoun to share our experiences’
Stuart Cook (pictured in the photo montage) said he was honoured to represent te brewery at the roundtable event. “This was a unique opportunity for Harviestoun and other selected businesses from a mix of sectors to share our experiences and key issues affecting our business with the UK government at this extremely challenging time.
“Here at Harviestoun, we’ve been an integral part of Scotland’s burgeoning food and drink sector for nearly 40 years. It’s now more important than ever that we continue to champion and support our industry of craft producers.”
The brewery employs a close team of 22 people, including a female head brewer, which is still rare for the brewing industry, as well as a master brewer with well over 20 years’ experience at the brewery.
Its product range is becoming increasingly available in supermarkets, readily bought from major online e-commerce customers, and the export market. The dark beers, such as Old Engine Oil, Engineers Reserve, and the Ola Dubh age range, are in especially high demand across Europe, China, the USA, Canada, and South Korea.
