As it continues to expand, Butcombe Brewery — part of the Liberation Group — has made two senior appointments, welcoming John Breading as UK sales director and Phil Rowsell as operations manager at the brewery’s Bridgwater distribution centre.
John (pictured) has a strong sales background in the UK drinks market, having previously worked for The Beer Seller, Magners UK, and latterly developed a national sales strategy with Frobishers Juices.
He will be responsible for Butcombe’s on- and off-trade sales, including trade marketing. John will continue to grow the brewery’s market share and retain Butcombe Original’s position as the top regional cask beer in the South West of England.
The distribution centre is home to four new projects, including a craft beer production unit, bottling and kegging line, alongside a beer storage and delivery facility. Phil joins with extensive logistics and project management experience, working as a general manager with DHL Tradeteam.
Phil has a strong customer service background and has worked in partnership with the likes of Molson Coors, Carlsberg, Greene King, and Mitchells and Butlers. In addition, he has worked extensively on several large national projects within the drinks industry in recent years.
John said: “It’s an exciting time to join Butcombe as the the company marks its 40th anniversary. My role will involve supporting our sales team’s passion for customer care and ensuring our focus is on quality. We plan to build on the brewery’s success in the local beer market, growing our loyal West Country customer base, as well as increasing sales further afield.”
Phil added: “It’s a pleasure to take on the challenge of running Butcombe’s new distribution centre. The site will allow us to increase our production to keep pace with growing demand and serve our customers more effectively at a lower cost. Butcombe intend to reinvest the savings into the development of the Butcombe beer brands to secure our future growth.”
